Masdar to mark 6th commencement ceremony on May 24

ABU DHABI / Emirates Business

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Chairman of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology Board of Trustees, Masdar Institute will be organizing its sixth commencement ceremony for its Class of 2016 on May 24.
The ceremony will be held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. More than 100 PhD and Master’s students from 30 countries including the UAE are expected to receive their degree across nine academic programs. A total of 44 UAE nationals – 41 Master’s and three PhD students – will also be part of the group that will be graduating this year.
Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost, Masdar Institute, said: “The sixth Masdar Institute commencement celebrates a new batch of talented and specialized post graduate engineers who have gained the skills and training necessary to help overcome some of the most pressing challenges faced in the UAE and worldwide, like energy, water and sustainable development. These graduates will be joining the global marketplace at a time when innovators and innovations are needed more than ever. We are confident that the Class of 2016 are an asset to the country and the world as advocates for the global push for sustainability.”
Several graduating students have recorded remarkable achievements in sustainable innovation, contributing to Masdar Institute’s position at the forefront of R&D in science and technology in the region. They have won accolades for their research in addressing the country’s food, water, infrastructure, and energy challenges. With their peers and faculty advisors, the Class of 2016 also helped raised the number of published papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals to more than 1000, and conference papers presented to more than 600. Student research activities also contributed to 10 US patents, over 70 patent applications, and more than 120 invention disclosures.
The graduates were also actively involved in research projects undertaken by the Masdar Institute research centers (iCenters) and sponsored research centers, helping drive knowledge creation. These projects contribute to key local sectors including water, energy, space, and advanced materials, which are of direct relevance to the country’s transformation into a knowledge-economy.
Some of the research covered in the graduate theses includes optimization of the performance of membranes used for forward osmosis in desalination, improving non-destructive testing and thermal imaging techniques to examine an aircraft’s carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the use of carbon nanostructures to make portable lithium ion batteries more sustainable.
Dignitaries, ministers, government officials, and CEOs of private and government sector organizations are expected to be present at the graduation ceremony. In addition, the event will be attended by board members and stakeholders of Masdar Institute and Masdar, representatives from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is Masdar Institute’s main academic collaborator, as well as families and friends of graduating students.
The Class of 2016 will be joining Masdar Institute’s 450-plus alumni currently working or studying in the UAE and abroad. Nearly 90% of the previous graduating classes are already employed or pursuing further studies.