Masdar Institute - 10 Years in the Making - By Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh with Assistance From Zarina Khan

Masdar Institute Ten Years in the Making

by Dr. Fred Moavenzadehwith the assistance of Zarina Khan

Contents

PART 1MASDAR INSTITUTE’S FOUNDING

INSPIRATIONS

Preface 12

Introduction 15

Chapter 1: Founding Inspirations and Abu Dhabi's Vision

19Chapter 2: Establishing a Rationale, and the Role of MIT

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Abu Dhabi Development Strategy

Development Limitations

Development Opportunities

Setting the Direction for Development

Abu Dhabi in the 21st Century

Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030

The Masdar Initiative

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Rationale for Using a World-Class

Research University Model

MIT as an Academic Collaborator and

Inspiration

A Joint, Four-Point Agreement

Masdar Institute, MIT Energy Initiative,

and MIT Deshpande Center

Governance

Board of Trustees

Executive Committee

Administrative Functions

Office of the President

Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost

Research Administration

Research Development Office (RDO)

Technology Transfer Office (TTO)

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Research Laboratories Department

Masdar Institute Research Centers (iCenters)

Sponsored Research Centers

Office of the Vice President of Operations and Finance

Financial Services

Business and Services Procurement

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Department

Facilities Department

Human Resources (HR) Department

Public Affairs Office

Resource Development Office

Student Enrollment Department

Marketing and Communications Department

Visitor Center

Outreach Department

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Chapter 3: Establishing a Structure

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Chapter 4: Academic Programs and Degrees

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General Program Requirements

Individual Degree Programs—Summaries

MSc in Chemical Engineering

MSc in Computing and Information Science

MSc in Engineering Systems and Management

MSc in Electrical Power Engineering

MSc in Materials Science and Engineering

MSc in Mechanical Engineering

MSc in Microsystems Engineering

MSc in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure

MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering

MSc Concentration in Advanced Space Systems and

Technology

MSc in Geomechanics Engineering

Practice School Program

PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering

Departments

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer

Science (EECS)

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

(MME)

Department of Engineering Systems and Management

(ESM)

Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

(CEE)

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Chapter 5: Research Approach and Infrastructure

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Chapter 6: Student Support, Community Outreach, and Institute Recognition

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Mission and Multidisciplinary Approach

Strategies for Fostering Innovative Technologies

Open Layout and Innovative Infrastructure

Research Centers

iCenters


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Financial Support and Tuition

A Sustainable Campus

Labs for Cutting-Edge Research

Outreach and Community Engagement

Achievements, the First Ten Years

Input Achievements

Output Achievements

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Chapter 7: Supporting Sustainable Strategies, Goals, and Efforts

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Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee

Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan

Renewable Energy Target

UAE Vision 2021

UAE Space Agency and Mars Mission

National Innovation Strategy

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PART 2RELEVANCE TO ABU DHABI, THE

UAE, AND THE WIDER WORLD

Chapter 8: Adapting to Meet the UAE’s Evolving Needs

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A Link in the Innovation Value Chain

Intellectual Capital for a Knowledge Economy

Integration of UAE Nationals

Human Capital for Industry

Responsive Collaborations

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PART 3FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

Chapter 9: The Way Forward

137Chapter 10: Caveats and Conditions

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Increased Enrollment

New Academic Offerings

Disclosure and Patenting Forecast

University Rankings

Masdar Institute (MI)–MIT Collaborative

Research

Industry-Sponsored Research

Industry Collaboration

Increased Research Funding

Intellectual Property Development

Facilitating Entrepreneurship

Next-Generation Capacity Building and

Community Networks

Abu Dhabi Government Engagement

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Balancing State Funding and Support

with State Restrictions

Adopting Rubrics for Success

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights

Developing and Allocating Tangible

and Nontangible Resources

Funding Diversity

Maintaining Autonomy

Avoiding Bureaucracy

Delineating the Public-Private

University Model

Learning Not to Fear or Stigmatize

Failure

Chapter 11: Meeting the Potential for Transformation and Innovation

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AppendixWorks Cited

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Preface

Dr. Fred MoavenzadehPresident, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology 2010-2015

James Mason Crafts Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering,Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PrefaceIn 2005, as the director of the Technology and

Development Program at the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology (MIT), I received a delegation from the United Arab

Emirates (UAE) headed by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who had

an idea: to develop an institute of science and technology along

the lines of MIT, in the UAE.

He reasoned that this research-focused graduate

institute would be instrumental in transforming the UAE from

an oil-based economy, to a knowledge-based economy, with

technological innovation at its core. It would produce the

intellectual property, technological innovations, and human

capital that are key to competitive advanced industries.

Captivated by such an ambitious and transformative

vision, I have been involved with supporting Masdar Institute

ever since—first as the director of the Technology and

Development Program at MIT, which supported the formulation

of its scope, curriculum and research agenda and then,

beginning in 2010, as Masdar Institute’s president. I have thus

both watched and participated in events that helped to shape

Masdar Institute’s first ten years in the making.

Masdar Institute has come a long way from the day

Dr. Sultan visited MIT. The institute admitted its first class in

2009 and celebrated its first commencement in 2011. I have

witnessed the accreditation of its nine master’s programs and

its interdisciplinary doctorate program, the organization of

its academic departments, and the launch of its five Institute

Research Centers. As its president, I have overseen the

completion of its first five-year plan. Now, as I step down from

the Masdar Institute presidency, I depart when its second five-

year plan is well underway and its third five-year plan takes

shape on the horizon.

I would like to take this opportunity and thank Dr. Sultan

for his relentless support and guidance, and for championing

the cause of Masdar Institute. The unconditional support of the

members of the Masdar Institute Board of Trustees and the

leadership of the country has been very rewarding.

In the following pages I provide a detailed account of

Masdar Institute’s history, examining its scope and intention, the

progress of its formative first decade, and the impact it aims to

have in decades to come—in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the world

at large.

Dr. Fred MoavenzadehPresident, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology 2010-2015

James Mason Crafts Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering,Massachusetts Institute of Technology

IntroductionThe Masdar Institute of Science and Technology was

established in 2007 by an official decree from His Highness Sheikh

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates

(UAE) and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who described Masdar Institute as

the world’s first graduate academic institution dedicated to the

research of advanced energy and sustainable technologies.

Since its beginnings in 2007, and in collaboration with the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute

has achieved many of its early goals and has gone through a

state of continuing development and progression. It rode out the

global economic recession that hit shortly after its establishment,

managing to attract increasing amounts of industry research

funding at a time when global research funding was in decline. It

began classes for five inaugural master’s programs in 2009, and,

as of June 30, 2015, went on to rapidly add four more master’s

program and an interdisciplinary doctoral degree program (IDDP).

It has hosted the commencement ceremonies of five classes of

graduates, each more promising than the next.

Masdar Institute completed its first five-year plan and is

on target to fulfill the goals of its second five-year plan, launched

in 2012. Having successfully overcome the nascent challenges

of a fledgling institution, this succeeding phase is focused on

Masdar Institute achieving a critical mass; conducting research

of relevance to local, regional, and global sustainable technology

needs; and establishing a reputation for its continued engagement

in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the world at large.

The following pages will present, in three parts, the story

of how the institute came to be, and how it aims to succeed

while facing future challenges. Part I, in six chapters, examines

the rationale for the institute’s founding and its connection to

the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); it outlines the

institute’s scope and its goals; it details the institute’s governance,

administration, and academic affairs (including program and

degree requirements), its intellectual rationale, research

commitments, and achievements to date.

Part II, in two chapters, places Masdar Institute in the

context of its community at large. For instance, it explores

the institute’s role in (and vision for) the economic, social,

developmental, and strategic needs of its host emirate and the

wider UAE, examining those aspirations in line with the concerns

and needs of the global market and environment. It highlights the

institute’s dedication to the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy, a plan

in which the government proposes to stimulate growth and achieve

excellence in seven sectors (renewable energy, transport, education,

health, technology, water conservation, and space exploration).

Part III, in three chapters, first focuses on how the

institute sees its way forward through various means, including:

increased enrollment, new academic offerings, collaborative

endeavors in research and industry, research funding, intellectual

property development, Abu Dhabi government engagement, and

community networking. The second chapter sets forth a series

of caveats based on the ambitious and challenging economic

transformation the Abu Dhabi leadership envisions for the emirate

and its people, a transformation that requires a confluence of

energy in academia, government, and industry. The final chapter

summarizes the overarching focus of this book: Masdar Institute’s

role as the graduate research institution that has taken on the

responsibility of educating the people who will contribute a good

deal of the human and intellectual capital necessary to achieve

these goals and meet the potential for transformation and

innovation.

PART

MASDAR INSTITUTE’S FOUNDING INSPIRATIONS

1

The vision of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan:

“The UAE, right from the beginning, considered the environment as the main target for its development policy and exerted great efforts to achieve it.”

“We have to diversify the sources of our revenue and construct economic projects that will ensure a free, stable and dignified life for the people. “

“The real asset in any advanced nation is in its people, especially the educated ones.”

“Nothing could delight me more than to see [a] woman taking up her distinctive position in society. ... Nothing should hinder her progress.”

CHAPTER

Founding Inspirations and Abu Dhabi's Vision

1

In the recent past the UAE has come onto the global stage in

a meaningful way. In a relatively short time, from 1960 onward,

the country has evolved from simple pearling, fishing, and trade-based communities into one of the most dynamic business hubs of the world. And since its national inception in 1971, the UAE has

demonstrated some of the most rapid national development ever

witnessed.

Credit for this remarkable transformation is owed in large part

to the wisdom of the UAE founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin

Sultan Al Nahyan. After unifying the seven emirates, Sheikh Zayed

embarked upon a 33-year presidency focused on the welfare and

development of the UAE’s people. Sheikh Zayed recognized that

the country needed to use the wealth afforded from its vast natural

resources to develop itself, diversify its economy, educate its men

and women, and preserve the environment. The following values

articulated by the founding father have served as guiding lights on

Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s path to progress ever since:

No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or how many bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind the progress is the human spirit, the able man with his intellect and capabilities. (UAE Interact, 2005)

We must not rely on oil alone as the main source of our national income. We have to diversify the sources of our revenue and construct economic projects that will ensure a free, stable and dignified life for the people. (UAE Interact, 2005)

The real asset in any advanced nation is in its people, especially the educated ones, and the prosperity and success of the people are measured by the standard of their education.(UAE Interact, 2005)

Nothing could delight me more than to see [a] woman taking up her distinctive position in society. ... Nothing should hinder her progress. ... Like men, women deserve the right to occupy high positions according to their capabilities and qualifications.(Government of Dubai Media Office, 2015)

Today’s leaders honor the values that Sheikh Zayed’s statements

espouse by continuing with the development, investment, and

preservation of the people, environment, and natural resources of

Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Development Strategy

The seven emirates that today are known as the UAE have

experienced a state of constant rapid economic evolution from the

moment oil was discovered within their boundaries in the first half

of the 20th century.

By the 1950s, the oil industry infrastructure, in what was then

known as the Trucial States, was well developed to extract and

export this high-demand resource to foreign markets. By the time

of the UAE’s formation in 1971, the local oil sector had started

to shape the evolution and development of the emirates’ entire

economy due to a huge increase in oil production and exports, and

the resulting government revenues. Oil production had increased

from 253 million barrels in 1970 to about 619 million barrels in

1975, pushing oil revenues from US$233 million to US$6 billion

over the same period, mostly sourced from the capital emirate of

Abu Dhabi (Sadik, 2001).

This possibly hitherto unprecedented increase in national

wealth so early in a country’s existence provided Abu Dhabi and

the wider UAE with the opportunity to step back and assess their

needs and goals against available resources. To get an idea of

the state of the UAE during that time and understand how certain

limitations and opportunities affected its development, we can

compare data from the first year of the UAE’s census, 1975.

22 Chapter 1 Founding Inspiration and Abu Dhabi's Vision

Development LimitationsThe UAE’s population was small, young, and undereducated—

which limited the potential to develop its domestic market—and

its water and food supplies were scarce.

Small Indigenous Population: In 1975, the UAE had a very

small indigenous population. UAE Nationals numbered only

170,156, supplemented by an estimated 387,731 expatriate

guest workers (69.5% of the total population) (Habboush,

2010). The total labor force in 1975, counting people 15 years

and older, was 288,414 (Hellyer, 2001).

Small Domestic Market: The low population and relative

lack of local manpower, despite the addition of expatriate

workers, meant the UAE had a very small domestic market.

With such a small domestic market—catering to the needs

of about 550,000 people—the UAE’s industries would be

limited in their growth potential if they only focused on

serving the needs of those in-country. In order to reach

critical mass and achieve significant returns, the UAE’s

industries would have to tap into international markets.

And in order to achieve international competitiveness, they

would need to collaborate with international partners that

would provide them the expertise, networks, and standards

needed to attract international consumers.

Young and Undereducated Population: The UAE’s small

local population was also young and in need of education.

The 15-to-24-year-old age group accounted for 21% of the

population in 1975—which was 30.3% of the working-age

population (Economic and Social Commissions for Western

Asia [ESCWA], n.d.). There were few secondary- and higher-

education facilities to help this significant proportion of the

population develop and become meaningful contributors to

the economy. In fact, in 1971 there were only 28,000 students

in the country, and by 1975 the rate of adult literacy was still

only 54% among men and 31% among women (UAE National

Qualifications Authority, 2013). Much work was needed

to add value to the UAE’s human capital, by educating,

training, and facilitating opportunities, before its population

could produce intellectual property, goods, and services

that contributed to the UAE economy and its status in the

global arena.

Freshwater Scarcity: The UAE faced another serious

economic and developmental challenge—water scarcity.

The country has no perennial surface water resources, a

very high water evaporation rate (2/3 meters per year), and

low groundwater recharge rate (<4% annually) (Environment

Agency—Abu Dhabi, 2012). Average annual groundwater

recharge is estimated at about 120 million m³, most of which

comes from infiltration from the riverbeds (Aquastat—FAO,

2008). Traditionally, the UAE’s people relied on hand-dug

wells that tapped into ancient groundwater tables and the

falaj water collection systems that channeled groundwater,

spring water, and surface water downstream. This limited

freshwater availability was considered one of the country’s

most obvious challenges to overcome in order to achieve

prosperity, as access to freshwater is not only necessary for

development of infrastructure and industrial activities, but

also for human health.

Food Scarcity: The most serious consequence of an

inadequate freshwater supply (or the means to sustainably

secure it) is, of course, food scarcity. With 80% of the UAE’s

land being classified as desert, crop farming is highly

dependent on irrigation. Prior to using modern irrigation

technologies, crops in the UAE were traditionally watered

through flood and furrow methods. Traditional crop cultivation included dates (and some vegetables and other

fruits), supplemented by fishing and livestock farming. In

1975, agriculture was thus limited to species with a low

demand for water; the UAE could not secure indigenous

food production or ensure the optimal health of its people,

without securing sustainable access to freshwater.

2322 Chapter 1 Founding Inspiration and Abu Dhabi's Vision 23

Development OpportunitiesTo balance these limitations, the UAE recognized a number

of its unique opportunities involving hydrocarbon wealth, a high

gross domestic product, strong government leadership, and the

potential for greenfield investment.

Hydrocarbon wealth: As the UAE’s founding father

recognized, the most obvious opportunity for the country

lay in capitalizing on its hydrocarbon resources. By 1975,

the UAE had discovered 16 oil fields, which would support

1,134 oil-producing wells. In total, the UAE possesses an

estimated 10% of the world’s oil reserves. It is no surprise

then that the country saw its oil revenues hit US$6 billion by

1975 (Butt, 2001).

High Gross Domestic Product (GDP): With such

significant oil revenues, the UAE was the beneficiary of a

considerable windfall in the form of its advantageous GDP-

to-population ratio, due to its small population and large

national income. The real per capita GDP of the UAE in 1975

was approximately US$27,209, according to the UAE dirham

to US dollar conversion rate of 1975. Compare that to the

US per capita GDP in 1975 of US$7,517, which reveals the

considerable relative wealth the UAE possessed (UN Data,

n.d.). This wealth gave the UAE the chance to invest in the

best interests of its people.

Strong and Agile Government: The relative youth

of the country and its people also presented the UAE

with an opportunity. In the early 1970s, the UAE was still

a somewhat underdeveloped nation. Roads, schools,

hospitals, government services, utilities, and industries

were all in a very basic state, which meant that the UAE’s

strong and prosperous government leadership could launch

any of its desired development initiatives “from scratch,”

implementing the latest technologies and systems without

having first to restructure or demolish previous systems

or cultures. This provided the UAE with a unique agility to

quickly and effectively implement changes and respond to

needs, which thus allowed it to leverage its national wealth

to invest in the sort of national infrastructure that many

other nations would take decades to implement.

Greenfield versus Brownfield: In investment and

industrial development, there are two terms to describe the

maturity and potential of an investment terrain—greenfield

and brownfield. A greenfield refers to projects or industries

that have no prior iterations, which would otherwise need to

be revamped or deconstructed first. A brownfield, in contrast,

refers to a project or undertaking that builds upon prior

work, retrofitting or transforming an existing product into

a new one. The relatively undeveloped status of the UAE’s

industrial sectors presented an opportunity in the form of

greenfield investment and development. Although both types

of investment terrains have their own unique advantages,

with the right conditions greenfield investments can have a

greater potential result (Irwin, 2012). Providing government

support, enabling legislation, intelligent strategies, and

adequate funding for the UAE’s greenfield developments

could create dynamic and transformative industries without

having to first spend time and resources deconstructing or

adapting existing ones.

Setting the Direction for Development

In recognition of these challenges and opportunities, founding

president Sheikh Zayed called the UAE Council of Ministers in

1974 to set the direction for the country’s further development

(UAE Ministry of Planning, 1978). It determined that the UAE’s

economic development strategies should accomplish the following

objectives:

∙ Concentrate on the expansion and exploitation of

natural resources, promote and support manufacturing, and

lower the pressure on the growth of imports.



∙ Adopt capital-intensive projects in high-tech,

automated fields that have high startup costs for

equipment/infrastructure but low manpower requirements,

so as to lower the demand for labor.

∙ Develop the compatible infrastructure required to

produce goods and services without barriers or bottlenecks.

This economic strategy would then facilitate the UAE’s

broader national and social development with the following

considerations:

• The ultimate objective in any development plan is to provide its people with social services that foster human development. These services include the right to health care, education (with a view to supplying the country’s

labor demand for various skills and specializations), and

a safe environment (preserving the physical environment of course, but also maintaining the country’s security and safeguarding the foundations of the society—its morale,

holy beliefs, and shrines).

• With this foundation, the aim should be to supply

the UAE with a trained and skilled national labor force to manage the country and prepare and implement

development plans (Sadik, 2001).

Following these guidelines over the next two decades, the UAE

saw its economy grow by more than 26 fold, from 1972 to 1998

(Sadik, 2001). But it was not an upward rise without any dips or

drops. The country witnessed 15 positive and 11 negative growth

rates during that period, due in large part to the UAE economy’s

close link to the volatile international oil market. The value-added

section of the crude oil subsector in particular underwent many

fluctuations during the period, with crude oil prices varying from

US$2 per barrel to US$33 per barrel (Sadik, 2001). Given the fact

that the crude oil subsector accounted for more than 63% of the

UAE’s total gross GDP in the early 1970s, these fluctuations had

significant impact on the national economic performance and

prosperity (Sadik, 2001).

24


In 1980, in response to the economic instability produced by

being dependent on a single volatile resource, the UAE Ministry of

Planning launched its strategy for the 1981–1986 period. Among its

goals it listed the “expansion of the productive base by increasing

growth in non-oil sectors in order to lower the dependence on the

oil sector and develop non-oil sources of income.”

While this plan did promote the establishment and development

of new sectors across Abu Dhabi and the UAE, it was not as effective

as intended, causing the non-oil GDP to increase only 5%, from

around 50% in 1982 to only 55% in 1985. The momentum of that plan

carried through to the 1990s, when agriculture, manufacturing,

construction, and government services would witness further

moderate growth to raise the non-oil GDP slightly higher.

Abu Dhabi in the 21st CenturyIn the early 2000s, leaders of the capital emirate, Abu Dhabi,

recognized that to increase stability and prosperity for the greater UAE,

the country must continue to work toward economic diversification.

During the previous few decades, the UAE had invested heavily

in its infrastructure. The goal was to encourage retail and leisure-oriented enterprises, trade, and investment hubs as well as to

improve education, health care, and government services, and

thereby turn the urban centers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai into two

of the world’s most exciting international metropolises. Human

development indicators reflected these positive changes as

among the highest in the region. Infant mortality rate dropped

from 29.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1980–1985 to 6.9

infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005–2010. Life expectancy at

birth gained 7.2 years (from 68.7 years to 75.9 years), comparing

the same two periods, 1980–1985 to 2005–2010 (ESCWA, n.d.).

The adult literacy rate in the UAE increased from 72% to 89% for

males and 69% to 91% for females from the period 1984–1994

to the period 2005–2010 (UAE National Qualifications Authority,

2013). The UAE’s citizens had come to enjoy one of the region’s

highest qualities of life, if not the highest, and the country was a

magnet for expatriate professionals from around the world. But

despite these major improvements for the country and its people,

the UAE had still-greater potential for further development.

The challenge posed to Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE as it faced

the 21st century was very similar to the question the 1974 UAE

Council of Ministers meeting so long ago had highlighted: Where

and how to invest and develop to provide gainful employment to

the country’s relatively small citizen workforce in a way that meets

the high standard of living to which they have grown accustomed

and provides the UAE with strong diversified revenue source to

serve as its future economic engine?

Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s strengths in the 21st century were

still much the same: sizeable hydrocarbon resources, significant

national wealth, high per capita real GDP, ability to implement

and undertake new development projects quickly with a strong

and agile government, and an ambitious population eager

to contribute to their country. The intrinsic challenges were

also still present: scarce natural freshwater resources, small

indigenous population, small domestic market, food insecurity,

underdeveloped academic/intellectual infrastructure, dearth of

indigenous raw materials for industry, and high expectations of

increasing quality of life for residents.

Global climate change—simply described as the detrimental

environmental impacts to our planet through carbon emissions and

other human activities—posed an added and unforeseen challenge.

Because carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion

account for more than half the total manmade global greenhouse gas

emissions (United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2010),

reducing fossil fuel consumption and its resulting environmental

impact is critical for reducing global climate change.

In an attempt to counter this damaging environmental

phenomenon, carbon taxes and carbon emissions caps were

proposed internationally to reduce the demand for (and the use and

impact of) global fossil fuel. These challenges, paired with the fact

that the UAE and all oil producing countries were grappling with

diminishing viable supplies, placed additional pressure on the need



facilitate the related industries to help the knowledge economy

find its footing. The government needed to act as the “surrogate”

for the offspring of its high-tech academic institutions and

allow the intellectual property development value-chain time to

mature and become self-sustaining. Developing and supporting

related high-tech industries through legislative efforts, funding,

collaboration, and promotion would help nurture the entire value-

chain of knowledge capital.

This holistic undertaking would transform Abu Dhabi and the UAE from an economy fueled by a finite and volatile natural

resource, to one with a stream of diverse knowledge-based industries that give back to the country rather than just extract from it. Knowledge-based industries are the main producers of

high-technology goods and services, high- and medium-high

technology manufacturing, and the main users of technology, and

they account for more than half of the GDP in OECD countries.

They continue to grow rapidly (OECD, 2001). Knowledge-intensive

economies are also capital intensive, a factor that limits the

number of countries able to effectively make this transition,

and thus provides Abu Dhabi and the UAE with a unique and

advantageous opportunity. Being “high-value human capital,”

the UAE citizenry going forward would produce the valuable

and useful products and services that contribute to the UAE’s

prosperity and its place of pride in the global community.

Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030

In response to the country’s considerable potential for growth

and development, Abu Dhabi’s leadership launched the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Published in 2008, this strategy document outlines a concerted response to the needs of the emirate and its

people for a prosperous future. As stated in the Vision 2030:

The need to safeguard the economy is vital to continue growing in a stable and sustainable manner. Through the harnessing of a combination of human, physical, and financial capital, Abu Dhabi will be able to generate the productivity and competitiveness it needs to drive economic growth forward. With these

to diversify the economy. Abu Dhabi and the UAE needed to come up

with a plan to leverage the country’s significant national wealth and

its agile and strong government in order to diversify its economy,

and thus move beyond the finite and volatile hydrocarbon sector into

sectors that can continually grow and produce wealth and prosperity

for the country. Normally, developing economies are labor rich but

capital scarce, with limited national assets available to serve the

needs of large populations. Abu Dhabi and the UAE, however, had

the reverse situation, with significant wealth from hydrocarbon

reserves but a very small population. Without a plentiful labor supply, or the raw materials and freshwater resources on which to base a manufacturing sector, Abu Dhabi and the UAE could not undertake the typical economic evolution of developing basic

manufacturing and industrial production. Even if freshwater and

raw materials were subsidized or imported, factory work would not

provide the UAE’s population with the type of pay that would support

the lifestyle to which residents had become accustomed.

So rather than pour money into the manufacturing sector, Abu

Dhabi and the wider UAE needed to invest in a resource with a much

higher potential for development and economic returns than any

raw material—that of its people. With the right education, training,

and support, the UAE’s small indigenous population could be

leveraged to become a new “value-added product,” supplying the

intellectual property, innovation, service, and technical expertise

that would result in a continuous and growing source of revenue

for the country.

Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE needed to develop an academic

sector to provide world-class education focused on science and

engineering. The UAE’s ambitious young people could be trained

to become the “high-value human capital” that would create the

high-value products and innovations integral to the country’s

high-tech future. Government support and investment in related

technical industries would ensure that this new generation of

Emirati professionals and scientists would channel their talent,

commitment, and passion into the UAE’s economy rather than

being drawn to established knowledge economies overseas.

To ensure that the resulting high-tech graduates find gainful

employment, the country also needed to develop, support, and


key factors operating in harmony, the twin targets of economic development and stability will be met. (Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development, 2008)

The strategy is focused on the transformation of Abu Dhabi

into a knowledge economy. Walter Powell and Kaisa Snellman

(2004) define the knowledge economy as "production and

services based on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technical and scientific

advance, as well as rapid obsolescence.” For the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 to create such a high-tech, innovative knowledge economy, certain industry sectors must serve as the driving force behind it (Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development, 2008). Having identified those sectors most critical to Abu Dhabi’s success, most valuable to the global market, and most compatible with the emirate’s available resources, Vision 2030 strategists focused on the following industries to develop:

∙ Energy (oil and gas)

∙ Petrochemicals

∙ Metals

∙ Aviation, aerospace, and defense

∙ Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences

∙ Tourism

∙ Health care equipment and services

∙ Transportation, trade, and logistics

∙ Media

∙ Financial services

∙ Telecommunication services

Abu Dhabi established nine pillars in the Vision 2030 to facilitate the previously existing sectors and advance new ones crucial to its

social, political, and economic future. These include (Abu Dhabi

Council for Economic Development, 2008):

∙ A large empowered private sector ∙ A sustainable knowledge-based economy

∙ An optimal, transparent regulatory environment

∙ A continuation of strong and diverse international

relationships

∙ The optimization of the emirate’s resources

∙ Premium education, health care, and infrastructure assets

∙ Complete international and domestic security

∙ Maintaining Abu Dhabi’s values, culture, and heritage

∙ A significant and ongoing contribution to the federation of the UAE

Through these diversification and development efforts, the leadership would also address issues of concern to Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, including environment, energy, water, food security,

and clean technologies. The Vision 2030 document recognizes



the need to balance economic growth with environmental

sustainability to provide long-term sustainability and preserve the

quality of life for its citizens. It commits to enforcing compliance

with environmental legislation, to creating incentives for people

and businesses to respect the environment, and to design effective

zoning and master planning to ensure that economic development

does not harm the environment (Abu Dhabi Council for Economic

Development, 2008).

In addressing energy security, the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision

2030 lays out an energy master plan to ensure that Abu Dhabi

has a strong and diverse energy supply. This plan includes the

development of clean and renewable sources of energy, as well as

nuclear energy, to help meet the emirate’s growing demand, while

also implementing demand-side management to improve energy

efficiency and water conservation (Abu Dhabi Council for Economic

Development, 2008).

Because water is inextricably linked to health, food security, and

energy, the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 states that Abu Dhabi

will also be planning ahead to ensure sustainable power and water

supplies in the long term. Because diversified energy sources are

key to ensuring energy security in the future, Abu Dhabi will lay the

foundations for this sustainable strategy by exploring alternative

energy sources to reduce dependence on oil and natural gas (Abu

Dhabi Council for Economic Development, 2008).

The strategy also requires the development of human,

intellectual, and financial capital (as well as the markets)

necessary for startups, entrepreneurships, and joint ventures

with multinational companies that can develop these high-tech

industries and innovations. Achieving this vision for Abu Dhabi

would require significant effort—across the entire spectrum

of social, national, and economic development—to create an

innovative “ecosystem” and value chain in the UAE that could

produce the high-value human capital, intellectual property, and

industries critical to its knowledge economy goals (Figure 1.1).


Figure 1.1: Goals of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 (Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi, 2014).

Economic Vision2030



In 2006 the UAE was already listed as one of the most competitive

economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by

the Global Competitiveness Report (Lopez-Claros 2006), but its

further development was being impeded by a number of issues

(see Figure 1.2), including restrictive labor regulations and an

inadequately educated workforce. Achieving the improvements in

innovation and R&D capability necessary for the UAE’s knowledge

economy transformation, which also entailed a cultural shift to

bring the innovative capacity of the UAE to parity with its income

level, required a significant commitment, investment, and effort.

In particular, the UAE’s capacity to innovate—which is integral to

the production of new intellectual property—was being restricted

by the dearth of high-quality scientific research institutions and

the shortage of an appropriately trained workforce of scientists

and engineers. In fact, comparing the key measures of innovation

and education in the UAE to those in the world’s innovation leader,

the United States, it became clear that all areas of academic and

corporate research in the UAE, including publication, patenting,

and collaboration, needed to be strengthened (see Figure 1.3).

30


Figure 1.2: United Arab Emirates most problematic factors for doing business (Lopez-Claros, 2006).

1 These measures are drawn from the World Bank’s Knowledge Assessment Methodology (KAM). The KAM consists of 83 structural and qualitative

variables for 140 countries to measure their performance on the 4 Knowledge Economy (KE) pillars: Economic Incentive and Institutional Regime,

Education, Innovation, and Information and Communications Technologies.



Figure 1.3: Comparison between UAE and US innovation and education metrics (Lopez-Claros, 2006).


In order to develop their innovation capacity and achieve their

strategic development goals, Abu Dhabi and the UAE would need

to leverage their strengths to accomplish the following:

∙ Effective and well-developed means to protect

intellectual property

∙ Strategy to retain knowledge workers trained in the UAE

∙ Government procurement of advanced technology

products, which itself creates demand for upgrading

related products and services

∙ Governmental prioritization of innovation (Masdar

Institute, 2008)

With these foundational legislative supports in place, Abu

Dhabi and the wider UAE would be more likely to develop

the critical components of its innovation ecosystem—namely

advanced research-focused academics and the related value

chain that produces innovation and entrepreneurship.

Research universities play a critical role in developing the

specialist professionals needed by the economy and in generating

new knowledge in support of the national innovation system.

Universities and research institutes, more than firms, drive

scientific advances in sectors like biotechnology (Altbach and

Salmi, 2011). They can be considered the starting point to the high-

value innovation value chain. According to an annual report from

The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance:

Research universities function as quality engines. They

accumulate resources of all kinds to support the highest

possible levels of faculty and student quality. Faculty and

students, pursuing their individual goals within the context

of the university’s academic programs and guilds, develop

their skills and use them to create additional value either

in the form of enhanced capabilities as graduates (at all

levels from undergraduate through professional school

to the PhD) or of contributions to new knowledge through

research. (Lombardi et al., 2002)



Previously, the UAE and its Gulf neighbors relied heavily on

foreign education to train their talented young people, and they

used foreign experts when the expertise was not locally available.

But, as the World Bank (2008) recognized, this was no longer

considered a sustainable solution: “It is not sufficient for a country

to be able to access needed knowledge, technology and skills from

overseas. In the long run, it is essential that a country is able to

attract and domesticate foreign knowledge because countries

with a weak domestic knowledge base derive comparably little

benefit from the influx of any foreign investment or talent.”

In order for Abu Dhabi and the UAE to achieve their knowledge

economy transformation goals, they needed their own world-class

high-tech graduate institute: one that would educate and train

the country’s high-value human capital “knowledge workers,”

produce valuable intellectual property to be commercialized by

industry or spun off into entrepreneurial enterprises, and attract

leading global industrial innovators to the UAE for collaboration.

Such an institute would be anchored within Abu Dhabi and the

wider UAE, with local networks, commitments, and impacts.

It would help develop the country’s talented and ambitious young

people into scientists, engineers, and professionals in the most

exciting and rapidly growing high-tech sectors and contribute to

the country’s energy-, water-, and food-security, and its overall

health and economic prosperity. And to ensure that the human

and intellectual capital that such a research institute produces is

capitalized appropriately, it would be partnered with an overarching

government initiative aimed at developing, funding, and supporting

the entire innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The value and importance of these efforts to diversify Abu

Dhabi and the UAE’s industrial operations and develop its human

capital was recently summed up by Sheikh General Mohamed bin

Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme

Commander of the Armed Forces, at his speech at the UAE

Government Summit 2015. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed said:

“In 50 years, when we might have the last barrel of oil, the question is: when it is shipped abroad, will we be sad? If we are investing today in the right sectors, I can tell you we will celebrate at that moment” (Malek, 2015).

His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed 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 Board of Trustees, and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Masdar Institute Board of Trustees, viewing the solar panels that power Masdar Institute.


The Masdar InitiativeIn response to the emirate’s strategic needs, opportunities,

and ambitions, the Abu Dhabi government–owned Mubadala

Development Company established the Masdar Initiative through

a special decree in 2006. Masdar is a commercially driven

renewable energy company based in Abu Dhabi with the objective

to invest, incubate, and advance the establishment of a clean

energy industry, both at home and around the world (Masdar—A

Mubadala Company, n.d.). Masdar aims to make Abu Dhabi the

preeminent source of renewable energy knowledge, development,

and implementation as well as the world’s benchmark for

sustainable development. Masdar plans to realize this mission

by advancing sustainable technologies that support renewable

energy through education, research and development, investment,

commercialization, and adaptation.

The Masdar Initiative, which has been rebranded as Masdar—

The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, operates five business

units, each focused on a key component of the renewable

energy value chain. Masdar describes those five units—Masdar

Capital, Masdar Clean Energy, Masdar Special Projects, Masdar

City, and the Free Zone—as an organization “greater than the

sum of its parts” in which “the synergies of shared knowledge

and technological advancement provide a competitive edge.”

This advantage enables the company to move with agility and

intelligence in an important, global industry that is evolving at

great speed. This holistic approach keeps Masdar at the forefront

of the industry, while also ensuring that the company remains

grounded in the pursuit of feasible, pioneering technologies. As a

result, Masdar delivers innovation to the market while also bringing

profits to shareholders (Masdar—A Mubadala Company, n.d.).

Masdar and its units aim to support the following four ventures:

∙ Economic diversification of Abu Dhabi from a fossil

fuel–based economy to a knowledge-based economy

∙ Expansion of Abu Dhabi's position in evolving global

energy markets

∙ Positioning of Abu Dhabi as a leading developer of

advanced technologies

∙ Positioning of Abu Dhabi as a major contributor

towards sustainable human development

In this way, Masdar would be active in the entire renewable

energy and clean technology value chain—pursuing investments,

partnerships, activities, and operations development to commercialize

and adopt these technologies, both locally and internationally.

The next thing Abu Dhabi needed was a research university that

would not only produce the human and intellectual capital required

to fulfill the promise of Masdar’s five units, but also respond to the

goals and strategies of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030.


His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development; His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, then Chairman of Masdar and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Masdar Institute Board of Trustees; and Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, then President of Masdar Institute, at the Class of 2014 Commencement Ceremony.

CHAPTER

Establishing a Rationale, and the Role of MIT

2

38 Chapter 2 Establishing a Rationale, and the Role of MIT

∙ To educate students to be innovators with the breadth

and depth to develop technology and enterprises in the

region and globally (Masdar Institute, 2012b).

The primary purpose of Masdar Institute is to develop the

high-value human capital necessary for the transformation of

Abu Dhabi’s economy into knowledge-intensive enterprises that

are environmentally sustainable. In addition, Masdar Institute

aims to contribute to the development of a robust research

and development infrastructure in Abu Dhabi to increase

intellectual capital, serve the technological needs of knowledge-

intensive industries, and promote a culture of innovation and

entrepreneurship in the country.

Rationale for Using a World-Class Research University Model

Given the importance and difficulty of Masdar Institute’s

objective to serve as the linchpin for Abu Dhabi’s knowledge

economy transformation, it was necessary to follow global best

practices and model Masdar Institute after the world’s leading

research universities.

Successful research institutes that produce highly sought-

after graduates, cutting-edge research, and technology transfer

require a high concentration of talent (faculty and students);

abundant resources to offer a rich learning environment to

conduct advanced research; and favorable governance features

that encourage strategic vision, innovation, and the flexibility that

enables institutions to make decisions and to manage resources

without being encumbered by bureaucracy (see Figure 2.1)

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology was established

in 2007 as an independent research university in response to the

goals and mission of the Abu Dhabi government, as stated in the

Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and the broader strategies of

the UAE. The institute was intended to develop the homegrown

research and development (R&D) capacity in Abu Dhabi and to

provide the human and intellectual capital so that the five Masdar

Initiative business units mentioned in Chapter 1—Masdar Capital,

Masdar Clean Energy, Masdar Special Projects, Masdar City, and

the Free Zone—could meet their mandate: economic impact and

transformation for Abu Dhabi. Emirate Decree 22 designated

Masdar Institute as “an independent, national, autonomous legal

entity [that] enjoys financial and administrative independence

to pursue its activities and achieve its goals” (Masdar Institute,

2012a).

Masdar Institute’s vision is twofold: to be recognized as a

regional and global model for research-intensive universities of

the 21st century while underpinning the growth of Abu Dhabi’s

rapidly developing economy across the key sectors identified in a

new knowledge economy development strategy. As a postgraduate-

level institution offering engineering-focused master’s degrees

and doctorate degrees, the institute aims to redefine learning and

discovery in a global context and set new standards in education,

research, and scholarship that will benefit Abu Dhabi and the world.

Masdar Institute’s mission is:

∙ To be a world-class, graduate-level institution,

seamlessly integrating research and education to produce

future world leaders and critical thinkers in advanced

energy and sustainability.

∙ To position Abu Dhabi as a knowledge hub and engine

for socioeconomic growth.

Masdar Institute’s objectives are:

∙ To establish and continually evolve interdisciplinary,

collaborative research, and development capability in

advanced energy and sustainability.

3938 Chapter 2 Establishing a Rationale, and the Role of MIT 39

Figure 2.1: Characteristics of a world-class university (WCU)—alignment of key factors (Altbach and Salmi 2011, 4).


In addition to these key factors, successful research universities

tend to share a number of characteristics (Altbach and Salmi, 2011):

∙ Research universities are part of a differentiated

academic system in which they stand at the top of an

academic hierarchy and receive appropriate support for

their mission.

∙ Research universities, except in Japan and the United

States, are primarily public institutions. The private sector

can seldom support a research university, although private

research universities are emerging among some of the

Roman Catholic universities in Latin America and in Turkey.

∙ Research universities are most successful where little or no competition arises from the non-research university institutes, or where strong ties exist between the

universities and such institutes.

∙ Research universities are expensive institutions. They

require more funding than any other universities to attract

the best staff members and students and to provide the

infrastructure necessary for top research and teaching. The

cost per student is inevitably higher than average across

an entire higher education system. Adequate salaries

for faculty, well-equipped libraries and laboratories, and

scholarship assistance for bright but needy students are

examples of the expenditures required.

∙ Research universities must have adequate and

sustained budgets; they cannot succeed on the basis of

inadequate funding or severe budgetary fluctuation over time.

∙ Research universities have the potential to generate significant income through admissions fees, intellectual property, and endowments.

∙ Research universities require physical facilities commensurate with their missions, which means expensive teaching spaces, libraries, and laboratories. (Sophisticated information technology is also required.) The infrastructures of research universities are both complex and expensive to

maintain and periodically upgrade.

40


Figure 2.2: Regional economic impact of major US research universities (O’Hare, 2002).

In 1996, more than half of the$100 billion income from theeconomy of Silicon Valley camefrom companies started byStanford graduates and faculty.

In 1998, 15% of the Silicon Valley area workforce was in research and development and was the home of more than 40% of the wealthiest individuals in technology.

Supported the growth of Austin'ssubstantial computer industry.

Contributed to the development of more than 600 high-tech companies in the Austin areaand a thriving business corridorin Dallas.

Foundation of North Carolina'sResearch Triangle Park.The business start-up rate inthe Research Triangle Park is thehighest in the state.

Major companies such as IBM,Nortel, Motorola, DuPont, HarrisMicroelectronics, and SAS haveoperations in Research TrianglePark.


Analysis suggests that research universities have substantial

direct and indirect impact on the regions in which they are

located. In 2009 a study on the economic effect of Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT) alumni-founded companies and their

entrepreneurial ecosystem shows that if the active companies

founded by MIT graduates formed an independent nation, their

revenues would make that nation at least the 17th-largest economy

in the world (Roberts and Eesley, 2011). Further examples, shown

in Figure 2.2, indicate how research institutes in California, Texas,

and North Carolina affect the regional demographic and economy.

By collaborating with the private sector in developing human

and intellectual capital relevant to the UAE's knowledge economy

transformation, Masdar Institute intends to perform for its host

emirate in the same way Stanford and MIT have to respectively

make California’s Silicon Valley and Boston’s Route 128 the vibrant

economic hubs they are today. Masdar Institute aims to impact Abu

Dhabi and the UAE’s economic development through the fundamental

mechanisms shown in Figure 2.3, and to produce direct and indirect

economic benefits (Masdar Institute, 2008).

To enhance its contribution to its host emirate and the

development of the high-value human capital and knowledge

transfer it targets, Masdar Institute would link its students

directly with firms, particularly those affiliated with the economic

pillars mentioned in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, by

engaging them in research activities of relevance to industry

and government in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the region. Masdar

Institute faculty are required to spend 50% (and Masdar Institute

students are required to spend 20%) of their time engaged in

research projects of relevance to Abu Dhabi’s strategic needs

and goals. For students, the financial support offered by Masdar

Institute through research assistanceships is predicated on their

participation in such research projects and their maintenance of

a high cumulative GPA.

In fact, forming relationships with industry and government was

placed at the core of Masdar Institute’s research agenda, to serve

the early stages of, and in some cases immediate, research needs.

To facilitate such relationships, Masdar Institute has engaged in

research partnerships with industry, government, and academia

via its research centers and staff dedicated to partnership

development. Coordinating large-scale strategic collaborations is

to be a key activity of the institute, as is facilitating industry and

government connections for faculty and research staff. This will

also contribute to the appropriate balance of research funding

from diversified sources, particularly government agencies and

industry (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

On the academic side, Masdar Institute’s graduate education

and research programs would generate and attract a large pool of

highly qualified and experienced scientists and researchers who

are attuned to the research and technology needs of industry and

the region. These faculty members would engage in research of

relevance to Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the global economy while

imparting their technical knowledge and guidance to a diverse mix

of UAE National and international students. In terms of knowledge

creation, Masdar Institute provides technical support for ongoing,

firm-based R&D activities through project-oriented joint research.

In terms of knowledge transfer, the institute would draw upon

global knowledge alliances involving faculty participation in

international research networks (Masdar Institute, 2008).

To achieve these academic priorities, Masdar Institute made

the creation of intellectual capital its key goal. Intellectual capital

is defined as the know-how that results from the experience,

information, knowledge, learning, and skills of individuals or

groups and is the foundation of long-lasting competitive advantage.

As evidenced from the MIT study of successful world-

class research institutions mentioned earlier in this chapter,

creating this necessary intellectual capital requires a culture

that emphasizes technological innovation and research and

development excellence. Development of this culture is enabled

through cross-disciplinary collaboration with emphasis on both

fundamental and applied research. Masdar Institute established

a strong intellectual platform to provide the ideal catalyst for this

movement (Masdar Institute. 2008).


Figure 2.3: Masdar Institute’s integrated research focus. (Masdar Institute, 2008).


That intellectual platform focuses on the integration of

technology, policy, and systems. These three areas are at the core

of technological innovation, particularly in the sectors targeted

by Abu Dhabi in its Vision 2030—energy, petrochemicals, metals,

aviation, aerospace and defense, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology

and life sciences, health care equipment and services, and

telecommunication services. By focusing on technology, policy

and systems, Masdar Institute aims to establish cutting-edge

technologies that translate into larger networks of systems and

policies (Masdar Institute, 2008).

MIT as an Academic Collaborator

As evidenced from the MIT study of successful world-

class research institutions mentioned earlier in this chapter,

creating this necessary intellectual capital requires a culture

that emphasizes technological innovation and research and

development excellence. Development of this culture is enabled

through cross-disciplinary collaboration with emphasis on both

fundamental and applied research. Masdar Institute established

a strong intellectual platform to provide the ideal catalyst for this

movement (Masdar Institute, 2008).

The United States, with its success in producing innovative research universities and game-changing technologies and innovations, presented an obvious source for such an academic collaborator. In the United States, three basic types of universities with a technological element were potential models—community colleges, public universities, and private not-for-profit universities

(Bridgestock, 2015). Community colleges are funded by the state

and provide undergraduate degrees at a subsidized tuition; they

provide vocational and basic college credentials to an academically

less-discriminant category of students. Public universities also

receive state funding, though to a lesser extent, and provide

undergraduate and graduate degree programs that respond to

the needs of the state, serving to educate a cadre of medium-level

business professionals, doctors, dentists, and engineers. Private

universities are funded independently, through endowments,

grants, tuitions, and so forth, which allow them greater freedom to

pursue more experimental programs. For that reason the top-tier

private universities in the United States—including Harvard, Yale,

Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, Columbia, Cornell, Johns Hopkins,

and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—value their

freedom to advance the cutting-edge of research and development.

With Masdar Institute’s intended goal of producing high-value innovation and human capital of relevance to emerging high-technology sectors, such as renewable energy, microsystems, advanced metals, and desalinization, it chose MIT as its academic

collaborator and inspiration.

A Joint, Four-Point AgreementBoth Masdar Institute and MIT place great emphasis on

collaboration, resource development, recruitment, and the

promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Masdar Institute and MIT entered into an agreement whereby

MIT agreed to support Masdar Institute in four broad areas;

(1) development of academic programs, (2) establishment of

research agenda, (3) organization and administrative structure of

the institute, and (4) an outreach program with a primary focus on

collaboration with industry and government in the UAE as well as

multinationals engaged in the region (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

(This agreement expired in 2011 and was renewed and revised in

the 2102–2016 MI-MIT Cooperative Agreement.)

Aside from playing a role in developing Masdar Institute’s academic

programs and providing its educational material, MIT has agreed

to review a select number of graduate theses each year to ensure

the requisite high standards, and to sign a certificate for Masdar

Institute graduates to recognize the completion of their studies at

Masdar Institute. To ensure that Masdar Institute faculty members

meet the highest professional standards, MIT has also agreed to help

select faculty members by assessing the qualifications of applicants.

Additionally, MIT provides Masdar Institute faculty hires with a

preparatory experience at MIT, where they can attend the equivalent


courses they will be teaching at Masdar Institute and develop joint

research projects with MIT counterparts. Upon completing the

yearlong experience, Masdar Institute faculty members continue

their one-to-one projects with MIT counterparts for an additional

year, allowing for frequent visits back and forth for participation and

support of graduate students. This exchange gives Masdar Institute

faculty familiarity with the research culture at MIT as well as the benefits derived from access to their experience and expertise. Over 100 MIT faculty members have engaged with Masdar Institute faculty and shared research in this way thus far.

This type of collaborative relationship, in which a fledgling

institution benefits from the experience and expertise of a global

academic innovation leader, allows Masdar Institute to develop

its own model suitable for the needs and challenges of Abu Dhabi

and the UAE. The resulting institute thus does not copy MIT:

rather, it adapts successful systems and structures to work with

the culture, needs, resources, and limitations of Abu Dhabi and

the UAE, to help produce the results required for a knowledge

economy transformation. Also, by adhering to MIT’s rigorous

academic standards, Masdar Institute is able to maintain

the quality of its student and faculty body, and to produce the

highest quality research results and intellectual capital. This

relationship also ensured that Masdar Institute was able to avoid

the intellectual isolation that often happens to startup institutions

far-removed from global centers of academia and research.

With the support of MIT, Masdar Institute established a unifying framework for the development of a graduate educational environment, as well as an appreciation for the development of a culture of R&D excellence. That framework, combined with ties to industry and government, would serve to help position Abu Dhabi and

the UAE as a knowledge hub and engine for socioeconomic growth.

45



Masdar Institute, MIT Energy Initiative, and MIT Deshpande Center

Masdar Institute was also a Massachusetts Institute of

Technology Energy Initiative (MITEI) founding public member

from 2007 to 2012 (Masdar Institute, 2008). In that role Masdar

Institute was closely involved in identifying sponsored research

programs, supporting the MITEI Energy Research Seed Fund

program, aiding in the appointment of postdoctoral fellows to MIT,

and exploring opportunities to bring postdoctoral fellows to the

Masdar Institute to further enhance its intellectual infrastructure

and capabilities.

Masdar Institute’s research and external collaborations

have also been shaped by the activities that take place under

the 2012–2016 MI-MIT Cooperative Agreement. The agreement

seeks to achieve industry engagement through the establishment

of Flagship Research Projects that will ultimately lead to the

development of research centers aligned with the strategic

research interests of Masdar Institute (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The current five-year agreement ends on November 30, 2016;

Masdar Institute will be working with MIT to develop a broad-

based third-phase five-year agreement commensurate with

Masdar Institute’s growth and projected goals for the next five

years (Masdar Institute, 2014).

The MIT Deshpande Center has also helped to establish the

mechanisms for two types of research grants at Masdar Institute.

The grants that fall under this category are ignition grants and

innovation grants. Ignition grants constitute a smaller total

amount and are awarded to high-risk, early-stage ideas that

show promise for eventual commercial application, but require a

significant amount of development. Innovation grants are for more

mature ideas that can utilize a higher amount of funding to assist

investigators in demonstrating the commercial applications and

connecting with potential external investors.

Additionally, to be able to achieve the same industrial impact

through its research as MIT has done, Masdar Institute established

its own Office of Institute Initiatives, Office of Sponsored Research,

Office of Industry, and Government Liaison and Technology

Transfer Office—all of which are modeled on similar offices at

MIT. It also followed the example of MIT in the structuring of its

management, administration, and in establishing the mission of

its board of trustees.

CHAPTER

Establishing a Structure

3

50 Chapter 3 Establishing a Structure

With its research goals formulated, the support of MIT in place,

and its aim of spurring the economic uplift and transformation

of Abu Dhabi and the UAE firmly in mind, Masdar Institute

embarked on a plan to structure its governing and administrative

bodies and policies. This chapter outlines various components

of that structure, from the Board of Trustees and the Office

of the President to the Public Affairs Office and the Outreach

Department.

GovernanceThe governance of a university relates to the structures,

processes, and activities that are involved in the planning and

direction of its offices and members. Governance models are

usually determined by university type—state control, semi-

autonomous, semi-independent, and independent (Fielden, 2008).

Though the Masdar Institute is, in essence, state supported, it

modeled its governance largely on that of its academic collaborator,

the independent Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of Masdar Institute is the highest

authority within the institute’s organizational structure. It holds a

public trust—to see that Masdar Institute adheres to the purposes

for which it was established and that the institute’s integrity and

financial resources are preserved for future generations as well

as for current purposes (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The members of the Board include distinguished leaders in

government, academia, and industry. His Highness General Sheikh

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and

Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed

Forces, chairs the Masdar Institute Board of Trustees (Sidebar 3.1

lists the Board members) as of May 2015.

Sidebar 3.1

Masdar Institute Board of Trustees Members as of

May 2015

Representatives from UAE and Abu Dhabi

• Chairman: HH General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed

Al Nahyan—Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy

Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates

Armed Forces

• HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan—UAE

Minister of Foreign Affairs

• HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan—UAE Min-

ister of Culture, Youth and Community Development

• HE Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan—UAE

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

• HE Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi—Under

Secretary of the Defense Ministry and Vice-Chairman

of Mubadala Development Company

• HE Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber—Minister of State

and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company

(Masdar)

• HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak—

Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority,

Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and CEO of

Mubadala Development Company

• HE Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh—Chairman of Abu Dhabi

Global Market

• HE Eng. Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi—Director General

of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and

Member of the Supreme Petroleum Council

• HE Dr. Amal Abdulla Al Qubaisi—Director General

of Abu Dhabi Education Council and Member of Abu

Dhabi Executive Council

International Trustees:

• Dr. Adnan Badran—President of Petra University;

former prime minister and education minister of Jor-

dan and Deputy Director General of UNESCO

• Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh—President of Masdar Institute

50

5150 Chapter 3 Establishing a Structure 51

Executive Committee

Within the Masdar Institute Board of Trustees an Executive

Committee was established with the responsibility for general

administration and superintendence of all matters relating

to the Board. It meets quarterly during the academic year and

additionally as needed.

In addition to the Chairman of the Masdar company, who also

serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee, there are two

other members: the President and an international member of

the Board, each elected by the Board and serving staggered five-

year terms. In addition to the regular members of the Executive

Committee, the Provost, the Executive Vice President, and the

Secretary to the Board of Trustees attend Executive Committee

meetings. The Secretary to the Board of Trustees serves as the

Secretary of the Executive Committee (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Administrative FunctionsMasdar Institute established its administrative structure and

functions in response to its ambitious mission. This infrastructure

consists of several offices that support Masdar Institute’s critical

needs at each stage of its development.

The organizational chart opposite (see Figure 3.1), part of

the Five Year Plan for 2013-2018, illustrates the institutional

hierarchy under the Board of Trustees. That structure takes into

consideration Masdar Institute’s growth and its leadership, which

must address the following functions:

• Be capable of managing a complex organization in

which the faculty body provides much of the intellectual

direction, but where power is distributed amongst its

senior leadership.

• Be able to attract the most qualified administrative

staff to handle the complex and distinct functions of a

research-based institute.

• Possess the ability to guide Masdar Institute to

develop intellectual strength through a commitment to

attracting and retaining first-rate faculty and students who

will be assured the opportunity to pursue their own ideas in

an intellectually stimulating environment.


Figure 3.1: Masdar Institute organizational structure.


Office of the PresidentThe Office of the President orchestrates the institute’s three primary

functions—academics, administration, and outreach—so that the

institute can operate in the most efficient and productive manner.

• Academics: The President oversees the development of the institution’s intellectual capital—the aggregate of knowledge and skill provided by faculty and students—both

in research labs and in classrooms.

• Administration: Aside from the responsibilities of overseeing academic development, the President is charged

with coordinating and managing the institution’s finances,

physical facilities, human resources, and information

services.

• Outreach: The President represents the institution and its values to the community—providing interaction with other universities and research institutions, with the government, and with industry—and leads the institution

toward making contributions to the community at large.

Outreach allows the university to introduce and expose its

intellectual assets to potential users and receive their inputs

in formulating its academic and research agenda.

Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost

Academic Affairs at Masdar Institute includes the Office of the

Provost, along with five units that report to the provost. (The Office

of the Vice President for Institute Initiatives, shown to the right of the

provost in Figure 3.1, and described below, supports the development

and execution of Academic Affairs’ external research engagements.)

The provost serves as the chief academic officer of Masdar

Institute, and as such is responsible for providing input regarding

Masdar Institute’s academic policies, procedures, plans, and

priorities. The provost also has the duty of making recommendations


to the university council (represented by the “Legal Counsel” box

on the far right of Figure 3.1) for review of, and final approval by

the President, of all faculty and academic appointments (including

academic staff), salaries, annual academic budgets, tuition, and the

scope of all programs. The provost serves as an ex-officio member

of the Board and an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

The five academic offices that report to the provost include the

Dean of Students, Dean of Faculty, Dean of Academic Programs,

Dean of Research, and the Librarian, or Dean of Library. The provost

also coordinates educational activities that do not fall under the

jurisdiction of any program, such as interdepartmental collaboration

among faculty sponsored jointly by different programs.

Dean of Students

The Dean of Students is responsible for student and

alumni support services—including career services, noncredit

courses, internships, and student admission—and ensures the

documentation and application of the policies and procedures

within the scope of operations it supervises. The dean provides

information and advice to the provost on student affairs, including

recommendations for policies, procedures, and activities that

promote student engagement and satisfaction.

Dean of Faculty

The Dean of Faculty holds primary responsibility for all faculty

matters, including recruitment, hiring, evaluation, and promotion

and tenure. The growth of the institute’s academic body, both

faculty and non-faculty academic employees alike, is a major

concern of the office. In order to ensure that programs and

research are integrated, the dean is also involved in the decision-

making process on curricula and research matters.

Dean of Academic Programs

The Dean of Academic Programs is responsible for the launch,

operation, development, and accreditation of Masdar Institute’s

master’s and doctorate programs. The dean is also charged with the

operation and development of Masdar Institute’s fellowship program.

Librarian/Dean of Library

The Dean of Library oversees the Masdar Institute Library, a central

hub for science and technology information resources at Masdar

Institute. The dean provides the vital support necessary for research

activities that complement the academic process and contribute to

the wider world of scholarship and the transfer of knowledge.

Research AdministrationThe Dean of Students is responsible for student and

alumni support services—including career services, noncredit

courses, internships, and student admission—and ensures the

documentation and application of the policies and procedures

within the scope of operations it supervises. The dean provides

information and advice to the provost on student affairs, including

recommendations for policies, procedures, and activities that

promote student engagement and satisfaction.

Research Development Office (RDO)

The Research Development Office (RDO) administers internally

funded research and monitors research performance. It also

works to establish and manage research partnerships with

industry, government, and academia via dedicated staff focused on

partnership development and support of the institute’s iCenters,

described below. The RDO aims in the next five years to actively

engage a structured program that will garner external support

for research activity and meet the growing need for locally-based

university research (Masdar Institute, 2012a).


Institute, 2012a). The department mission is to establish and

continually evolve the infrastructure and policies that support the

primary research aims of the institute, striving for high productivity

using a scalable and cost-effective model.

Masdar Institute Research Centers (iCenters)

The five Masdar Institute Research Centers (iCenters) are

responsible for prioritizing, supporting, and promoting research

activity. They were established to provide increased visibility

for the institute’s research strengths, to increase stakeholder

engagement, and attract further collaboration and funding; to link

the institute's core research activities with translational research

and innovation ecosystem development; and to identify and foster

new areas of research in core domains that are aligned with the

UAE’s evolving research and human capital.

Technology Transfer Office (TTO)

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) focuses on increasing and

accelerating the pace of Masdar Institute’s invention disclosures,

patent applications, and issued patents. It also supports the

achievements and developments of Masdar Institute’s intellectual

property and research. The immediate objectives of the TTO are

to focus on the development of the institute’s innovations and

inventions into proprietary protection through issued patents,

registered trademarks, and copyrights that will facilitate their

commercialization (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is primarily focused on

grant and contract management, including real-time management

of internally funded research projects as well as management of

grants and contracts funded by external research sponsors. OSP

policies and processes support grant and contract management

through the stages of proposal development, budgeting, contract

negotiation, and post-award management. OSP is also charged

with ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of awards,

managing sponsor requirements such as export controls, the

use and procurement of human subject approvals, and the use of

biological materials and the like (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Research Laboratories Department

The Research Laboratories Department was established in

2013 in response to the importance of the research component in

Masdar Institute’s overarching mission. The department provides

the means for institute faculty, students, and staff to make

an impact on the future. Particular detail is given to efforts in

consolidating equipment in shared laboratories, the ramifications

of consolidation on the availability and use of equipment, and the

support of faculty committees that Masdar Institute is organizing

to help steer efforts in strategically relevant areas (Masdar


The new iCenter structure consolidates Masdar Institute’s

research activity into four domains that are aligned with the

overarching needs and interests of the UAE: energy, water, microsystems, and smart/sustainable systems. The fifth center, focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, unifies

and complements the four core domains. Faculty members

work closely within each research domain to increase research

effectiveness and efficiency (Masdar Institute, 2012a). The five

iCenters are listed below:

• Institute Center for Energy (iEnergy)

• Institute Center for Water and Environment (iWater)

• Institute Center for Microsystems (iMicro)

• Institute Center for Smart and Sustainable

Systems (iSmart)

• Institute Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(iInnovation)


Sponsored Research Centers complement the iCenters

by providing large-scale research programs in focused areas

that meet the needs of industry and government sponsors.

The centers, which provide Masdar Institute with the visibility

necessary to market and publicize R&D to the external world,

act as “nucleation points” for securing additional external

sponsorship. Unlike the iCenters, sponsored research centers are

not permanent but rather come and go according to the funding

available from external parties (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

56


Business and Services Procurement

The Business Services and Procurement Department has

the responsibility of formulating a comprehensive policy and

procedures manual that is structured, comprehensible, and

detailed. The department deals with a database comprising

information on suppliers, which allows it to vet the suppliers’

various terms and conditions. By assessing this information

the department can focus on improving shipping terms, which

results in better lead times. By implementing a variety of payment

methods, the department is able to maximize and make the best

use of the institute’s cash flow.

The mission of the Business Services and Procurement

Department is threefold: first, to facilitate best practices and

achieve economies of scale when procuring the goods and services

necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the institute;

second, to ensure that such goods and services represent best

value, quality service, and timely delivery; and third,to ensure that

all funding sources for such goods and services are expended

within the regulations and guidelines mandated by the government

of Abu Dhabi (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The Business Services and Procurement Department focuses

on the following strategic goals (Masdar Institute, 2014):

• To integrate end-to-end supply chain activities and

take responsibility to achieve sustained savings

• To enhance provided services and achieve a higher

level of stakeholder satisfaction

• To enhance the current functions through

automated systems

• To position existing services offered by the Business

Services and Procurement Department to be best-in-class

Office of the Vice President of Operations and Finance

The Office of the Vice President of Operations and Finance

plays a critical role in negotiating, directing, and facilitating

progress toward the achievement of Masdar Institute goals.

It oversees Masdar Institute’s offices and departments of

Operational Performance, Financial Services, Business

Services & Procurement, Human Resources, Information and

Communication Technologies (ICT), and Operations & Facilities.

The mission of the Vice President of Operations and Finance

is to position Masdar Institute administration as a suite of

professional services that are institute-oriented and deliver

operational service excellence.

Financial Services

The Financial Services Department at Masdar Institute

has the responsibility of setting up the financial management

framework of the institute, ensuring systems implementation and

establishing policies and procedures to support operational needs.

The department’s mission is to provide leadership and support to

faculty and staff in strategic financial planning, and to guide the

management, stewardship, and safe-keeping of the institute’s

financial and physical resources (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The department aims to match its business and financial services to the institute’s mission, and thus to further its core academic, research, and support activities (Masdar Institute, 2014). It currently states the following strategic objectives as goals.

• Improved governance, accountability, and transparency

• Service improvement

• Stakeholder empowerment


Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Department

The Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

Department is focused on establishing and strengthening the

foundations of Masdar Institute’s ICT infrastructure, education

technologies, and business applications (Masdar Institute, 2014).

The ICT Department mission is to provide innovative and

high-quality information and communications technologies

and practices that contribute to Masdar Institute research and

development and its educational goals (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Going forward, the ICT Department’s strategic goals are:

• Enhanced research computing capacity

• Enhanced educational and collaboration technologies

• Facilitation of a “digital campus”

• Improved ICT capacity and agility

Facilities Department

The Facilities Department is responsible for acceptance

testing, which refers to demonstrating the viability of all the

Masdar Institute Campus developmental phases and major

physical structures. The planning, operation, and maintenance

of Masdar Institute are under the control of the Masdar Institute

Facilities Management (MIFM).

The Facilities Department is also working to meet Masdar Institute’s

projected goals for expansion in the coming years. Additional student

housing and accommodation must be provided by 2018 if the current

projected enrollment of 700 is realized (Masdar Institute, 2014). The

Facilities Department’s strategic goals are:

• Managing resources responsibly, efficiently, and with

accountability

• Operating and maintaining buildings, grounds, and

utilities in a clean, safe, and responsible manner


Public Affairs OfficeThe Public Affairs Office supports the primary objective of

Masdar Institute, which is to provide and enhance the human capital

necessary to develop a knowledge economy, and thus help Abu Dhabi

to become a key player in the global competitive sustainable energy

market by promoting Masdar Institute as a leading graduate research

institution worldwide (Masdar Institute, 2014). It is responsible for

communicating Masdar Institute‘s objectives, vision, and mission,

for endorsing the institute through various activities, and for building

relationships with local and international stakeholders. The Public

Affairs Office also develops and oversees the implementation of

strategies for the recruitment of high-caliber students locally,

regionally, and internationally, and for outreach to Abu Dhabi and the

UAE community and local universities (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The mission of the Public Affairs Office is to provide factual,

timely, and useful information to all its internal and external

stakeholders, and to help members of the institute’s community

understand and effectively connect to their audiences by offering

strategic counsel on communications, media relations, government

relations, and other issues of importance. The Public Affairs Office

includes the Marketing and Communications Department, Visitor

Center, Resource Development Office, Outreach Department, and

Student Enrollment Department.

• Evaluating and continually improving the actions,

methods, and processes of Masdar Institute

• Strategically assessing the use of space when

planning for steady-state operations

Human Resources (HR) Department

The Human Resources (HR) Department provides high-quality

professional HR expertise to develop policies and procedures,

execute training needs analysis and gap analysis, and apply

performance management—all of which are functions based on

a balanced-scorecard system that aligns the institute’s mission

statement with its overall strategy (Masdar Institute, 2014). It is

also working to establish a human resources training center.

The mission of the Human Resources Department is to engage

in best practices for the kind of human resource management

that will provide expert services, innovative solutions, and

visionary leadership in support of excellence for Masdar

Institute’s educational mission (Masdar Institute, 2012a). The

HR Department continues its efforts to meet Masdar Institute’s

growing needs through its focus on the following strategic goals:

• Enhance and transform the existing performance

aligned with institute performance

• Enhance the existing human resource

management system

• Structure and enhance existing employee development

• Attract, recruit, and retain the best talent

• Establish Masdar Institute’s HR Department as

best-in-class


Marketing and Communications

Department

The Marketing and Communications Department plays an

important role in raising awareness and understanding of Masdar

Institute’s academic and R&D efforts, locally and internationally,

to position the institute as a top research university in the UAE

and worldwide. It accomplishes this goal by providing a range

of services for the institute community, including program

awareness, publication design and production, website

development, advertising, photography, content development,

digital communications, science writing, public relations, media

relations, and more.

The Marketing and Communications Department mandate—

to maximize Masdar Institute awareness and build an excellent

reputation for it—depends on attracting qualified students. It

advances these efforts by utilizing various materials and activities,

and by initiating, developing, and managing events both internally

and externally. The Marketing and Communications Department

offers opportunities to the community to learn about Masdar

Institute, such as the Masdar Institute Open Day, campus visits/

tours, and program information sessions (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Visitor Center

The Visitor Center, a department that will one day be situated

in its own building, receives delegations from educational

institutions, official stakeholders, prospective faculty and

students, and the public. It thus serves to welcome those new to

the institute and encourage their understanding of the Masdar

Institute initiative. By showcasing the institute’s projects and

programs, the Visitor Center presents Masdar Institute as a

sustainable community, one focused on the highest standards of

research and education (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Resource Development Office

The Resource Development Office aims to provide, through

the recruitment and management of endowments, the financial

support to further Masdar Institute’s mission of education and

research. The true cost of providing a Masdar Institute specialized

graduate-level education to its students—who at present receive

a research assistanceship from Masdar Institute that covers 100%

of tuition—significantly exceeds the tuition that can be reasonably

charged. Thus the endowments will be used to reduce the

dependency on government subsidies to make up the difference

(Masdar Institute, 2014). The Resource Development Office will

include an Investment Committee, which will establish the risk-

return objectives for the endowments, the admissible asset

classes and types of direct investments, the asset allocation

targets and ranges, and similar policy and strategy statements

and guidelines.

A Resource Development Committee has also been established

to help secure critical financial resources for the institute. The

committee’s mission is to create and strengthen mutually beneficial

relationships between Masdar Institute and corporations and

other organizations, including corporate, global, government, and

university partnerships and philanthropic relationships (Masdar

Institute, 2014).

Student Enrollment Department

By raising awareness and interest in Masdar Institute’s programs,

scholarship opportunities, and research, the Student Enrollment

Department aims to attract the brightest, most highly qualified UAE

National and international students to Masdar Institute. The Student

Enrollment Department works closely with the Outreach Department

to broaden the network of students locally and internationally. It

maintains a database of students in the country, gathered from

universities both locally and worldwide, to target qualified students

for each academic intake (Masdar Institute, 2014).


and engineering students the opportunity to participate in lectures

and hands-on laboratories about renewable energy, sustainability,

and the environment. Industrial tours and technology design

challenges are also part of the Ektashif Program (Masdar Institute,

2014).

Young Future Energy Leaders(YFEL) Program

The Outreach Department also coordinates and promotes the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) Program each year, inviting students and young professionals from the UAE as well as students from international universities. YFEL members begin the yearlong experience at the World Future Energy Summit, where

they network and attend workshops on topics such as leadership,

technology, and policy. YFEL members also take part in a Case

Study Competition, where YFEL members whose submissions

are the most outstanding then attend a comprehensive program

designed and developed by the YFEL Program Manager.

YFEL members also have the opportunity to attend workshops

like the ten-day Compassionate Young Leaders Energy Access,

Ethics, and Development workshop experience held in Leh,

Ladakh, India. The workshop focuses on the needs of local

communities to solve energy needs via solar and other sustainable

forms of energy.

The YFEL–Japan Government Initiative is also held each year

in collaboration with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and

Industry (METI) and the Japan International Cooperation Center

(JICE) in various cities across Japan. The initiative serves to

boost the knowledge and expertise of YFEL members, and to

give them an opportunity to learn from Japan’s achievements in

areas of technology and sustainability, which will in turn help their

professional growth (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Outreach Department

The Outreach Department engages the local community and

young students in the fields of renewable energy and advanced

technology through different initiatives and programs, including

Summer Internships, the Ektashif Program, and the Young

Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) Program. These programs also

aim to increase students’ interest in the crucial fields of science,

technology, engineering, and mathematics in order to help Abu

Dhabi and the UAE’s knowledge economy transformation goals.

The Outreach Department works closely with the Marketing and

Communications Department, the Visitor Center, and the Student

Enrollment Department to arrange visits to universities across

the UAE to present Masdar Institute’s unique academic offerings.

Presentations are also conducted at Masdar Institute for visiting

groups of students and the public, both during scheduled visits and

at Masdar Institute Open Day events. These presentations are held in

cooperation with the Visitor Center (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Internship Program

The Internship Program for UAE National undergraduate

students runs between four to six weeks during the summer,

depending on students’ needs. Internships are also accepted

throughout the year (for the academic year 2014–15, over two

dozen students participated). The year-round program accepts

UAE National and international students.

Ektashif (Discovery) Program

Each year, as a way to encourage students who have

completed their bachelor’s degrees to further their studies

at Masdar Institute, the institute hosts the weeklong Ektashif

(Discovery) Program. Ektashif provides undergraduate science

CHAPTER

Academic Programs and Degrees

4

64 Chapter 4 Academic Programs and Degrees

With the support of MIT, Masdar Institute was able to identify a

growing set of graduate-level academic disciplines that are critical

to the broad areas of advanced and sustainable technologies and

at the same time relevant to the evolving needs of Abu Dhabi

and the UAE. MIT also helped design the curricula for Masdar

Institute’s degree programs.

Masdar Institute’s selected degree programs are strongly

grounded in the science and engineering principles that are

foundational to not only energy and sustainability applications, but

also other fields critical to enhancing Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s

global competitiveness. Thus, the first set of master’s degree

disciplines launched in 2009 included:

• Computing and Information Sciences (CIS)

• Engineering Systems and Management (ESM)

• Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

• Mechanical Engineering (ME)

• Water and Environmental Engineering (WEE)

Each degree program was selected for its value to Abu Dhabi and

the UAE’s development needs and strategic goals. The Computing

and Information Sciences (CIS) program responds to the central

role computers and information systems play in nearly everything

people do today and will do in the future, making it an important

capacity for Abu Dhabi to develop. The Engineering Systems and

Management (ESM) program aims to provide its graduates with

the competency to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of

systems of all kinds and sizes that can help make Abu Dhabi’s

new knowledge economy industries more competitive. The

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program responds to

industry’s ever-growing need for lighter, smaller, and smarter

materials and devices, making its research and graduates of

broad use to Abu Dhabi’s developing high-tech industries. The

Mechanical Engineering (ME) program covers subjects related

to energy, fluid mechanics and dynamics, solid mechanics, heat

transfer, and design and manufacturing; it positions its graduates

to help define the future of technology and play a critical role in

solving global energy and sustainability challenges. The Water and

Environmental Engineering (WEE) program responds to the UAE’s

need for freshwater supplies to meet its health, environment, and

development goals.

Additional master’s degree disciplines as well as a doctorate

program, listed ahead, were added at later stages.

6564 Chapter 4 Academic Programs and Degrees 65

• Electrical Power Engineering (EPE)

• Microsystems Engineering (MIC)

• Chemical Engineering (CHE)

• Sustainable Critical Infrastructure (SCI)

• PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering

The Electrical Power Engineering (EPE) program, a vital

discipline for widespread integration of renewable and sustainable

technologies, was launched to address Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s

renewable energy goals. The Microsystems Engineering (MIC)

program was established to turn Abu Dhabi into a regional and

global center of excellence for microelectronics, a branch of

electronics that will drive leading-edge research and education

into existing and new directions. The Chemical Engineering (CHE)

program responds to the important role chemical engineers play

in sectors as diverse as medicine, biotechnology, microelectronics,

advanced materials, energy, consumer products, manufacturing,

and environmental solutions—including sectors that are targeted

in the Vision 2030. The Sustainable Critical Infrastructure (SCI)

program, the most recent addition to Masdar Institute’s programs,

was launched to register the impact of urban development on the

environment by way of ecological footprint and carbon emissions.

The PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering responds to the UAE’s

need to develop technical expertise by offering dedicated master’s

program graduates the opportunity to research multifaceted

problems across academic disciplines. The program is designed to

allow students the flexibility to respond to those complex problems

while maintaining the breadth of study and yet emphasizing the

necessary depth to produce well-rounded experts in one or more

fields of specialization (Masdar Institute, 2011b). Through this

program, Masdar Institute’s PhD students develop knowledge

and skills for independent research, while developing a unique

academic, professional, and career focus. The program enables

doctoral students to understand and value diverse approaches to

solving critical problems in research and to create new knowledge

judged by international standards (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

A new master’s degree concentration, the MSc Concentration

in Advanced Space Systems and Technology, will be launched in fall 2015, and a new master’s program, the MSc in Geomechanics,

is to be launched in fall 2016.

General Program Requirements

Each of Masdar Institute’s academic programs was designed in consultation with a senior MIT faculty member who is an expert in the program domain. Students of all of these programs are required

to spend 50% of their time pursuing thesis research that addresses

important issues facing Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Additionally, each

program includes the following academic elements:

• Required courses, which are vehicles to convey the

core material for an academic area.

• Elective courses, which serve the following purposes:

1. Depth. Some electives probe more deeply into

a given subspecialty than the course offerings

within its general domain.

2. Bridges between programs. Some elective courses are meant to link the material or resources of a program or discipline to those in a

different field of study.

3. Context. Some electives are designed to connect

the technical content of the courses to broader societal applications. These might include discussions of the economic, political, or cultural

contexts of a particular technology. Electives

focusing on contextual issues are of particular

importance in a program that aspires to produce

leaders in its field.

In order to earn a master’s degree in science from Masdar

Institute, a student must have successfully completed a minimum of 192 course units, including 72 units for program core courses, 24 units for university core courses, and 96 units for a thesis.


MSc in Computing and Information

Science

The Masdar Institute MSc in Computing and Information

Science (CIS) program has a mission of creating CIS professionals

who are familiar with the unique challenges and problems of

sustainability and alternative energy, and who can effectively

bridge the gap between information technology (IT) and related

engineering disciplines (Masdar Institute [CIS], 2015). Graduates

of the CIS program will have the necessary range of skills to take

up technical or managerial positions in industry, and be capable

of conducting independent and cross-disciplinary research.

MSc in Engineering Systems and

Management

The Masdar Institute MSc in Engineering Systems and

Management (ESM) program aims to create corporate and

government leaders who can effectively deal with global energy

and sustainability challenges that involve large-scale systems.

ESM graduates are trained in strategy, operations, and systems

thinking. As such, they will be ideally positioned to become

valuable professionals in the UAE and abroad, taking leadership

positions in the private or public sector and guiding research and

implementation of alternative energy technologies and policies.

All Masdar Institute students must be proficient in calculus and

differential equations. Students may be required to take one or

more preparatory courses relevant to the successful completion

of their academic program core courses. All students must

take a minimum of two university core courses, one of which is

Sustainable Energy.

Individual Degree Programs—Summaries

The following section provides a summary for each of Masdar

Institute’s current master’s of science degree programs, and those

proposed for launch in fall 2015 and 2016 (the appendix at the end

of the book) provides detailed information about the intended

goals and outcomes for each program). This section describes as

well the objectives for the degrees earned in the Practice School

program (based on the Practice degrees at MIT) and a doctorate

program in interdisciplinary engineering aimed at the need for

multifaceted advanced scientific and technical expertise, not only

in Abu Dhabi and the UAE but also worldwide.

MSc in Chemical Engineering

The Masdar Institute MSc in Chemical Engineering program

has a mission of providing its students with the fundamental

knowledge, skills, and professional experience necessary

for successful careers or positions in industry or academics

that involve alternative energy and sustainable technologies

(Masdar Institute [CE], 2015). The study and research parts of

this program create an educational environment that shapes

engineering science and design through interfaces with all

engineering disciplines. Graduates of the Chemical Engineering

Program will help address the technological needs of the global

economy and human society, while simultaneously learning to

work collaboratively, conduct independent and multidisciplinary

research, and communicate effectively.



The Masdar Institute MSc in Electrical Power Engineering (EPE)

program covers a broad range of activities and evolving issues that

are of great importance in the field of sustainable and smart power

systems. It covers subjects related to the integration of renewable

energy to power systems, power electronics applications and

experimental design, power system stability and control, dynamic

systems, and control and optimization techniques in power

systems. The program has been designed to provide students

with technical knowledge in the area of power systems as well as

with mathematical tools that are necessary for developing new

innovative solutions (Masdar Institute [EPE], 2015).

The mission of the MSc in EPE program at Masdar Institute

is to provide students with the fundamental knowledge, skills,

and professional experience necessary for successful careers or

positions in industry or academics that involve alternative energy and

sustainable technologies. Graduates of the EPE program at Masdar

Institute will be able to work collaboratively, conduct independent and

multidisciplinary research, communicate effectively, and recognize

their roles in solving global challenges while simultaneously

promoting sustainable engineering principles.

MSc in Materials Science and

Engineering

The MSc in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program at

Masdar Institute aims to educate future leaders in the energy, water,

and sustainability fields. Graduates of the program will develop

innovative solutions to the technological needs of the region and

the world and will contribute to the establishment of Abu Dhabi as a

knowledge-based economy (Masdar Institute [MSE], 2015).

The program provides students with the fundamental knowledge,

skills, and training necessary for successful careers or positions

(in industry or academics) that are focused on alternative energy

and sustainable technologies. Graduates of the MSE program will

be well prepared to work collaboratively, conduct independent and

multidisciplinary research, communicate effectively, and recognize

their role in solving global challenges while promoting sustainable

engineering practices.

MSc in Mechanical Engineering

The MSc in Mechanical Engineering program at Masdar Institute

aspires to become renowned for outstanding graduate education

and research that is at the forefront of engineering advancements.

The mission of the Mechanical Engineering program is to provide

students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and professional

experience necessary for successful careers in industrial or

academic roles that involve alternative energy and sustainable

technologies (Masdar Institute (ME), 2015).

Graduates of the MSc in Mechanical Engineering program

at Masdar Institute will be able to work collaboratively, conduct

independent and multidisciplinary research, communicate

effectively, and recognize their role in solving global challenges

while simultaneously promoting sustainable engineering principles.


The MSc in Microsystems Engineering at Masdar Institute aims to

create a regional and global center of excellence for microelectronics

that drives leading-edge research and education in existing and new

directions. The program provides students with the fundamental

knowledge, skills, and training necessary for successful careers or

positions in industry or academics that build upon and extend the

technology applied to semiconductor devices and integrated circuits.

Graduates of the program will be well prepared to work collaboratively,

conduct independent and multidisciplinary research, communicate

effectively, and recognize their role in solving global challenges


through the development of new technologies and applications

(Masdar Institute [MicroE], 2015).

MSc in Sustainable Critical

Infrastructure

The MSc in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure at Masdar Institute aims to develop and deliver world-class education and research in areas associated with critical infrastructure

development under a sustainability paradigm, and to transfer

its application into urban operations planning (Masdar Institute

[SCInfra], 2015).

The vision of the Sustainable Critical Infrastructure program at Masdar Institute is to be a leading, globally recognized graduate program in integrated sustainable infrastructure planning and

development, with an initial focus on urban operations planning

and transportation systems. Its overarching goal is to educate its

graduates professionally and ethically to be valuable professionals,

both in the UAE and internationally.

MSc in Water and Environmental

Engineering

The MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering program at

Masdar Institute aims to provide students with a comprehensive

understanding of the challenges behind one of the foundations of

sustainable development—ensuring sufficient and equitable access

to clean water. Through their coursework, students acquire technical

and analytical skills relevant for analyzing natural systems as well as

water-based technologies. Equally important, students will develop

specialized expertise in a particular aspect of this field by developing

their own individualized research projects. Multidisciplinary research is strongly encouraged and supported at Masdar Institute, giving students a unique opportunity to collaborate with faculty from across the university (Masdar Institute [WEE], 2015).

New Water and Environmental Engineering

Tracks

The Water and Environmental Engineering Program has

identified key interdisciplinary areas of research relevant to the

region. In order to better respond to these needs, the program

has been divided into two new tracks (Masdar Institute, 2012a):

• Water and Environmental Technologies: The master’s

degree track in Water and Environmental Technologies

will allow students to focus on the selection, design,

and performance evaluation of technologies relevant to water production, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, water reuse, water distribution, desalination

technologies, and hazardous waste treatment.

• Water and Environmental Resources: The master’s

degree track in Water and Environmental Resources

will allow students to focus on the development,

management, integration, and protection of water

resources, hydrological modeling, environmental

monitoring, hydro-climatic modeling, and climate change

mitigation.

MSc Concentration in Technology Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Technology-intensive industries require professionals who

are familiar with methods used to translate new technology into

useful products and services. In response to that need, Masdar

Institute’s Engineering Systems and Management Program has

established a new concentration titled Technology Management,

Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (TMIE).

This concentration focuses on teaching students how to manage the three sequential steps: (1) invention, the creative process of originating and supporting the earliest stages of

innovation; (2) entrepreneurship, the advocate-driven process of


taking inventions from the concept to the early stages of market

acceptance, and (3) technology management, the process of

building and maintaining markets and organizations that are based

on technology. The TMIE concentration offers skills and analytical

tools that managers in modern industry and government require to understand and oversee organizations competing in, or regulating,

high-technology industries; the TMIE coursework offers discussion

about the foundation, techniques, limitations, recent developments,

and likely future trends in many high-tech fields. In addition, the

concentration provides training in the analytical and leadership skills needed by entrepreneurs and managers to create and manage new technology-based startups and projects, as well as to create and

maintain an entrepreneurial, innovative environment inside their

organizations (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

MSc Concentration in Space Systems and Technology (fall 2015)

Masdar Institute is set to introduce a new concentration in

Space Systems and Technology to seven of its ministry-accredited

MSc programs in fall 2015, which will be offered to students in

the following master’s programs: MSc in Mechanical Engineering;

MSc in Materials Science and Engineering; MSc in Computing

and Information Science; MSc in Electrical Engineering; MSc in

Engineering Systems and Management; MSc in Microsystems

Engineering; and MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering.

The objective of this program is to foster the advanced research

areas in space science and technology for the development of the

UAE national space program and provide the space industry with

human resources and infrastructure.

The proposed concentration is intended to be long term and sustainable, accommodating students from different engineering disciplines. Each student’s thesis must include challenges and scientific research opportunities in space science and technology

as well as relevancy to designing, building, and testing a small

satellite in collaboration with space industry partners (e.g., the

CubeSat Program, see Chapter 7). The proposed plan for the

Academic Programs and Degrees


concentration is interdisciplinary and fits well within the structure

of the departments and programs at Masdar Institute.

MSc in Geomechanics Engineering (fall

2016)

The MSc in Geomechanics Engineering Program, to be

launched in fall 2016, aims to address new challenges in the

oil and gas industry that will arise because of a combination

of diminishing resources and environmental awareness. The

program will include research and education in techniques for

better reservoir management, such as enhanced oil recovery,

fracking, and nondestructive evaluation methods.

Methods of carbon capture, sequestration, and storage will

be covered in part of the program to correlate with the needs of

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Masdar, Mubadala

Petroleum, and the Al Reyadah Company. In addition, the program

will play a leading local and regional role in developing alternate

and renewable energy systems such as geothermal energy. The

proposed program also aims at advancing research and education

in the subsurface by addressing new challenges in shallow

geological formations.

Practice School ProgramMasdar Institute launched its Practice School modeled after the

MIT Practice degrees. The Practice School offers a program that is

tailored to provide a unique educational experience that will produce

graduates with the technical, managerial, and leadership skills

needed for tomorrow’s high-tech industries. The Practice School

offers the potential for opening up and implementing opportunities

that will greatly enhance relations and collaboration between

Masdar Institute and local industry (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The initial Masdar Institute MSc in Chemical Engineering

Practice and MSc in Mechanical Engineering Practice follow

Chapter 4


the MIT concept philosophically, but differ structurally in two

fundamental ways. First, in keeping with the multidisciplinary

nature of Masdar Institute, the MSc in Engineering Practice

curriculum requires that students select courses from other

engineering programs in addition to chemical and/or mechanical

engineering in order to flesh out their programs of study. The

project portion of the program, for which students are placed in

teams with representatives from all disciplines of the Practice

School student body, provides an automatic interdisciplinary

experience. Projects are carefully selected to assure that the

work produced will require nearly equal input from all disciplines

(Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Second, the coursework and project components in Masdar

Institute’s Practice School are tailored specifically to meet the

cultural and academic needs of prospective students, local

industry in Abu Dhabi, and the UAE in general. For the station

projects the students work in interdisciplinary teams of three

to five members on projects identified by the Station Director in

collaboration with company personnel. The objective of these

projects is to conduct experiments and model and describe

theoretically and practically specific engineering problems

related to the business of the company (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Each student team works on the assigned project for a period of

approximately 12 weeks during which time they must:

• Prepare an investigative memorandum outlining

the objective and method of approach for conducting

experiments, analyzing results, and theoretical modeling

• Provide weekly oral and written progress reports

identifying issues, progress, and recommendations for

subsequent work

• Develop a final written report and oral

presentation summarizing all results, conclusions, and

recommendations upon completion of the project

PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering

Masdar Institute launched its PhD in Interdisciplinary

Engineering in response to the needs for multifaceted advanced scientific and technical expertise. Through this degree program, Masdar Institute aims to produce graduates with an ability to

work across multiple disciplines and adopt a global approach to

solving complex scientific and technical challenges. It also seeks

to develop knowledge and skills for independent research, while

developing a unique academic, professional, and career focus. The PhD program enables doctoral students to understand and value diverse approaches to critical problems in research and to

create new knowledge judged by international standards (Masdar

Institute, 2012a)

When Masdar Institute’s PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering

students undertake their thesis research, they benefit from

Masdar Institute’s relationship with MIT. An MIT faculty member

is one of the at least three Research Supervisory Committee

members assigned to each Masdar Institute doctorate student,

providing valuable guidance and mentorship.

Masdar Institute has also launched its PhD Student Exchange program, designed to contribute to the institute mission of local capacity building, a process that develops and strengthens skills

and uses resources (human and nonhuman) that communities

need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Only

students who have met the minimum eligibility set by the institute

criteria will be considered for selection. The Masdar Institute

General Education Committee (GEC) conducts internal reviews to

evaluate and approve these applications. Students may be selected

to spend a semester at MIT or the University of Tokyo.

Masdar Institute’s doctoral students can also spend up to two semesters on the MIT campus while taking MIT courses (maximum of three per semester), as proposed by the PhD student’s Research Supervisory Committee (RSC) and approved by the Graduate Education Council (GEC). This creates synergy and collaboration between the research agendas of the two institutes.


In order for students to be able to spend up to two semesters

at MIT, the proposed course they wish to study must not be

offered at Masdar Institute, and they must satisfy the following

requirements:

• High academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.8

• Successful completion of the written qualifying exam

DepartmentsIn May 2013, a new structure for Masdar Institute’s academic

programs was proposed to consolidate its academic disciplines

into four major departments:

• Department of Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science (EECS)

• Department of Engineering Systems and

Management (ESM)

• Department of Mechanical and Materials

Engineering (MME)

• Department of Chemical and Environmental

Engineering (CEE)

This consolidation, in line with existing departments at

leading international universities, does not affect or change

the degree programs (Masdar Institute, 2012a). MSc and PhD

degree programs are now administered through their respective

academic departments, and faculty members are now affiliated

with a department and not with a degree program.

The consolidated academic structuring aims to facilitate more

focused academic offerings with greater flexibility. It also intends

to promote more collaboration across relevant disciplines,

offer a better platform for faculty mentorship, facilitate better

student distribution across faculty within a given department, and

facilitate more co-advising. Achieving a larger critical mass of

72


faculty within a department is aimed at catalyzing more effective

integration with research planning and strategy development

(Masdar Institute, 2012a). Details of Masdar Institute’s four major

departments follow.

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS)

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer

Science (EECS) is a multidisciplinary department that offers

three MSc degree programs including MSc in Microsystems,

MSc in Electrical Power Engineering, and MSc in Computing and

Information Science (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The EECS Department aims to offer world-class graduate

education, integrating teaching and research to train highly

skilled engineers and research professionals at the cutting

edge of selected strategic areas in Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science. The strategic areas emphasize relevance and

applications to energy, environment, and sustainability.

The EECS Department at Masdar Institute aims to be a hub

of knowledge and expertise in its focus areas available to the

UAE and the Gulf region and a leading contributor in the high-

technology sectors that will lead toward economic development,

industrial diversification, and entrepreneurial activities in those

locales (Masdar Institute [DeptEECS], 2015).

EECS Department Degrees:

• MSc in Microsystems

• MSc in Electrical Power Engineering

• MSc in Computing and Information Sciences


Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME)

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

(MME) provides exceptional learning and research opportunities

for students from the region and around the world. The

department offers MSc programs in both Mechanical Engineering

and Materials Science and Engineering, as well as in the PhD in

Interdisciplinary Engineering.

The MME Department is striving to contribute to the solution of

societal problems through its world-class research and promote

science and engineering through its services to Abu Dhabi, the

nation, and the professional community. MME Department faculty

members cover broad areas of thermal science (combustion, heat

transfer, turbo machinery, and air conditioning), fluid mechanics,

material and structural mechanics at several length scales,

biomimetics, dynamics and control theory, materials and condensed

matter physics, materials processing and characterization for

energy storages, metallic materials, biomaterials, and micro/

nanosystems (Masdar Institute [DeptMME], 2015).

MME Department Degrees:

• MSc in Mechanical Engineering

• MSc in Materials Science and Engineering



Department of Engineering Systems and Management (ESM)

The Department of Engineering Systems and Management (ESM) at Masdar Institute is committed to excellence in the areas of teaching, research, service, and workforce development. The

department offers an MSc in ESM degree and participates in the Masdar Institute PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering. The ESM degree offerings are designed to contribute to the Masdar Institute vision and mission of delivering quality research and education in sustainability engineering, with direct relevance and clear benefits

to the Abu Dhabi community.

In all ESM programs, the goal is to develop students' communication, leadership, project management, business and

critical-thinking skills, ethical judgment, entrepreneurial thinking,

global awareness, and scientific and technological knowledge as

it relates to sustainable engineering systems (Masdar Institute

[DeptESM], 2015).

ESM Department Degrees:

• MSc in Engineering Systems and Management


Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

(CEE) provides students the opportunity to collaborate on topics

including advanced desalination technology, high-efficiency water

distribution and use, integrated water and energy policy, climate

impacts on health, bioinformatics, urban climate, bioprocess

engineering, and carbon capture and sequestration.

The CEE degree offerings are designed to contribute to the

Masdar Institute mission by delivering quality research and

education in sustainability engineering and in building human

capacity in strategic areas with direct relevance to the Abu Dhabi

Economic Vision 2030 (Masdar Institute [DeptCEE], 2015).

CEE Department Degrees

• MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering

• MSc in Chemical Engineering



CHAPTER

Research Approach and Infrastructure

5

78 Chapter 5 Research Approach and Infrastructure

Masdar Institute based its educational model on the US graduate educational model that integrates courses and seminars with multidisciplinary research. Students in all of its nine master’s programs and the interdisciplinary doctorate program are required to place an equal emphasis on advanced coursework and innovative thesis research in order to complete their degrees (Masdar Institute, 2012a). Program faculty assist students in the selection of thesis topics, which must seek to address known issues of relevance to Abu Dhabi or the region.

The disciplinary skills learned by Masdar Institute’s students through their coursework are geared toward enhancing their research activity, while research discoveries made in the labs are intended to enter the classroom to enhance the learning experience. This interplay, which informs the institute’s intellectual rationale, is at the heart of the academic experience at Masdar Institute (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Mission and Multidisciplinary Approach

Masdar Institute’s research mission incorporates the following

goals:

• To establish and continually evolve interdisciplinary,

collaborative research and development capabilities in

advanced energy and sustainable technologies

• To achieve global research impact through excellence

in areas of regional importance

Masdar Institute’s research mission aims for outcomes that develop and utilize trained manpower, knowledge, and technologies in areas of the greatest strategic importance to the UAE and both public and private sector partners.

Chapter 5

7978 Chapter 5 Research Approach and Infrastructure 79

Figure 5.1: Masdar Institute’s integrated research focus.


The approach taken to achieve this mission and its outcomes

includes building on a strong academic foundation; pursuing

scientific and technological advancements that are inspired by

practical application; building strong partnerships with leading

universities and with public and private sector organizations as

well; and translating discoveries and inventions into innovations

that create commercial value.

The research focus at Masdar Institute addresses real-world

environmental and sustainability challenges using an approach

that integrates technology, systems, and policy (see Figure 5.1).

• Technology: models, devices, structures, and

materials that can be applied toward advanced and

sustainable technologies

• Policy: plans to guide national or industrial decisions

and strategies related to advanced and sustainable

technologies

• Systems: integrated networks of sustainable

technologies and policies

Masdar Institute’s research mission is directly aligned with its

overall mission to establish and continually evolve interdisciplinary,

collaborative research and development capability in advanced

energy and sustainability. Masdar Institute uses a multidisciplinary

approach that draws upon fields in engineering, science,

economics, and management to address the following challenges

in line with its research mission (see Figure 5.2).

• Clean, affordable energy: development and

deployment of technologies, systems, and polices for

efficient and cost-effective production, delivery, and use of

energy with minimal impact on the environment

• Equitable access to water: development and

deployment of technologies, systems, and policies for

ensuring sufficient and equitable access to water, while

maintaining the integrity of natural water supplies and

minimizing any impact on the environment

80


Figure 5.2: Masdar Institute’s advanced energy and sustainability-focused research approach.


• Robust, healthy environment: development and

deployment of technologies, systems, and policies for

mitigating and adapting to climate change and preserving

the health and integrity of the natural environment

• Sustainable economic development: development

and deployment of technologies, systems, and policies that

promote equitable access to resources, sustained economic

development, and improved quality of life

Masdar Institute engages in application-oriented research that

directly addresses these key sustainability challenges and leverages

core analytical and experimental capabilities that can be applied

across numerous domains (Masdar Institute, 2011b). See Figure 5.3.

Strategies for Fostering Innovative Technologies

One of the institute’s core foci involves the ways in which its

fundamental knowledge and technology research can engage

the business arms of Masdar for technology demonstrations at

scale. The intent is to create proof of concept for next-generation

engineered systems, which will provide the ability to identify systems

barriers, a process that in turn will feed back into fundamental

knowledge, technology innovation, and the elimination of barriers

to market penetration (Masdar Institute, 2011b).

Under this clear mandate and direction, the institute has

established a number of offices that implement the strategy

across core functions (see Figure 5.4).

82


Figure 5.3: Alignment of analytical and experimental capabilities with application-oriented research and the overall research mission. Analytical and experimental strengths will expand as the university grows.


Figure 5.4: Strategic roles played by the research offices at Masdar Institute.


Figure 5.4 shows five offices and departments grouped as

“Institute Initiatives,” whose functions are outlined below:

Research Development Office functions:

• External stakeholder engagement and relationship

management

• Support for Masdar Institute faculty in engaging

industry and government organizations for sponsored

research

• Internal research funding administration

• Research policy development and management

• Research performance tracking

• Progress on internally funded projects

• Publications, citations, and patents

Office of Sponsored Programs functions:

• Research contract development, execution, and

management

• Support for Masdar Institute faculty in the

preparation and submission of research proposals for

internal and external funding

• Research compliance management

• Export control, human subjects, biohazards and

biosafety, research integrity

Technology Transfer Office functions:

• Intellectual property development, management, and

commercialization

Support to Masdar Institute inventors and authors

in protecting their inventions and copyrights through

patenting and registration where appropriate

• Confidentiality and Material Transfer Agreement

negotiation (with support from General Counsel)

Research Laboratories Department functions:

Core Research Labs’ management with a focus on

operations and infrastructure

Core Labs: Cleanroom Facility, Electron Microscopy

Facility, Digital Systems Lab, and Machine Shop

Laboratory space and research equipment support

Support for iCenter heads in the allocation of faculty lab

space

Support for Masdar Institute faculty in the build out of

their labs

Research committee establishment and ongoing

support

Masdar Institute Research Centers (iCenters) functions:

• Development of Masdar Institute’s research agenda

as part of the research council

• Engagement with external stakeholders to represent

iCenter research activities

• Review and approval of internally funded research

projects

• Review and approval of internally funded research

project progress reports

• Management of iCenter research lab space

Figure 5.4 also indicates how the Masdar Institute Research

Council, established to develop policy, comprises members from

overlapping departments grouped under Institute Initiatives as

described in the following outline. •

•

•

•

•

•

•


•

•

•

Research Governance

Research Council

• Defines the Institute’s research agenda

• Analyzes policies, procedures, and services that

affect research

• Makes recommendations that facilitate the research

process and research productivity

• Serves not as a policy-making body, but rather a council

established to develop policy and other recommendations to

be passed on, through the Council Chair, to the Masdar

Institute Executive Council for consideration

Membership

Executive Director of Institute Initiatives (Chair)

Department heads (4)

iCenter heads (5)

Directors of Research Development Office and

Figure 5.5 illustrates how the Masdar Institute Research

Centers interconnect to the various research development

departments and offices as well as to the research laboratories

to provide the support and relationships that function as an

innovation technology pipeline.

•Research Laboratories, (exofficio)


Figure 5.5: Linkages and relationships of iCenters and sponsored research centers at Masdar Institute.

•



Chapter 3 describes how, as a part of efforts to consolidate

research activities to support its growth as a research-intensive

university, Masdar Institute set up five Institute Research Centers

(iCenters)—the first four include the Institute Center for Energy

(iEnergy), the Institute Center for Water and Environment (iWater),

the Institute Center for Smart and Sustainable Systems (iSmart),

and the Institute Center for Microsystems (iMicro). The fifth

iCenter, the Institute Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(iInnovation), unifies and complements the endeavors of the other

four, which relate to the institute’s core research themes and

competencies. Masdar Institute also has a number of sponsored

research centers pursuing research areas of relevance to

industrial partners. (See details about the iCenters and sponsored

research later in this chapter.)

Masdar Institute is mapping its core competencies, supported

by its academic departments, in conjunction with the research

thrusts of the iCenters to enhance academic and research

coordination. Core competencies represent the focus of

academic program curricula and disciplinary expertise of the

faculty members, whereas the research thrusts represent the

topical areas and research challenges that form the focus of a

given iCenter. Alignment of these two is the basis for education

and research integration. When completed, this exercise can also

be used to identify opportunities to expand Masdar Institute’s

research focus and assess gaps in the competencies of our

departments. The latter can be used to inform faculty hiring and

curriculum development (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Open Layout and Innovative Infrastructure

The success of Masdar Institute’s research goals and activities

depends on establishing the right research infrastructure. To

facilitate the type of innovative cross-disciplinary research

necessary to solve many of the complex problems mankind faces

today, the Masdar Institute campus was modeled on an open lab

layout, whereby faculty offices are located in the middle of labs and surrounded by student desks, experimental work benches, and equipment managed by an individual faculty member. In addition

to the open labs, there are a number of access-controlled, shared

labs located in the corners of the open lab areas, in the undercroft,


and at external facilities (e.g., the Masdar Institute Field Station

and the Masdar Institute Solar Platform).

The Masdar Institute Microscopy Facility is a particularly critical

research enabler, hosting the UAE’s most advanced microscopes,

including the Helios NanoLab, Nova NanoSEM, Quanta 250 ESEM,

Quanta 3D FIB, Tecnai TEM 200kV, and Titan TEM 300kV. As

part of Masdar Institute’s efforts to develop Abu Dhabi’s human

capital base, the Microscopy Facility invites the region’s scientific/

technical community to attend its regularly scheduled classes on

the operation of electron microscopes as well as the analytical

attachments necessary in today’s modern scientific environment.

More than 250 new users at the facility have undergone training

in scanning electron microscopy. Through such programs,

Masdar Institute remains one of the key supporters of the growing

community of electron microscopists in the UAE.

Research CentersMasdar Institute’s research work is carried out through its five

Institute Research Centers (iCenters) and five specific sponsored

research centers. These research centers work jointly to cultivate

Masdar Institute’s disciplinary depth and the application of

academic expertise to critical research challenges. Research

centers are large-scale, cross-disciplinary research units

established to address major research challenges in advanced

energy and sustainability in the following ways:

• Broaden and deepen knowledge that leads to new

discoveries and technical innovation

• Translate research outputs into commercial

opportunities

• Educate and train students to create a knowledge-

intensive workforce for Abu Dhabi, the region, and the world

• Strategically involve industry and government to

engage in exchanges of R&D, technical skills, and know-

how to advance competency in areas of joint interest

• Align Masdar Institute’s research projects with its

research platform, which is aimed at developing integrated

Research Development, Demonstration, and Deployment

(RDD&D) capability within the technology, policy, and

systems domains.

The iCenters are permanent homes to Masdar Institute

research and support the evolution of the institute’s research

capabilities. The sponsored research centers (in blue boxes)

address the needs of industry and government partners (in gray

boxes) interested in supporting large-scale and focused research

activities at Masdar Institute for defined periods of time and have

close alignment with one or more iCenter (see Figure 5.6).


Figure 5.6: Relation of iCenters to existing research centers at Masdar Institute.

S


iCenters

The five Institute Research Centers (iCenters) collectively

support Masdar Institute’s continued evolution into a regionally

focused but globally recognized university that produces

knowledge and technologies across the sustainability spectrum.

They are designed in particular to drive Masdar Institute’s

contribution to developing new technologies and building human

capital for the direct benefit of Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the region


As described in Chapter 3 (and summarized earlier in

this chapter as well), iCenters build upon the institute’s core

intellectual platform of integrated technology, policy, and systems

research, and they serve as key interfaces to industry, government,

and academic partners.

iEnergy

The Institute Center for Energy (iEnergy) is focused on

facilitating research in knowledge and technologies needed for

sustainable production, transport, and the use and storage of

energy needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve

a sustainable energy system (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Vision:

To become a regionally focused but globally recognized

university research center that produces knowledge and

technologies needed for sustainable production, transport,

use, and storage of energy in order to fulfill the regional

and global need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and

achieve a sustainable energy system.

Mission:

• To provide strategic and operational direction for

Masdar Institute's basic and applied energy research

in order to achieve research excellence and produce


knowledge and technologies that contribute to the

establishment of the UAE as a global leader in sustainable

energy production for power and transportation, as well as

in efficient energy use and energy storage.

• To serve Masdar Institute's faculty, students, and

stakeholders by supporting a collaborative environment for

energy research that is relevant locally and globally and helps

position the UAE as a leader in energy markets of the future.

Research theme areas:

• Sustainable energy production, including

renewable and solar energy technologies, carbon capture,

utilization, and storage (CCUS), bioenergy for power

and transportation, and advanced materials for energy

applications.

• Energy transmission and distribution via electric

power grids and microgrids, including grid integration of renewable energy power plants, hybrid microgrids, emerging AC and DC systems, FACTs applications; and

system optimization for economical, secure and stable

operation of power systems and network interconnections.

• Energy efficiency, including smart building and

smart grid technologies, energy-efficient technologies

and utilities interactions, industrial efficiency and waste

utilization, advanced cooling technologies, and energy-

efficient buildings.

• Thermal, chemical, and electrical energy storage,

including advanced design and material development for

energy storage and energy harvesting, with particular

application focus on energy storage for concentrated solar

power systems.

• Advanced and bio-based materials, including

biologically derived composites, materials, and chemicals,

bio-based and bio-inspired materials, biodegradable

materials, multifunctional/smart materials, lightweight

materials/structures, and coating technologies.

Related sponsored research centers:

• Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and

Assessment (ReCREMA)

• Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC)

Labs and groups:

• Building Technology Research Laboratory (BTRL)

• Environmental Bioprocess Modeling (EnvBioProM)

Laboratory

• Laboratory for Energy and Nano Sciences (LENS)

• Laboratory for Intelligent Integrated Networks of

Engineering Systems

• Sustainable Soil and Environmental Microbiology

(S2EM) Laboratory

• UAE Algae Laboratory

• Waste-to-Energy Laboratory

• Microbial and Environmental Chemical Engineering

Laboratory (MECEL)

iMicro

The Institute Center for Microsystems (iMicro) is focused on

advanced research and innovations in microsystem technologies

that are of importance to Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s emerging

semiconductor industry (Masdar Institute, 2012a).


Vision:

To be the innovation hub of the UAE's emerging

semiconductor ecosystem and the world’s leading research

center in microsystem technologies for sustainable living.

Mission:

• To provide strategic and operational direction for Masdar Institute's basic and applied microsystems research in order to achieve research excellence and to

generate knowledge and technologies that contribute to

the establishment of the UAE as a global leader in the

semiconductor sector.

• To serve Masdar Institute faculty, students, and


leading-edge microsystems research that is aligned with

the UAE's economic diversification into the semiconductor

industry and related technology domains.


• Nano-scale device design and fabrication,

including module process research and development and

investigation of novel materials in support of performance

requirements of future technologies.

• Circuit and system design, including computer-aided

design tools and methodologies for low-power, energy-

deficient nano and micro system design.

• Photonics for low-power chip interconnects, sensors,

and photovoltaic-based solar energy conversion.

• MEMS-based devices, including transducers,

resonators, energy harvesters, and accelerometers.


• TwinLab 3 Dimensional Stacked Chips Research

Center (TL-3DSC)

• ATIC-SRC Center of Excellence for Energy-Efficient

Electronic Systems (ACE4S)

• Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) TwinLab

iSmart

The Institute Center for Smart and Sustainable Systems

(iSmart) applies systems analysis techniques in the design and

development of sustainable infrastructure systems that interface

between technology and society (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Vision:

To become a globally recognized university research center

applying systems analyses in the design and development

of sustainable infrastructure systems that interface with

technology and society.

Mission:

• To provide strategic and operational direction for Masdar Institute's research in the application of engineering systems methodologies for policy and strategy

analyses that would cater to the needs of Abu Dhabi, the

UAE, and international stakeholders for unbiased and

timely engineering systems research.



the development of engineering systems research that is

relevant to Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and aligned with their

long-term goals of developing robust policies and strategies

for critical economic sectors, including energy and water,

transportation and logistics, urban development, and

information systems.


• To facilitate faculty and student research in

the envisioning, design, and analysis of sustainable

infrastructure transformation on the urban and regional

scale, integrating socioeconomic, technical, informational,

and policy-oriented perspectives.


• Energy and water policy

• Transportation and logistics

• Smart cities planning and operations

• Industrial processes, supply chain management, and

lifecycle sustainability assessment

Labs and groups:

• Data and Network Analytics (DNA) Group

• Laboratory for Intelligent Integrated Networks of

Engineering Systems

• Membranes and Sustainable Desalination Research

(MSDR) Group

• Social Computing and Artificial Intelligence

(SCAI) Laboratory

iWater

The Institute Center for Water and Environment (iWater)

produces knowledge and technologies that address issues of

clean water production and management, climate change and

the environment, and water resource challenges faced by Abu

Dhabi, the UAE, and the region (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Vision:

To become a regionally focused but globally recognized

university research center producing knowledge and technologies

that address clean water production and management, climate

change and the environment, and water resource challenges

faced by Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the region.

Mission:

• To provide strategic and operational direction for Masdar

Institute's basic and applied water and environmental research in

order to achieve research excellence; to produce knowledge and

technologies that contribute to the establishment of Abu Dhabi

and the UAE as a leader in regionally focused water technologies,

water resource management, and environmental conservation.


stakeholders by supporting a collaborative environment for water

and environmental research that is aligned with regional needs

and economic interests.


• Water and environmental technologies, including

desalination, water and waste water treatment, water reuse

and recycle, and advanced materials for water applications

• Water and environmental resource management

and engineering

• Environmental sensing and monitoring

• Climate change and adaptation


• Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and

Assessment (ReCREMA)

• Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC)

Labs and groups:

• Bio-Energy and Environmental Laboratory (BEEL)

• Climate, Water, and the Environment Lab

• Environmental Bioprocess Modeling (EnvBioProM)

Laboratory

• Membranes and Sustainable Desalination Research

(MSDR) Group


iInnovation

The Masdar Institute Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(iInnovation) facilitates innovation and entrepreneurship activity at

Masdar Institute, and throughout Abu Dhabi and the UAE (Masdar

Institute, 2012a).

Vision:

To become a globally recognized university innovation and

entrepreneurship center helping to accelerate innovation

throughout the UAE.

Mission:

To accelerate technology-based innovation and entrepreneurship by:

• Adapting best practices from world-class innovation

hubs to meet requirements in Masdar Institute and the UAE.

• Supporting the translation of technology research into

innovative commercial products, services, and processes.

• Working with stakeholders to improve the innovation

ecosystem in the UAE.


• Translation of university research into commercially

viable products, services, and processes that provide the

foundation for startup companies

• Technology-based entrepreneurship in the UAE and

abroad

• Innovation policy

Facilities:

The iInnovation Lab (iLab) provides state-of-the-art facilities for faculty and students to explore the commercial potential of their research.The

iLab includes a meeting room for discussions with mentors, external

advisers, industry representatives, and other stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem; a “think tank” for simultaneous discussions within multiple interactive groups; modular office assemblies for dedicated teamwork; 3-D prototyping equipment; and a wide variety of

communications and information support technologies.

Sponsored Research CentersMasdar Institute’s sponsored research centers build upon

the core intellectual platform of integrated technology, policy,

and systems research by addressing the needs of industry and

government partners.

Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC)

The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) is a nonprofit consortium, with Boeing, Etihad, and UOP Honeywell as founding members. SBRC is focused on the joint research and advancement of sustainable aviation biofuels, and a key part of its research activity has initiated a large-scale research program

on alternative fuels derived from halophytic (saltwater tolerant)

plants (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

This program includes development of an Integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (ISEAS) that combines biofuel feedstock cultivation with aquaculture production and mangrove

silviculture. The program is highly relevant to Abu Dhabi, given

its geographic location with easy access to seawater, a climate

conducive to saline aquaculture, and the significance it has within

the food-water-energy nexus.


TwinLab 3 Dimensional Stacked Chips

Research Center (TL-3DSC)

Established under the joint sponsorship of the government

of Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the government of Saxony, Germany, the

TwinLab Research Center for 3D Stacked Chips (TL-3DSC) brings

together semiconductor experts from Masdar Institute and the

Technical University of Dresden (TUD) to work on advanced

research projects for the three-dimensional integration of

heterogeneous chips (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The center involves a Masdar Institute team of scientists and

engineers that includes 12 faculty members, along with their

students and research engineers, working mainly on the energy-

efficiency aspects of 3-D integration. With generous funding

provided by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC),

the TwinLab research portfolio at Masdar Institute includes 12

different projects ranging in scope from device engineering

to systems design. The TUD team is focused on the use of 3-D

integration for improving inter-and intra-chip communications

to showcase not only technological prowess but also the

collaborative spirit underlying the TwinLab concept.

Research Center for Renewable Energy

Mapping and Assessment (ReCREMA)

The Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and

Assessment (ReCREMA) responds to the objective of Abu Dhabi

and the UAE to support the International Renewable Energy

Agency (IRENA) in its advancement of a publicly accessible

atlas of solar and wind resources, particularly for developing

countries. The center also aims to develop regional knowledge

and leadership in renewable energy assessment and mapping

for the Arabian Peninsula and countries with similar climates,

mainly in Africa (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

The UAE government mandated ReCREMA to develop national-

level solar and wind resource–mapping tools. The center has

been actively engaged in research in solar resource assessment,

solar technologies, and remote sensing fields for the past two

years. Through local and international collaborations, ReCREMA

has developed regional knowledge and leadership in renewable

energy assessment and mapping in arid and dusty environments.

On a domestic level, in addition to human capital development,

a renewable energy atlas will allow for generation of data adapted

to the specific conditions in the UAE and other similar climactic

regions. Greater accuracy and coverage will help to attract

investment into the national renewable energy sector and can

underpin policy decisions on legal and financing frameworks.

ReCREMA was launched officially at Masdar Institute in

April 2012. The founding members are the UAE Directorate of

Energy and Climate Change, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy,

and Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi. Separate collaboration

agreements were signed with local and international partners

including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),

the UAE National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS),

Total Energy (France), and ParisTech (France).

CHAPTER

Student Support, Community Outreach, and Institute

Recognition

6

100 Chapter 6 Student Support, Community Outreach, and Institute Recognition

No matter how advanced, innovative, or well funded, a

competitive, world-class research institute must have strategies

in place to attract graduate students to contribute to and conduct

that research. Such a university must offer financial aid and other

perks, and provide cutting-edge laboratories, amenities, and

appealing campus facilities. Through community outreach it must

establish a reputation that will draw new students and continue

to entice faculty members, as well as new stakeholders and

industry backing. This chapter explores Masdar Institute’s efforts

in these areas, and details as well the recognition the institute has

achieved thus far.

Financial Support and TuitionA key component of Masdar Institute’s competitiveness with

other regional institutions is the financial support and benefits

package it offers students. Masdar Institute students are required

to spend 50% of their time—20 hours weekly—pursuing research

of relevance to Masdar Institute and Abu Dhabi’s strategic needs

and goals. In compensation, they receive research assistanceships

intended to offset (and cover in full) the cost of their tuition.

Students accepted at Masdar Institute are offered a full

financial support package, which includes the following:

• Research assistance that provides full tuition

coverage.

• Allowance for textbooks.

• Allowance for laptop.

• Medical insurance.

• Housing in a single-unit apartment

(at the Masdar campus).

• International students will receive reimbursement of

travel expenses (economy-class airfare) to Abu Dhabi and

back home after completion of studies. Travel expenses

(return economy-class airfare) back to the student's home

100

101100 Chapter 6 Student Support, Community Outreach, and Institute Recognition 101

country at the end of the first year of studies will also be

reimbursed.

• Reimbursement of TOEFL and GRE exam fees (upon

registration at Masdar Institute and submission of original

receipts).

• A competitive stipend per month (cost of living

allowance).

• No bond or conditions to the scholarship upon

graduation.

This financial support and benefit package is subject to the

student being satisfactorily involved in approved research and

maintaining a minimum CGPA as determined by Masdar Institute.

A Sustainable CampusWhen Masdar Institute first opened in 2008, classes were

held at the nearby Petroleum Institute while a new dedicated

campus was being built in Masdar City, conceived as the world’s

most sustainable eco-city. Masdar Institute, the “anchor tenant”

of Masdar City, would become its nucleus, with neighborhoods

growing around it.

Masdar Institute and the wider Masdar City incorporate

traditional Arabian architecture with modern green building

practices and sustainable technologies. The result is an

environment that is naturally 10°C cooler than the surrounding

areas, enhancing living conditions while reducing energy demand.

Masdar City will eventually be home to 40,000 people, with a

further 50,000 commuting to work there, according to a Masdar

report.

The city’s master plan and the Institute itself were

designed by Foster + Partners, whose brief was to create a

“Living Laboratory” that would open up new possibilities in the design of sustainable buildings. The city itself should be

in balance with nature, and the maximum size of the city is

limited by the overall site plan. At both city and Institute level, the

aim was to reduce demand on resources right from the design

stage, and also to harness renewable energy sources. At the

outset the architects considered the impact of orientation, form,

and materiality in improving energy performance, along with

striking a balance between active controls (which have a financial cost) and more passive controls (such as responsive shading,

use of daylight and natural ventilation). The result is a safe,

sustainable campus environment that encourages knowledge,

discovery, and personal growth. (Masdar Institute, 2015c)

The purpose-built Masdar Institute campus opened in 2010,

with Phase 1 providing students and faculty an opportunity to “live sustainably” as they study sustainable technologies. To ensure the Masdar Institute campus embodied the sustainability values that

drive its academic and research operations, the institute was built

to the highest standards of green construction.

To sustainably manage the hot local climate and the cooling

needs of the people and equipment inside the Masdar Institute

buildings, the design incorporates solar reflecting technologies,

optimized shading, high-performance double-glazing, high levels

of insulation, and airtight construction. The result is a significant

difference in felt temperature between downtown Abu Dhabi and

the Masdar Institute, even when the air temperature is the same.

Building materials were chosen according to key sustainability

indicators in construction methods or performance: the longevity/

lifecycle cost, the embodied carbon of the material, the percentage

of the product made from recycled materials, and whether the

material was available from certified sustainable suppliers. The

use of sustainable concrete on the project helped to reduce the carbon footprint by an estimated 55,000 tons by replacing cement with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) or pulverized

fly ash (PFA). All timber products used in the construction of the

campus were sourced from Forest Stewardship Council or managed

sustainable forests. In the aluminum billets used for the façade

system, 40% was recycled content, and where possible, materials

and products came from within 300 miles (Masdar Institute, 2015c).


be easily relocated based on researchers’ requirements, as can

the largely glass-walled offices.

Masdar Institute houses six electron microscopes in one open-

plan laboratory. The Masdar Institute undercroft houses further

laboratory spaces to provide additional support and research

facilities that are not possible to locate within an open laboratory environment. The specialized lab facilities include:

• ATIC Fabrication Facility: This 350 square meter (3,767

square ft.) cleanroom fabrication facility hosts a number

of tools for deposition, growth, patterning, and etching of

advanced materials.

• Electron Microscopy Facility: This advanced electron

microscopy and analytical electron microscopy user facility

is open to qualified users 24/7. Users have access to

advanced sample preparation facilities including microtome,

polishing, and ion milling systems.

• Machine Shop: The 410 square meter (44,13.2 square

ft.) central machine shop contains a wood shop, a machine

shop, and a welding shop.

• Digital Systems Lab: This facility is a teaching

laboratory consisting of 20 lab stations. Each station includes

a logic analyzer, a DC power supply, and a digital oscilloscope.

• Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry (ACBC)

Laboratory: This facility features AED2 million worth of

equipment and offers training to students, faculty, and other

members of the Masdar Institute research community on

various analytical chemistry and biochemistry instruments.

Outreach and Community Engagement

In order for Masdar Institute to have the desired transformative

effect on Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE economy, it must engage with

a number of stakeholders, domestically and internationally. For that

The Masdar Institute campus is powered by solar energy, with

smart systems that integrate water and energy efficiency in every

function. It has been built to consume 75% less for cooling than a

conventional building of its size, 70% less in potable water, 95%

less in domestic hot water energy, and 70% less in electricity. This

“green campus experience” is one of the many unique selling

points of Masdar Institute.

Additionally, in keeping with the Living Laboratory

ethos, Masdar Institute students and researchers have an ongoing opportunity to test the performance of the

innovative technologies that they are developing within

their own campus. A number of ongoing pilot projects allow researchers to test the long-term viability of innovative and renewable technologies directly within the operation

environment of the institute. (Masdar Institute, 2015c)

In 2012, Phase 2 of the Masdar Institute campus was completed,

more than doubling the amount of space available for classes,

labs, offices, and campus facilities (Masdar Institute, 2015a). The

net internal space is 103,959 square meters (1,119,000 square ft.),

of which approximately 30,333 square meters (326,500 square ft.)

is laboratory space.

Masdar Institute is also now joined in Masdar City by

multinational organizations and the international electrical

engineering company Siemens, which has opened its regional

headquarters beside the campus.

Labs for Cutting-Edge Research

Masdar Institute’s laboratories have been designed to meet the

institute’s goal of pursuing cutting-edge research. The laboratories’ open, column-free floor plan facilitates integrated and cross-

disciplinary research. Services such as power, data, gasses, and

ventilation are located in the overhead service carriers, enabling

plug-and-play access anywhere on the floor. All lab furniture can


reason, community engagement, collaboration, awareness-building,

and communication are an important part of Masdar Institute’s

operations and have been integrated into many of its functions.

The Public Affairs Department is tasked with three types of

formal communication and outreach efforts. The first is internal

communications, where the departments share news, events,

and achievements across internal portals via newsletters and

e-mailers. The second is external communication with the local government, industrial leaders, and academic institutions. This

takes place domestically through a number of mediums, namely

research op-eds, news features, and magazine articles. The third

form of communication is international promotion of Masdar

Institute’s achievements and research efforts, including those

in which Masdar Institute faculty participate in international

workshops, conferences, and symposia, where their findings are

shared with the wider scientific/industrial community.

Additionally, Masdar Institute participates in a number of

initiatives that work toward positioning Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE as a global player in the sustainable energy arena. These

massive undertakings, which demonstrate a commitment to

sustainability and renewable energy, and thus reinforce the

value of global citizenship, are also integral to developing the

innovation ecosystem that Masdar Institute requires to achieve its

success and impact. Thus Masdar Institute has put its full support

behind these initiatives and has launched a number of its own to

complement them.

• Undergraduate engagement: Increasing young

people’s interest in the fields of science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics is important not only for

Masdar Institute’s enrollment targets, but for the success

of the UAE’s knowledge-economy transformation overall.

In order to increase youth awareness, participation, and

competency in these critical disciplines, Masdar Institute has

launched its Ektashif Program and its Summer Internship

Program. The Internship Program is targeted to UAE National

undergraduate students and runs for six weeks during the

summer period. Invitations and information are sent to

regional universities, with applications accepted by students

who meet the academic criteria. Students apply online for

projects being offered by Masdar Institute professors. The

one-week Ektashif (Discovery) Program is for undergraduate

science and engineering students also, and includes

participation in lectures and hands-on laboratories about

renewable energy, sustainability, and the environment, as a

way to encourage their further studies at Masdar Institute.

Industrial tours and technology design challenges are also

part of the Ektashif Program.

• Young Future Energy Leaders: Masdar Institute

established the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL)

program to reach out to talented young people in the UAE

and across the world and involve them from an early age in

renewable energy and sustainability. This awareness and

outreach effort serves to mentor future leaders in the fields

of alternative energy by engaging them with the leaders of

today. YFEL also offers young professionals and students

from the UAE and abroad the opportunity to become more

involved in finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges:

energy efficiency and climate change. YFEL is a key element

of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) that takes place

in Abu Dhabi. YFEL members attend the opening and closing

ceremonies of WFES, contribute to debates featured in the

YFEL program, network with industry leaders and visit the

WFES exhibition, and attend the Zayed Future Energy Prize

(ZFEP) Awards Ceremony.

• World Future Energy Summit: As Abu Dhabi’s leading

sustainability-focused research institute, Masdar Institute

has strong participation in the World Future Energy Summit,

the world’s foremost event dedicated to renewable energies,

energy efficiency, and clean technologies. Held annually

as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week under the

patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin

Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy

Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, WFES

features a global conference, exhibition, Project & Finance

Village, the Young Future Energy Leaders program, as well

as many other meetings. Masdar Institute has a booth in

the exhibitor hall at WFES and participates in many of the


network aims to advance strategic clean energy interests

shared by the EU and GCC bodies. It serves to develop and

facilitate cooperation activities in the area of clean energy

technologies, including related policy and technical aspects

among the EU and GCC members. The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network’s two selected research entities are tasked with

creating, operating, and promoting the network, with sharing

information and proposals, and coming up with the sustainable

strategy for the network. For the first three-year period Masdar

Institute worked with the EU’s Institute of Communications

and Computer Systems at the National Technical University

of Athens to set up a mechanism for the creation of a Clean

Energy Technology Network.

Achievements, the First Ten Years

The following list, a literal outline of Masdar Institute’s

achievements during its first ten years, separates the institute’s

input and output. That is to say, the list first sets forth what has

gone on inside the institute, beginning with the faculty members

and students who came to participate in its first classes and

departments, to the academic programs first established and

later added, and to the scholarships and rewards that recognize

and spark academic achievement. It looks as well at research

initiatives, research centers, and to collaborations, especially in

the academic realm from MIT, and in the form of research support

from industry partners.

The output section of the list indicates the contributions

Masdar Institute has made to the local and global community,

acknowledging by implication the knowledge disseminated by

increasing numbers of graduates and their completed research

projects, and as well as by the fruition of innovative patents

and intellectual property. The honors and awards garnered by

students and faculty bring attention not only to Masdar Institute

but also to Abu Dhabi and the UAE, as a place, for instance, where

technology-based startups provide impetus and reinforcement to

expert panel discussions and research-collaboration

presentations.

• Zayed Future Energy Prize: Masdar Institute

also lends its expertise to the Zayed Future Energy Prize

(ZFEP), a key feature of the World Future Energy Summit.

ZFEP positions itself as the world’s preeminent award to

celebrate achievements that reflect innovation, leadership,

long-term vision, and impact in renewable energy and

sustainability. Launched in 2008, the annual prize is

managed by the Masdar Corporation on behalf of the

government of Abu Dhabi. ZFEP’s prize categories include Large Corporation, Small and Medium Enterprise, Non-Governmental Organization, Lifetime Achievement, and

Global High Schools. Masdar Institute faculty members

sit on the review committee that undertakes the second

stage of the four-part assessment that ZFEP submissions

undergo.

• University Leadership Council: Masdar Institute

is also a founding member of the University Leadership

Council (ULC), whose membership includes the American

University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, UAE University,

and Zayed University (Masdar Institute, 2011a). The

ULC was established to act as a platform for academic

leadership to share creative ideas, foster common

interests, and spearhead new initiatives for innovation

and technology transfer in the region. It aims to be an

advocate for interfacing with industry and government

to bring about a clearer understanding of the goals and

mission of all higher educational institutions in Abu Dhabi

and the UAE, and to seek financial support from industry

and government for research that is relevant and promotes

the overall economic development of the nation (University

Leadership Council, n.d.).

• EU-GCC Clean Energy Network: In 2011 the European

Union–Gulf Cooperation Council (EU-GCC) Clean Energy Network was set up, with Masdar Institute selected as the

lead research institution to represent the Gulf region. The


the growing knowledge-based economy of the region.

Input Achievements

Faculty and Students

• 97 world-class faculty members from over 30 countries, with PhDs from the world’s leading universities including MIT, Harvard University, Stanford University, and

University of California, Berkeley.

• UAE National student enrollment increased year by

year. Total UAE National enrollments increased from 11%

in 2009 to 40% in spring 2015.

Academic Programs

• Expanded number of master’s degree programs from

five to nine and added a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering.

• Gained accreditation of all graduate programs from the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Scholarships

• The BP Innovation Scholarship is granted to selected

students with a focus on research and plans for a new

sustainable technology business. The scholarship provides

support for the translation of scholars’ research into new

products or services as well as possible funding for their

start-up ideas.

• The ICT Fund Scholarship program in collaboration with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority is designed to provide the ICT sector in the UAE with skilled Emirati professionals and to help graduating national students find work in this sector.

• The Toyota Scholarship program in partnership with

105


iSmart: Institute Center for Smart and Sustainable

Systems

iInnovation: Institute Center for Innovation

and Entrepreneurship

• Five sponsored research centers were established

with a focus on specific research topics of interest to

industry and government partners, with four being still

currently active.

1. Research Center for Renewable Energy

Mapping and Assessment (ReCREMA).

Sponsors: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Supreme Council of Energy, GE

2. Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium

(SBRC).

Sponsors: Boeing, Etihad, UOP Honeywell,

Safran

3. TwinLab 3 Dimensional Stacked Chips Research

Center (TL-3DSC).

Sponsors: ATIC (rebranded as Mubadala

Technology), government of Saxony, Germany

4. ATIC-SRC Center of Excellence for Energy-

Efficient Electronic Systems (ACE4S, now inactive).


Technology); the Semiconductor Research

Corporation (SRC)

5. TwinLab Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS

TwinLab).


Technology), GlobalFoundries, Singapore’s

Economic Development Board (EDB)

Research and Innovation Initiatives

• Developed iInnovation, one of the first technology

innovation and entrepreneurship platforms in the UAE, to

accelerate innovation in the UAE and support the creation

of local start-up companies.

the Toyota Motor Corporation offers annual scholarships to highly qualified graduate students from around the world to work on projects in the area of technologies for sustainable development.

• The IRENA Scholarships are part of an agreement

designed to support the institute’s efforts to help develop a

knowledge-based economy through capacity building and

human capital development.

MIT Collaboration

• Masdar Institute’s ongoing partnership with MIT

ensures the high quality of its research and programs.

• Joint research established between Masdar Institute

and MIT faculty addresses global energy and sustainability

issues and seeks to develop research and development

capabilities in Abu Dhabi.

• A joint Steering Committee composed of members

from MIT and Masdar Institute oversees the intellectual

and strategic goals of the MIT–Masdar Institute Cooperative

Program.

• A joint Research Advisory Committee reviews all

research proposals, monitors progress on research

projects, and makes recommendations to the Cooperative

Program Steering Committee.

• Nine MIT–Masdar Institute flagship collaboration

projects launched as of 2015 will lead to the development of

research centers aligned with the strategic interests of Abu

Dhabi.

Research Centers

• Five institute research centers were launched to

serve as bridges between industry and academia.

iEnergy: Institute Center for Energy

iMicro: Institute Center for Microsystems

iWater: Institute Center for Water and Environment


• Launched the UAE Forum on Innovation and

Entrepreneurship to connect innovation stakeholders and

help improve the innovation ecosystem in the UAE.

• Launched Innovation Seminars to provide experience

and insights for technology innovation.

• Established a Technopreneurship Boot Camp in

collaboration with MIT and global oil and gas giant BP, to

provide experience, insights, and training for technology

innovation.

• Launched an Innovation and Entrepreneurship

academic concentration to train students in the

fundamentals of innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Launched the joint Masdar Institute and MIT

Innovation Program (MMIP), offering Translational Research

Grants aimed at commercializing university research by

directing laboratory research to potential markets and

investors.

• Launched a Technology Innovation Program designed

to help take faculty research to the market and facilitate the

creation of start-up companies.

• Launched the first Entrepreneurship Boot Camp in

the institute’s Innovation Lab to provide intensive training

to faculty and postdocs in technology translation and the

potential commercial applications of Masdar Institute

research.

• Committed US$7 million together with BP to develop

new ways of accelerating sustainable technology innovation.

Research Collaborations

• Concluded major research agreements with local and

international companies such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Total,

Boeing, Honeywell UOP, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, BP, and

GlobalFoundries.

• Secured over US$40 million in industry- and

government-sponsored research contracts with more than

40 organizations (50% in the UAE), with an additional US$19

million of sponsored research in the pipeline.

• Masdar Institute is the first entity in the UAE to attract this number of research contracts with such a high caliber

of local and international organizations.

Output Achievements

Student Output

• Over 400 alumni graduated.

• Facilitated placement of 70% of alumni from the first four graduating classes, of which over 30% are employed, and nearly 40% are pursuing PhDs in Abu Dhabi and in

international universities.

• Produced first doctorate graduates through PhD in

Interdisciplinary Program in May 2015.

Research Output

• Completed 47 one-to-one projects with MIT, and

established 8 new projects, which are currently active.

• Ranked 1st in the research citation impact category

for the Arab region in the 2015 US News and World Report

rankings.

• 6 US patents issued, 54 US patent applications filed,

and 100 invention disclosures received, as of March 2015.

• Published over 600 papers in peer-reviewed journals,

over 400 conference proceedings, 4 book chapters, and 2

complete books.

Technology-Based Startups


• Jeltee: A social web-based platform originated by two former Masdar Institute students. The platform includes elements of a dating service, a global e-commerce

marketplace like Groupon, and corporate social

responsibility.

• Jaith: A camel-training and monitoring system,

useful in increasing race performance and in estimating

the value of camels for sale. BP Innovation Scholar Saeed

Al Nofeli, a UAE National and former Engineering Systems

and Management (ESM) student, developed the system.

• TourBud: An Internet-based travel advisory service

established in 2013 in Delaware by a graduate of two

Masdar Institute ESM courses, Entrepreneurship for

Engineers and Managing Technology and Innovation.

• Soraytec: A power measurement device company

incorporated in 2013 in Switzerland by a graduate of the

ESM course Managing Technology and Innovation. The

company raised EUR500,000 in Swiss funding.

• Energy Action Partners: An energy consulting

company created in 2014 by a former faculty member and

two former students, including a graduate of the ESM

course Entrepreneurship for Engineers.

Research Breakthroughs

• Ahmed Al Harethi, a Masdar Institute PhD student,

is the first UAE National to invent a mechanism for the

generation of biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and fodder using

genetically modified algae growing in the Abu Dhabi desert.

• Aaesha Al Nuaimi, a PhD student in Microsystems,

became the first UAE National to fabricate thin film

crystalline Si-solar cells in the Masdar Institute cleanroom.

• Mejd Al Sari, a UAE National Masdar Institute

student, fabricated the first polymer-based organic

photovoltaic solar cell (OPV) in the UAE.

108


was selected out of 137,000 nominees to win the “Medal

of Top Emiratis” along with 43 other UAE Nationals on the

UAE’s 43rd National Day.

• Erik Brynjolfsson, Frank MacCrory, and George Westerman (respectively, a professor, a postdoctoral associate, and a research scientist from MIT), and Masdar

Institute Assistant Professor Yousef Al Hammadi won the

“2014 International Conference on Information Systems

(ICIS) Award” for Best Conference Paper.

• A team from MIT and Masdar Institute was awarded

the Donald O. Pederson “Best Paper Award (IEEE TCAD

Best Paper Award) 2014.”

• Saeed Al Khoori, an MSc student in Water and

Environmental Engineering, won second place in the “Best

Innovative Businesses” category at the Young Entrepreneur

Competition (YEC) 2014, Dubai.

• Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute of

Science and Technology, was honored as “Education CEO of

the Year 2013” by the Gulf Business Industry Awards for his

extraordinary contribution to knowledge and human capital

development in clean energy and sustainable technologies.

• The “UltraSmart” project developed by a Masdar

Institute alumnus, Alaeddine Mokri, was one of the four

winners in the “Intel Business Challenge Middle East &

North Africa 2013” regional finals ceremony held in Abu

Dhabi.

• The Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping

and Assessment won the Excellence in GIS Implementation

Award and the Middle East Solar Industry Association’s

“Technology of The Year” award for its UAE Solar Atlas

project.

• Two UAE National Masdar Institute students—Saeed

Al Menhali and Mohamed Al Musharrekh—were among

the five winners of the “Akoun Business Ideas Competition

2013” organized by Abu Dhabi Council for Economic

Development.

• Faisal Al Marzooqi, during his PhD studies at Masdar

Institute, became the first UAE National to disclose an

invention for a novel technology to enhance desalination

techniques using nanotechnology.

• Alya Al Tunaiji, a Water and Environmental

Engineering student, developed a new system to break down

agricultural waste into useful products through anaerobic

digestion using microbes in camels’ digestive systems.

• Three Masdar Institute students successfully completed a semiconductor chip design using GlobalFoundries 65nm process, marking the first

GlobalFoundries tapeout from the Middle East and North

Africa region.

• Masdar Institute alumnus Alaeddine Mokri developed

“UltraSmart,” an integrated device that can turn a

smartphone into a powerful multipurpose tool for engineers

and scientists at a cost of only US$10.

• Masdar Institute researchers etched the first silicon

wafer in the UAE, marking the beginning of a new phase in

advanced technology learning and innovation.

• A postdoctoral fellow working at the Nano-Optics and

Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory has taken the

initial steps toward printed organic optoelectronics, placing

the UAE firmly on the global map.

• Two faculty members developed a unique membrane

that can operate in an “in situ” cleaning system for

desalination purposes using novel nanomaterials.

Honors and Awards

• Three Masdar Institute students—Ahmed Al Harethi,

Aaesha Al Nuaimi, and Mejd Al Sari—have been recognized

for their innovative research at the recent Government

Summit 2015 held in Dubai.

• A Masdar Institute PhD student, Ahmed Al Harethi,

PART

RELEVANCE TO ABU DHABI, THE UAE, AND THE

WIDER WORLD

2

CHAPTER

Supporting Sustainable Strategies, Goals, and Efforts

7

114 Chapter 7 Supporting Sustainable Strategies, Goals, and Efforts

As previous chapters of this book have explained, Masdar

Institute was established in response to many of the economic,

social, developmental, and strategic needs of Abu Dhabi and

the wider UAE, in line with the concerns and needs of the global

market and environment. Since its inception, Masdar Institute has

continually fine-tuned and enhanced its functions and offerings

to respond to the needs of its host emirate and country, which

are also evolving. This chapter will examine in greater detail

Masdar Institute’s intended role and targeted contributions to

Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s knowledge economy transformation

and the realization of its ambitious and critical diversification and

sustainability-focused goals in the years following its launch.

While Masdar Institute’s primary focus has been on supporting

the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, it has also continually

worked to respond to and support other UAE government

strategies, goals, and efforts. Descriptions of a select number of

agencies, to which Masdar Institute has responded and engaged

with in collaboration, follow.

Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee

Abu Dhabi further strengthened its focus on innovative

technology in 2009 with the launch of its complementary Abu

Dhabi Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Vision, pursued by

the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC).

The committee, which was established to encourage, support,

and supervise the development of science, technology, and

innovation in Abu Dhabi, functions as the interface between

government, business, and academia. By developing and

implementing policies, strategies, and projects in priority areas,

the committee helps realize the STI Vision of transforming

Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE into a sustainable and diversified

knowledge economy that is well integrated into the global

ecosystem (Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee, 2015).

Masdar Institute has had a deep engagement with the TDC

through a patent-harvesting program that seeks to generate

commercial value from the institute’s research. With support from

the TDC’s Takamul program, Masdar Institute, as of July 2015,

has filed more than 52 patents and has already received 6 issued

patents. Development of a strong research portfolio is an essential

component of innovation, as the UAE government has clearly

recognized (Masdar Institute, 2011b).

Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan

In 2010 Abu Dhabi’s leadership launched the Abu Dhabi Higher

Education Strategic Plan after a taskforce identified specific

misalignments between the current higher education system and

the targets set by Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The plan also

recognizes the role of education in the emirate’s future prosperity.

It has outlined four main priorities (Abu Dhabi Education Council,

2015):

1. Raising the quality of Abu Dhabi’s higher education

system to internationally recognized levels

2. Aligning higher education with Abu Dhabi’s social,

cultural, and economic needs

3. Building and maintaining a research ecosystem to

drive an innovation-based economy

4. Providing all qualified students with affordable access

to higher education

The plan is intended to complement the Abu Dhabi Education

Council’s ten-year Strategic Plan, which was developed to improve the

education system in the emirate and offer students a chance to earn

the skills necessary to enter colleges and universities (WAM, 2010).

114 Chapter 7 Supporting Sustainable Strategies, Goals, and Efforts 115

Masdar Institute contributes to the first priority of the Abu Dhabi

Higher Education Strategic Plan through its ongoing engagement

with MIT, and by adopting MIT’s admissions and academic

standards for its own. In response to the second priority, Masdar

Institute has developed degree programs to produce the human

capital required by the advanced technology sectors the country

has targeted; it has established industry-sponsored research

centers, and focused its research on locally relevant issues. In

short, the institute aims to align its educational offerings with Abu

Dhabi’s social, cultural, and economic needs. Masdar Institute’s

contribution to enhancing the UAE’s overall research ecosystem,

which is the third priority of the plan, is evident from its involvement

in the University Leadership Council, its training of microscopists,

and its leadership in conferences and collaborations involving

industry and other universities. In response to the fourth priority

of Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan, Masdar Institute

ensures that its world-class education is accessible to the most

deserving students by providing research assistanceships to all

admitted students.

Renewable Energy TargetA major national target came into view when, in 2011, just

two years after the launch of the Vision 2030, the Abu Dhabi

government declared that it would generate 7% of its electricity

from renewable energy by 2020. The announcement, a key

element of the government's comprehensive energy policy, was

made under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin

Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi,

and His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of

the UAE Armed Forces.

Providing some background on the target at the time of its launch,

H.E. Mohammed Al Bowardi, Secretary General of the Executive Council, said: "The establishment of a long-term renewable energy target for Abu Dhabi builds on the Emirate's leadership in energy and

sustainability. It is a further reflection of the environmental legacy

established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan" (WAM, 2009).

Masdar Institute supports the 7% goal through a range of projects

focused on developing a diverse research portfolio of renewable energy technologies, systems, and policy recommendations, including concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, wind energy,

geothermal energy, energy storage, smart grids, and resource

availability studies, geared to the needs and resource limitations,

human and nonhuman, of the UAE.

UAE Vision 2021In 2012, just a year after setting the renewable energy target,

the UAE leadership brought overall national prosperity into even

stronger focus with “UAE Vision 2021." This ambitious national

charter calls for the UAE to take its place among the best

countries in the world by 2021, a date that coincides with the 50th

anniversary of the country’s formation. The Vision 2021 charter

utilizes a theme of unity, supported by four “pillars”: responsibility,

destiny, knowledge, and prosperity (see Sidebar 7.1).

The pillar “United in Knowledge,” described below as set forth

by Vision 2021, places great emphasis on the UAE leveraging

education to bring innovation and prosperity to the country.

We want all Emiratis to make a valuable contribution to their nation’s growth by building their knowledge and applying their talent with innovation and drive.

More Emiratis will enter higher education, where they will enrich their minds with the skills that their nation needs to fuel its knowledge economy. Universities will listen closely to the needs of Emiratis and of their future employers, and will balance their teaching to the demands of the workplace.

Masdar Institute is collaborating with two major industrial

players to ensure that its new multidisciplinary space concentration

has the focus, technicality, and impact these goals require—

one is the UAE’s satellite communications company wholly


Sidebar 7.1

Four Pillars of Unity from the “UAE Vision

2021"

UNITED IN RESPONSIBILITY

An ambitious and confident nation grounded in its heritage:

Ambitious and responsible Emiratis will successfully carve out their future, actively engaging in an evolving socio-economic environment, and drawing on their strong families and communities, moderate Islamic values, and deep-rooted heritage to build a vibrant and well-knit society.

UNITED IN DESTINY

A strong union bonded by a common destiny:

The UAE will continue to grow as a strong and influential nation under the stewardship and protection of a resilient and integrated federation that ensures bal-anced development throughout its territory.

UNITED IN KNOWLEDGE

A competitive economy driven by knowledgeable and innovative Emiratis:

A diversified and flexible knowledge-based economy will be powered by skilled Emiratis and strengthened by world-class talent to ensure long-term prosperity for the UAE.

UNITED IN PROSPERITY

A nurturing and sustainable environment for quality living:

Emiratis will enjoy the highest living standards, long

and healthy lives, first-rate education, and well-rounded

lifestyles guaranteed by excellent public services and

recreational activities, all within a safe, rich, natural and

social environment.

Joining the world of work is a first step towards personal fulfillment and economic empowerment. Many will show the leadership [how] to stride much farther. Promising Emiratis must be nurtured to become captains of industry and dynamic entrepreneurs, marshaling the country’s resources to bring innovative products to the marketplace. Others will be groomed as senior public officials, trusted to hold the levers of economic change and empowered by knowledge to steer the economy to the cutting edge of innovation.

For those industries where Emiratis can learn most from global expertise, the UAE will continue to call upon the best talent from around the world. Our nation will attract and retain the finest and most productive workers and entrepreneurs by offering them fulfilling employment and an attractive place to live. (UAE Cabinet, 2012)

The document strongly links education, innovation,

entrepreneurship, and creativity to prosperity, security, progress,

health, well-being, happiness, and pride for the UAE. It provides the

ethos and vision for the UAE’s national plans, and projects ahead

of its golden jubilee, to ensure that both concepts contribute to the

true welfare of the nation, as espoused by the founding father.

Masdar Institute’s mission—to support Abu Dhabi and the

UAE’s knowledge economy transformation by creating the

intellectual and human capital it requires—directly feeds into the

UAE Vision 2021. Masdar Institute’s particular focus on training

the country’s talented young Emirati men and women to become

scientists, researchers, and professionals in innovative high-

tech fields is relevant to the pillar-themed focus of creating a

competitive economy driven by knowledgeable and innovative

Emiratis and nurturing a sustainable environment for quality

living (UAE Cabinet, 2012).


Sidebar 7.2

CubeSats

CubeSats are small satellites—usually a 10-centimeter

(3.9 inch) cube weighing just 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds)—

used for space research with specialized purposes, such

as atmospheric studies or radio communication. As small,

modular, and cheap satellite technology, they can be more

easily carried into space, where they can be deployed

independently or combined with other CubeSats to make

larger satellites. Many leading technical universities

around the world use CubeSats for research and training

purposes, and the US National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) currently takes research-worthy

CubeSats to space for free through its CubeSat Launch

Initiative.

UAE Space Agency and Mars Mission

In mid-2014, the UAE surprised many with an announcement

that included not only the debut of its own space agency, but also

its inaugural challenge—sending an unmanned probe to Mars

by 2021. The UAE is now only one of nine countries in the world

with a space program to explore Mars, the success of which will

make the UAE the first Arab nation to reach the Red Planet. The

planned mission is meant to mark a turning point in the UAE's

development, establishing the UAE’s space technology sector as a

key component of the national economy for years to come.

Announcing the agency and mission, Vice President and Prime

Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said: "We chose the epic challenge of

reaching Mars because epic challenges inspire us and motivate

us. The moment we stop taking on such challenges is the moment

we stop moving forward" (WAM, 2014b).

The UAE Space Agency is responsible for supervising and

organizing the mission, developing the UAE’s space technology

sector, ensuring knowledge transfer, enhancing the UAE's position

as a global player in aerospace, and maximizing the contribution of

space industries to the national economy. The agency will report to

the Cabinet and have financial and administrative independence.

In response to the UAE’s bold space exploration and space

industry development goals, Masdar Institute is developing the

region’s first master’s concentration in advanced space systems

and technology. The concentration, which will be available in

seven of its existing master’s programs, aims to foster advanced

research for the development of the UAE’s national space

program and provide the space industry with human resources

and infrastructure.


owned by the Mubadala Development Company Yahsat, and the

other is the international aerospace firm Orbital ATK.According

to the memorandum of understanding that established their

collaboration, Yahsat will sponsor the program and leverage its role

in satellite manufacturing to provide students with opportunities

to intern and be mentored. Orbital ATK will serve as the “subject

matter expert,” lending its expertise in the development of the

program, curricula updates, and recommended training for

faculty. It will also provide its testing facilities and facilitate the

launch of miniature satellites, called CubeSats, developed through

the program (see Sidebar 7.2).

Students of Masdar Institute’s new space concentration

will focus their thesis research on addressing challenges and

scientific research opportunities in advanced space systems and

technology as well as on its relevance to designing, building,

testing, and launching the CubeSats miniature satellites. A new

laboratory designed to facilitate interaction, hands-on experience,

and teaching, will be built at Masdar Institute, with support

from Yahsat, to meet the needs of the new space technology

concentration.

National Innovation StrategyIn October 2014 the UAE put extra emphasis on the centrality

and importance of innovation in its plans for development and

progress when it launched the National Innovation Strategy.

In describing its goal to make the UAE one of the world’s most

innovative countries by 2021, the strategy specifically names

seven sectors where the government will stimulate innovation

to achieve excellence—renewable energy, transport, education,

health, technology, water, and space (WAM, 2014a).

The strategy is set to follow four tracks, each of which will pursue its complementary goals in tandem. The first track

seeks to create a stimulating environment for innovation in the form of supportive institutions and laws; the second track will develop government innovation by institutionalizing innovative

practices with the support of an integrated system of modern

tools; the third track will encourage efforts in the private sector

by stimulating companies to establish innovation and scientific

research centers, to adopt new technologies, and to develop

innovative products and services; and the fourth track will qualify

individuals to develop highly innovative skills by concentrating on

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including the

creation of educational materials for schools and universities.

The new National Innovation Strategy also requires all UAE

government entities to reduce their spending by 1% and commit

the savings to research and innovation projects. This shift is

expected to substantially increase the UAE’s investment in

innovation, which is currently estimated at only AED14 billion, of

which AED7 billion goes to funding research and development

(WAM, 2014a). Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice

President and Prime Minister of the UAE, declared the following

upon the launch of the strategy:

The competitiveness race demands a constant flow of new ideas, as well as innovative leadership using different methods and tools to direct the change. This innovation strategy is a national priority for our program of development and progress. It is a primary tool to achieve Vision 2021 and an engine for the growth of distinctive skills and capabilities across the nation. We have always called for creativity in every field: this strategy is a concrete step to implement that vision. These initiatives around innovation will enhance quality of life in the UAE and take our economy to new horizons. (WAM, 2014a)

Masdar Institute has been pursuing innovation since its

inception, establishing the iInnovation research center, for

example, devoted entirely to that purpose. With the launch of the

National Innovation Strategy, the institute has renewed the focus

on innovation in each of its seven targeted sectors.


In 2013 Masdar Institute established its Technology Innovation

Program (TIP). Its major function is to award one-year grants

up to US$250,000 to faculty-led proposals for technology

translation. The program explicitly incorporates entrepreneurial

education and training as an objective. It also positions the work

it supports as late-stage, applied research and development

with a commercial upside, rather than as early-stage, high-risk

capital investment. The program is also distinguished by Masdar

Institute’s affiliation with the Masdar company, BP, and other

corporate partners. Involvement of a strategic partner early in the

commercialization process can help identify customer needs and

market opportunities, provide technical and financial resources,

and reduce project risk (Masdar Institute, 2015b). Masdar Institute

awarded the first four faculty grants under the program in 2014.

To further promote entrepreneurship the institute announced

an AED26 million Technology Innovation Collaboration Agreement

with BP and established the BP Innovation Scholarships for

talented aspiring innovators. Two Masdar Institute graduate

students have become the first recipients of scholarships under

this program. The scholarship is designed to encourage students

to form startup companies before graduation and thus through

this hands-on experience, improve the chances of success and

impact.

In 2013 the institute also created the Masdar Institute and

MIT Innovation Program (MMIP), which awarded the first four

transitional research grants to joint projects directly relevant to

four of the sectors targeted in the National Innovation Strategy:

water, renewable energy, health, and technology.

Masdar Institute initiated the MIT-taught Entrepreneurship

Bootcamp, designed to give scientists and engineers the skills

required to develop the commercial potential of their ideas. It also

organized “speed mentoring” events that invite aspiring innovators

from throughout the UAE to pitch their ideas in front of a panel

of experts who can provide them with guidance and insight to

improve their chances of funding and success.

That focus has already begun to pay off. Three UAE National

students recently joined the growing number of Masdar Institute

students, faculty, and postdocs who are pursuing international

intellectual property protection for innovative ideas and inventions

produced through their research. Ahmed Al Harethi, Faisal Al

Marzooqi, and Rashed Al Tayyari are in various stages of this process

with international patenting bodies. Al Harethi has filed a US patent

application for producing high salinity–tolerant microalgae strains;

the other two have one invention disclosure each.

Masdar Institute, with the support of the Abu Dhabi

government’s Technology Development Committee’s Takamul

program, has achieved 6 full US patents and filed 54 patents and

100 invention disclosures based on research from its students

and faculty. Patents and entrepreneurial startups, which are

often a spinoff of patents, are considered two of the most valuable

measures of innovative performance within a university, company,

or country. Innovative entrepreneurial ventures play a critical role

in modern economies by creating jobs, generating wealth, and

securing competitive advantage.

CHAPTER

Adapting to Meet the UAE’s Evolving Needs

8

122 Chapter 8 Adapting to Meet UAE’s Evolving Needs

Achieving challenging and distinct goals and plans to facilitate

patents and entrepreneurship requires a multidimensional

effort. It mandates the development of an innovation ecosystem

in Abu Dhabi and the UAE that produces the skilled human capital, renewable energy technologies, intellectual property, and other profitable innovations key to a competitive knowledge economy, and goes further to also channel these “products” into

the marketplace via venture capital and the formation of startup

companies. Abu Dhabi’s ambitious and unprecedented renewable energy target will also necessitate significant research and a demonstration of new renewable energy technologies, particularly

in the fields of solar and biofuels.

To that end, Masdar Institute’s sustainable research–focused

academic model (as detailed in Chapter 4) aims to produce some

of the critical human and intellectual capital necessary for Abu

Dhabi and the UAE to further its ambitions toward a knowledge economy and renewable energy uptake. To ensure that the research at Masdar Institute has an impact not only in the real

world, but also more specifically on the strategic plans of Abu

Dhabi and the UAE, as well as on the needs of its nascent industry,

the institute has undertaken dozens of research collaborations

with national and international industry and government bodies.

These efforts jointly take on some of the key challenges and needs

not only of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, but also of the wider world.

A Link in the Innovation Value Chain

Masdar Institute plays an important role in the UAE’s

innovation value chain in two ways—through its relationship with

the Masdar company and with public/private partnerships and

collaborations. The institute’s close engagement with the Masdar

company and its now five business units—Masdar City, Masdar Capital, Masdar Special Projects, Masdar Clean Energy, and the Free Zone—provides enhanced access to funding, development,

commercialization, and graduate employment opportunities for

the knowledge and human capital the institute produces. The five

business units effectively respond to all of the distinct commercial

and economic opportunities and needs in the UAE related to the

country’s advanced energy and sustainable technology sectors.

Their functions, as described by the Masdar Institute in "Learning

to Change the World", are explained below.

Masdar City is a sustainable urban development and

economic free zone. The city provides a green blueprint

for cities of the future, with traditional Arabic architecture

blending seamlessly with state-of-the-art modern

technology to maximize energy efficiency. Launched in 2008,

Masdar City is growing its neighborhoods around the Masdar

Institute of Science and Technology, whose presence fosters

a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship throughout

the city. With a few thousand people living and working at

Masdar City, it is well on its way to realizing its vision. Masdar

City continues to add new businesses, schools, restaurants,

apartments, and much more—creating the diversity of any

major, modern city. When complete, 40,000 people will live in

Masdar City, with an additional 50,000 commuting every day

to work and study within its precincts.

Masdar Clean Energy invests in the development of large-

scale clean energy projects, ranging from utility-scale wind and solar to energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Masdar Clean Energy is involved with pioneering

projects around the world and across the technological

landscape, including Shams 1 concentrated solar power

project in Abu Dhabi, a wind farm in Seychelles, Gemasolar

Thermosolar Plant in Spain, and the London Array offshore

wind farm in the UK. Masdar Clean Energy has committed

more than US$1.7 billion to renewable energy developments

worldwide, with investments delivering nearly 1GW of clean

power.

Masdar Capital was created to support the development of

new technologies and projects and generate positive returns

for Abu Dhabi. In line with the UAE’s long-term energy and

development program, it promotes and commercializes renewable technologies in the UAE, and identifies synergies

123122 Chapter 8 Adapting to Meet UAE’s Evolving Needs 123

between its investments and other Masdar Company

activities. Masdar Capital has been an active investor in

the cleantech marketplace since 2006 and will continue to

raise new funds to take advantage of profitable sectors while

growing its assets under management.

Masdar Special Projects is a provider of renewable energy

and cleantech applications, project management, and

consulting services with a particular expertise in successfully

delivering projects that are remote, complex, and often in

locations where it is difficult to operate. Clients of Masdar

Special Projects include governments, nongovernmental

organizations, nonprofit organizations, aid programs, armed

forces and civil defense units, as well as small and medium-

sized companies and private individuals.

The Free Zone plays an important role in bringing

businesses to Masdar City. As a business cluster, the Free

Zone provides companies with a complete business setup

solution, including company registration and licensing,

office space leasing, and fast-track visa processing in a safe,

friendly working environment (Masdar Institute, 2015d).

123Adapting to Meet the UAE's Evolving Needs


Figure 8.1: Depiction of the alignment between Masdar company and Masdar Institute. The two entities work together to achieve world-class research, development, demonstration, and deployment in the UAE.


Intellectual Capital for a Knowledge Economy

Since its inception Masdar Institute has had a focus on

advanced scientific education to support Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s future knowledge economy. This goal also responds to the

Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan’s priority of aligning

the country’s higher education to the emirate’s social, cultural,

and economic needs. The second priority of the plan—building

and maintaining a research ecosystem to drive an innovation-

based economy—is also integrated into the very fabric of Masdar

Institute.

Research is at the core of Masdar Institute, with all students and faculty required to dedicate a major portion of their time to

its pursuit. The institute has established five dedicated Institute

Research Centers (as outlined in detail in Chapter 5), and it hosts

many expert-level research workshops and conferences every

year. To strengthen Masdar Institute’s contribution to the country’s

wider research ecosystem, it has been a founding member of the

University Leadership Council (ULC) and even offers training to

microscopists from outside industry and academia to enhance

the country’s research infrastructure. These efforts are part

of Masdar Institute’s overarching focus on the development

of intellectual and human capital for Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s

knowledge economy.

A knowledge economy is fueled by intellectual capital. The

latter term describes the products, services, expertise, and other

valuable results produced by research and development (R&D).

This intellectual capital is the result of advanced education and

innovation and can be considered knowledge-based capital.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD) defines knowledge-based capital (KBC) as a range

of assets that create future benefits, but unlike machines, equipment, vehicles, and structures, these assets do not have a physical or financial embodiment. This nontangible form of capital

is increasingly the largest form of business investment and a key

contributor to growth in advanced economies (OECD, 2012). The

OECD divides KBC into three groups: computerized information

(software and databases); innovative property (patents, copyrights,

designs, trademarks); and economic competencies (including

brand equity, firm-specific human capital, networks joining people

and institutions, and organizational know-how that increases

enterprise efficiency) (OECD, 2001).

Intellectual or knowledge-based capital is considered to be the

foundation of long-lasting competitive advantage in a knowledge economy. Its development thus is essential to Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s strategic vision of leadership in global energy and

sustainability markets of the future. Advanced higher education

has been identified as the linchpin to the development of such

intellectual capital and the resulting knowledge economy. It is for

these reasons that Masdar Institute is considered the driving force

behind Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s knowledge economy ambitions.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the OECD estimated

in 2004 that increasing public R&D pushed up multifactor

productivity—a measure of the extent to which an economy can

derive GDP growth from a certain level of labor and capital—by

0.17%, which is above the 0.13% increase that business R&D

recorded from the same investment increase (Van Pottelsberghe

and Guellec, 2001). Some limited studies have shown that even

corporate research investment, which is usually purely focused

on seeking benefit for an individual company, is estimated to

have substantial return to the public. Thus the potential benefit

of increasing R&D investment by the government and the private

sector in Abu Dhabi and the UAE is significant and obvious.

Masdar Institute works to create Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s

intellectual capital through world-class research and education

as well as collaboration with government and industry. Its

development is aided by an academic culture that emphasizes

technological innovation and R&D excellence, as well as cross-

disciplinary collaboration with emphasis on both fundamental and

applied research.

Adapting to Meet the UAE's Evolving Needs


As the discussion about Masdar Institute’s intellectual platform

in Chapter 2 explains, three areas lie at the heart of advanced

sustainable technology trends of the future: technology, policy,

and systems. For example, the growth in uptake of solar energy

technologies has been enabled by innovations across these three

categories, including feed-in tariffs, new solar materials and

devices, and utility-scale concentrating solar systems. Similarly,

the need for coordinated efforts in the domains of technology,

policy, and systems is demonstrated by multidisciplinary clean

energy trends such as electric vehicles, sustainable cities, and

sustainable transportation.

Masdar Institute strives to be a leader in the coordination of

technology, policy, and systems perspectives as it establishes

cutting-edge technologies that translate into larger networks

of systems and policies. Overlap of work in these three areas

facilitates the type of interdisciplinary collaboration that leads

to breakthrough ideas and discoveries, and builds the innovation

culture and R&D expertise that Masdar Institute is establishing

(Masdar Institute, 2012a). Masdar Institute maximizes the overlaps

in both academics and research by pursuing organizational

structures and activities that adhere to a set of core principles

(Masdar Institute, 2008).

• Interdisciplinary research is essential to the creation

of intellectual capital.

• Intellectual contributions of interdisciplinary

programs are always greater than the sum of their parts.

• The valuable experience that interdisciplinary

research gives students is an important factor in Masdar

Institute’s capacity to promote and support interdisciplinary

programs.

• The development of new knowledge and the

contributions that it makes to Masdar Institute’s

educational commitments is an intellectually rewarding

experience.


• To realize the full potential and benefits of its

research and educational contributions, Masdar Institute

creates an appropriate environment for participation,

informal discussions, and networking, in addition to

the development of rigorous intellectual and analytical

capabilities.

Adherence to these principles benefits not only research and

education that directly integrate technology, policy, and systems

perspectives, but also research and education that are more

focused on a single area. For instance, it may be very difficult

to ascertain the relationships of some forms of technology

research, such as the development of a new material, to either

systems or policy. However, it is possible to ensure that faculty

and students researching and studying predominantly in such

an area (e.g., technology) have frequent interactions with those

researching and studying in the other areas (e.g., systems and

policy). Such interactions allow for the type of knowledge transfer that is considered a best practice for industrial research and

development organizations. When knowledge transfer occurs on a

regular basis it is possible for breakthroughs achieved in one area

to drive breakthroughs in the others. In the ideal scenario, this

feedback mechanism will function like the interlocking gears in

a high-performance innovation machine (Masdar Institute, 2008).

These efforts have positioned Masdar Institute to help Abu

Dhabi and the UAE to successfully transition to a knowledge-based economy with superior research and development skills capable of addressing sustainable technologies and their

underpinning core capabilities, such as information sciences,

microsystems, and advanced materials, now and into the future.

In particular, the graduate programs at Masdar Institute integrate

education, research, and scholarly activities to prepare postgrads

to be innovators, creative scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs,

and critical thinkers in multiple engineering and science

domains. A combination of classroom learning and thesis-driven

interdisciplinary research gives Masdar Institute students the

knowledge and skills necessary to address the world’s most

challenging problems in sustainability (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Integration of UAE NationalsAs mentioned earlier in brief, a shared critical aspect of the Abu

Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and the Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic plan is the role UAE Nationals must play in the success

of the emirate’s future knowledge economy. Some background

information, about sustainably leveraging state wealth in a nation

with a relatively small indigenous population, will help to explain

one challenge in the UAE’s development.

The UAE does not have a large indigenous population. The

Yearbook of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2013 estimates that the

country has just under 1 million UAE Nationals, of which Abu

Dhabi is recorded to have 476,722 (Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi,

2013). Although a transient expatriate workforce can help meet

some of the country’s basic labor needs, Abu Dhabi and the UAE

must also fully capitalize on the energy, potential, and ambitions

of the Emirates’ people to give them an important role in its future

prosperity for long-term and sustainable prosperity. As the late

Sheikh Zayed pointed out, “The real asset of any advanced nation is its people, especially the educated ones, and the prosperity and success of the people are measured by the standard of their education" (Gulf News, 2005).

In this regard Abu Dhabi and the UAE have faced a unique

development challenge—how to leverage substantial state wealth

to the greatest enduring benefit of a relatively small indigenous

population. The oil and gas that have powered the national economy

and fueled the standard of living for its people since independence

will one day run out. The finite nature of those natural resources

means that today the UAE must spend their returns from these

resources intelligently so they continue to grow and provide the

high quality of life its population has come to expect tomorrow.

The solution in part lies in channeling the UAE’s talented and

ambitious young men and women into technical and advanced

educational programs that can develop them into the high-value

human capital required for Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s knowledge

economy industries. Training UAE Nationals to become scientists,

engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs will prepare them for



professions that can make possible the expected high quality

of life while contributing to the self-sufficiency of the UAE’s

competitive knowledge economy. The true national wealth of the

UAE has always been its people, and investing in their higher

education can help them become the ultimate wealth generator

for the country.

But not all higher education is created equal, and not all

advanced technology is of the same value. In order to ensure

that the higher education the UAE provides its citizens results by way of broader economic gains for the country, the leadership is targeting a number of sectors that have high economic potential.

It has focused its education on sectors that have the greatest potential value to its citizens for employment, to its economy for exports of intellectual capital and knowledge-based goods rather

than just commodities, and to its security and prominence in the

global arena.

As the OECD states, jobs that produce or manipulate knowledge and thus result in knowledge-based capital tend to be highly skilled—scientists, engineers, software developers, doctors, bio-technicians, intellectual property rights lawyers, and others (OECD, 2012). The majority of these fields are technical, which

is why the UAE must to continue to evolve and expand its higher

education in the fields of science, technology, and related R&D.

Technology is at the core of everyday life and the global market

constantly demands better, smarter, and more efficient gadgets

and technologies.

Humankind also faces one of its greatest challenges in the

form of global climate change. The need to make our modern

lives more sustainable for the planet presents an opportunity for

(and places a responsibility on) science and technology to create

solutions to critical issues. The market for those critical solutions

is already sizeable and expected to grow, with HSBC Global

estimating wider global climate change–related industries to be

currently worth more than US$530 billion and likely to exceed

US$2 trillion by 2020 (HSBC, 2010).

128


Further supporting the rationale of channeling the UAE’s human

capital and knowledge economy interests toward sustainable

technologies is Abu Dhabi’s plan to have renewable energy meet

7% of its electricity requirements by 2020. The target requires

1,500MW of energy to come from sources like solar, wind, and

geothermal. In neighboring Dubai, there is a similar goal of having

renewable energy provide 5% of energy needs by 2030. Targets like

these and challenges posed by global climate change have helped

push global investment in renewable energy to US$244 billion in

2012, making it an attractive industry for any forward-thinking

nation to develop (Frankfurt School—UNEP Centre/BNEF, 2013).

Already some 6.5 million people are estimated to work either

directly in renewables or indirectly in supplier industries. This

nascent industry will be demanding more innovative, educated,

and professional individuals to meet the growing need for skilled

labor (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2014). Recent

research estimates that meeting the UAE’s own renewable

energy targets may produce an estimated 25,663 job-years of

additional direct employment by 2030 (Sooriya, 2014). This further

supports the UAE’s need for skilled human capital to achieve its

developmental and economic goals.

Masdar Institute’s sustainability-focused advanced degree

programs are thus ideally positioned to help the UAE’s young men

and women become the scientists, researchers, technicians, and

entrepreneurs who serve as high-tech wealth generators in the

country’s knowledge economy. Masdar Institute’s educational

mission is to provide its students with the knowledge, skills,

and experience necessary for successful careers in industrial,

governmental, or academic roles. Through its research-integrated

academics, its students gain domain expertise and broad

awareness in advanced energy and sustainable technologies and

policies. Masdar Institute’s degree programs aim to capitalize

on the rapidly developing and high-worth markets of renewable

energy and sustainability, providing Abu Dhabi with an exclusive

stream of highly trained graduates. Its dedication to seeking out

and educating the most promising of UAE National students may

also help provide greater economic stability by reducing reliance

on transient workers.

To further increase the impact of Masdar Institute’s academic

offerings on the UAE’s national development, a set of courses

supplementary to its regular programs have been developed and

offered to UAE Nationals who may not meet some of its admissions

requirements but who are otherwise qualified to enroll as master’s

degree candidates. These courses provide an opportunity for

students to review the principles that underlie the academic program

of their choosing, augment the knowledge needed to undertake

graduate-level courses at Masdar Institute, and thus complete core

degree requirements. The program prepares students for two years

of advanced studies in one of Masdar Institute’s master’s of science

(MSc) programs and has resulted in many successful UAE National

graduates (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Masdar Institute is also giving UAE Nationals who already have jobs,

but who wish to grow further and increase the value of their human

capital in the local and global marketplace, a chance to participate in

its Practicing Professionals Program. This program gives employed

individuals the opportunity to continue their pursuit of excellence by

enrolling in any of Masdar Institute’s master’s or doctorate programs

on a part-time basis. This offering provides the flexibility and technical

expertise required for working professionals, and it responds to the

concerns and needs of the UAE’s government and semi-government

industries that wish to retain their talented UAE National professionals

but also facilitate their continuing development.

Additionally, Masdar Institute’s unique relationship with the

five Masdar business units and other key entities in Abu Dhabi

provides its students some key benefits. During their studies, many

Masdar Institute students get the opportunity to work with local

and international industry and government through collaborative

research projects. These interactions allow students to gain the

relevant industry experience and form the networks that can help

them find gainful employment upon graduation. The resulting

efficient and meaningful uptake of graduates by industry will

reduce the brain-drain of technically trained UAE Nationals and

expats, thus retaining knowledge wealth within the UAE (Masdar

Institute, 2012b).



Masdar Institute’s focus on educating Abu Dhabi’s young men

and women in high-value sustainable engineering is expected to

play an important role in the UAE’s future knowledge economy.

Human Capital for IndustryMasdar Institute also responds to the UAE’s need to develop

its industry-ready and relevant human capital through its unique

academic offerings. The institute’s educational mission is to provide

students with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for

successful careers in industrial or academic roles in their chosen

fields, and to provide students with domain expertise and broad

awareness in advanced energy and sustainable technologies and

policies.

Developed in collaboration with MIT, Masdar Institute

emulates MIT’s high academic standards and offers master’s and

doctorate-level degree programs that are anchored in science

and engineering with a primary focus on renewable energy

and sustainable technologies. Its degree programs have been

developed in response to local and international industry needs

for quality expertise in fields relevant to renewable energy and

other technologies geared to mitigating global climate change.

The institute’s program are also particularly pertinent to the

needs of the industries being set up in response to the Abu

Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, including advanced energy, water,

healthcare, semiconductors, and aerospace.

For example, Masdar Institute’s Microsystems Program, developed

following the UAE leadership’s prioritization of semiconductors as a

future local industry, was established with funding from Abu Dhabi’s

ATIC, now integrated as the Mubadala Technology Company. ATIC

established by the Abu Dhabi government in 2008, is an investment

company focused on creating a global advanced technology sector

in Abu Dhabi. The Microsystems Program was also developed with

support from MIT's Microsystems Technology Lab (MTL) in the areas

of academic program development, collaborative research, and

developing the specifications for nano-fabrication equipment used in

cleanroom facilities.

Additionally, Masdar Institute’s TwinLab 3 Dimensional Stacked

Chips Research Center (TL-3DSC), through its sponsorship by the

government of Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the government of Saxony,

Germany, brings semiconductor experts from the Technical

University of Dresden (TUD) to work on advanced research

projects for the three-dimensional integration of heterogeneous

chips (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Masdar Institute’s microsystems research provides faculty and

students with the opportunity to develop, pilot, and scale solutions

applicable to semiconductor devices and fabrication technologies

as well as novel electronic and photonic circuits and systems.

Newly hired Masdar Institute faculty members are provided the

opportunity to work on a two-year collaborative research project

with one or more MIT faculty members.

In a similar way, the Masdar Institute PhD in Interdisciplinary

Engineering responds to the UAE’s need to develop technical

expertise by offering dedicated students with the opportunity to

pursue multifaceted problems across academic disciplines. It

is designed to allow students the flexibility to respond to those

complex problems while maintaining breadth and emphasizing the

necessary depth to produce well-rounded experts in one or more

fields of specialization. The two major components of the doctorate

program are course work and research. Course work focuses

on the student’s chosen field of specialization, while research

involves an original investigation of an important and yet unsolved

problem, the results of which are rigorously documented in a

written thesis and reported in a thesis seminar (Masdar Institute,

2011b). Additionally, the Masdar Institute PhD Student Exchange

program was designed to contribute to the institute’s mission of

local capacity building. Students who meet the criteria may be

selected to spend a semester at MIT or the University of Tokyo.


Responsive CollaborationsThe UAE’s national strategies and goals are not only ambitious

and in many ways unprecedented, but they are also constantly

evolving and advancing. Achieving their transformative and

wide-reaching outcomes requires cooperation and collaboration

across the UAE’s industry, academic, government, and NGO

sectors. In recognition of the value of public-private partnerships

in achieving the UAE’s development goals, Masdar Institute has embarked upon a number of collaborations, partnering with local

government and industry to help solve problems and achieve

results. With collaborations like these, Masdar Institute is offering

the best of its minds and its facilities to help solve some of the

UAE’s most pressing needs—whether they are that of an individual

manufacturer or a government agency.

With the UAE National Innovation Strategy requiring all UAE

government entities to reduce spending by 1% and to dedicate

those savings to research and innovation projects, the number of

research collaborations will increase in 2015, helping draw the UAE

closer to its ambitious but critical national development goals, and

making the UAE brighter for all. A few examples include:

• In response to the need to enhance the sustainability

and operational efficiency of the oil industry that is still the

bedrock of the UAE economy, Masdar Institute is working

with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Total,

and the Petroleum Institute to map the complex structures of the region’s carbonate reserves with a view to maximizing oil recovery. Masdar Institute and the Petroleum Institute

are providing the technical resources and expertise in the

Digital Rock Physics (DRP) project to produce an extensive

archive of rock images in microscopic detail, as well as

to digitally simulate and test the behavior of oil and gas

reservoirs. Masdar Institute’s state-of-the-art microscopy

facility is examining local rock samples at the nano-scale

to generate 3-D images of the pore network and pore

morphology of typical Abu Dhabi reservoir rock cores. This

area of research can help ADNOC attain its target of 70%

enhanced oil recovery, providing resources for market.

• Another collaboration responds to the growing

importance of the UAE’s metal industry, which is one of the sectors targeted in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and is a feedstock industry of two of the sectors—transport and space—targeted in the UAE National Innovation Strategy.

In this collaboration Masdar Institute helped the Emirates

Aluminum Company (Emal) improve its efficiency and

competitive advantage. Masdar Institute researchers tracked the energy performance of Emal’s gas-fired furnaces to reduce energy consumed per unit. Their research found

room for improvement, resulting in the opportunity for 22%

savings in gas consumption, depending on furnace design

and operation. They also proposed an efficient cooling

technique to save about 36% of cooling time. The results

of this collaboration can help Emal reduce its energy

consumption and thus improve operational costs while

supporting preservation of the UAE’s natural gas resources.

• A third example of Masdar Institute’s collaborations

that respond to Abu Dhabi’s strategic ambitions relates to

water. It is estimated that desalination technology—which converts seawater to freshwater—produces about 40% of the UAE’s water supply and nearly all of its potable water. Water is not only a critical industry in its own right,

but is also a necessary input for many sectors, and is key

for health. Masdar Institute is currently working with a

number of international companies to develop and improve

renewable energy–powered desalination technology, so

that solar, geothermal, and wind power can be used to turn

seawater into freshwater. Its partnership with Degremont/

Laborelec is targeted at solving some of the operational

challenges in the range of complex systems at the core

of renewable energy–powered desalination. The project is

focused on designing a full-scale solar energy–powered

seawater reverse osmosis plant that uses the most practical

and economical PV and solar thermal energy technologies

in the most optimal way possible (Griffiths, 2015).

• Another expansive collaborative project is the

Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC).

Involving Masdar Institute, Etihad Airways, the Boeing



Company, Honeywell UOP, GE, and Safran, it focuses on the joint research and development of sustainable biofuels

for the aviation industry. In 2015 a contract was signed to

construct the world’s first bioenergy pilot project, which will

use desert land to produce both bioenergy and food through

seawater irrigation to preserve freshwater resources, and

which will be located in Masdar City. The project includes

the construction of a closed-loop system that starts with

aquaculture units, where seawater is used to raise shrimp

and fish for food. The animal waste acts as a fertilizer to

promote the growth of a halophyte plant called Salicornia.

This hardy plant thrives in deserts, does not require fertile

soil, and can be irrigated with seawater, to produce crops

with an oil-and-sugar content that can be turned into

biofuel and biochemicals. The remaining nutrients from

the agriculture process is then diverted into mangrove

forests, which eliminate nutrients and waste from the food

production while also serving a valuable role in the marine

ecosystem as nurseries for young fish and as carbon

scrubbers from the atmosphere. As Dr. Griffiths explain in

an article in The National newspaper:

This integrated system intends to have five positive outcomes. It will provide sustainable food to the UAE in the form of fish and shrimp; it will produce renewable energy in the form of bio jetfuels, bioethanol, biogas, and green diesel from oil-rich native plants; it can produce valuable export products in the form of biochemicals; it will contribute to a healthier environment for the UAE in the form of enriched mangroves; and it will do all of this without taking away from the country’s limited stock of freshwater resources or farmland. With this project, the SBRC hopes to help address some of the UAE’s concerns for food, energy and water security in a way that strengthens its economy and environment. (Griffiths, 2015)

• Another valuable collaborative relationship is the

one Masdar Institute has with the Advanced Technology

Investment Company (ATIC)—an investment company

focused on creating a global advanced technology sector

in Abu Dhabi, established by the Abu Dhabi government in

2008, and now integrated with the Mubadala Development

Company. In 2010, when Masdar Institute launched the MSc

in Microsystems Engineering in response to the needs of

Abu Dhabi’s fledgling semiconductor industry, ATIC was

at the forefront of the industry. As part of this mutually

beneficial relationship, ATIC has supported the development

of a semiconductor “cleanroom” (an environment in which

pollutants such as airborne particles and chemical vapors

are controlled), as well as associated laboratories, at the

Masdar Institute campus. Furthermore, Masdar Institute

and the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and

Research (KUSTAR) jointly host the ATIC-SRC Center of

Excellence for Energy Efficient Electronic Systems (ACE4S),

established through a partnership between ATIC and the

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). The center’s

research is focused on energy-efficient wireless sensors

and is aimed at making advances in the areas of sensor

technologies, power management, energy harvesting, and

wireless communications circuits.

These partnerships help ensure that the solutions, systems,

and technologies investigated, developed, and tested in Masdar

Institute’s labs have the guidance and input of industry, so that they

are relevant, cost-effective and more likely to be commercialized.


PART

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

3

CHAPTER

The Way Forward

9

138 Chapter 9 The Way Forward

With the completion of Masdar Institute’s sixth year of academic

operations and the commencement of its fifth graduating class

in June 2015, the institute is ready to embark on its next phase of growth and expand its support of Abu Dhabi and its strategic

goals. In the next phase, Masdar Institute will increase its

academic offerings, student enrollment, faculty hiring, research

undertakings, and collaborative agreements with industry and

government agencies. To ensure that Masdar Institute works

toward achieving its broader economic and strategic impacts for

Abu Dhabi and the UAE, it has set a number of targets, which are

outlined in this chapter.

Increased EnrollmentEnrollment at Masdar Institute has been steadily increasing since

the first group of students began to attend classes in 2009. Masdar Institute is now targeting a total graduate student enrollment of

approximately 750–800 master’s and PhD students by 2018 (Masdar

Institute, 2012a). These students will include UAE National men

and women, as well as the best and brightest men and women from

the rest of the world. Masdar Institute’s new student enrollment

increased from 89 in 2009 to 417 in 2014, with increased student

enrollment for both UAE National and international students. As of fall 2014 Masdar Institute’s students hailed from 60 different

countries. This diversity is vital to maintain a strong learning

environment for a leading global academic research institute. The impact of such diversity is seen as contributing to the knowledge

base for the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole.

Masdar Institute’s overall student enrollment reached close to 500 students as of fall 2014 (348 MSc students, 143 PhD students)—

with all students meeting MIT standards for admissions. Of this

total, women represent 44% of the general student body and 61%

of the UAE National student body. On average, Masdar Institute

has seen a 24% increase in the number of applications received

since 2009 for the master’s programs and the most recently

launched doctorate program. A 15% increase in applications was

recorded between 2012 and 2013 (Masdar Institute, 2012a). A

similar increase in the number of applications from UAE National

students was also recorded. From 2009 to 2014, UAE National

applications went from 84 to 269.

Because of the strategic role Masdar Institute must play for Abu

Dhabi’s economic development and diversification, the institute

places particular emphasis on increasing UAE National student enrollment. In 2009, Masdar Institute had 10 UAE National students,

139138 Chapter 9 The Way Forward 139

Figure 9.1: Total number of UAE National and international student in the doctoral program, as of 2013.


while just 5 years later in 2014 it recorded 162. This overall increase

occurred in various master’s programs along with a noteworthy

increase in UAE Nationals into Masdar Institute’s doctorate

program. UAE Nationals in the doctorate program increased from

8 in 2012 to 21 in 2013, as shown in Figure 9.1. (Masdar Institute,

2012a).

New Academic OfferingsMasdar Institute continues to increase and enhance

its academic offerings to ensure that they respond to the requirements of Abu Dhabi and its strategic interests and

industries. New degree concentrations and research foci are

being targeted to enhance Masdar Institute’s efficacy and impact.

The Commission for Academic Accreditation for the master’s

programs in Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

has approved new concentrations modeled after the successful

MIT Practice Degrees. These concentrations, offered in Masdar

Institute’s Practice School, are tailored to provide a unique

multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary educational experience

geared to produce graduates with the technical, managerial, and

leadership skills needed for tomorrow’s high-tech industries


The Practice School, following the MIT model in philosophy

but differing somewhat in structure, offers important hands-on activities and implementation tools leading to greatly enhanced

relations and collaboration between Masdar Institute and local

industry. (See Chapter 4 for more details about Practice School

course offerings and projects.) This collaboration is fully in line

with the mission of Masdar Institute.

Disclosure and Patenting Forecast

As mentioned in the discussion of the Abu Dhabi Technology

Development Committee’s Takamul program in Chapter 7, Masdar

Institute has achieved 6 US patents and filed 54 patent applications

and 100 invention disclosures. This represents accelerated, year-

by-year patenting activity (the Masdar Institute Business Plan

2013–2018 had projected only two full patents and the Masdar

Institute Five Year Plan 2014–2019 projected an additional patent.)

With this increase in patenting and disclosures Masdar

Institute now has a patent portfolio with enough variety to begin

marketing its intellectual property (IP) to industry for commercial

development. The Technology Transfer Office is now working to

enhance its marketing capability to facilitate greater patenting and

commercialization of the IP developed through Masdar Institute’s

research projects (Masdar Institute, 2014).

The Masdar Institute Board of Trustees report (regarding

Business Plan 2013–2018, citing 2012 data) states that in 2012,

Masdar Institute saw the submission of 20 invention disclosures

from faculty, postdocs, and students, based on US$39.5 million

research expenditures (Masdar Institute, 2012a). This expenditure

amount excludes faculty and student salaries, and some of the

included disclosures were a result of work done in 2011 and

earlier. Figure 9.2 projects the number of disclosures over the

next period of five years using the rule of thumb of one disclosure

for US$1.5–2.0 million in research dollars spent.


Figure 9.2: Invention disclosure projections (research-dollar based).


The ratio of patents filed to disclosures has been slightly more

than 50% of disclosures submitted. This high ratio for the first

five-year period of Masdar Institute is due to the institute’s need

to build and develop its patent portfolio. The number of patent

filings is expected to increase as funding for Masdar Institute’s

Technology Transfer Office (TTO) increases.

To help enhance the efficiency and productivity of Masdar

Institute’s disclosure and patenting process, the TTO has instituted

more stringent assessment of potential patents and their value,

with the aim of looking at the potential financial return and the

strength of the disclosure from a patent perspective. This practice is

intended to reduce the time and cost spent on low-potential patents,

and to give more attention and resources to worthy breakthroughs.

The TTO is also pursuing several no- or low-cost options to ensure

good business decisions are made on disclosures that are selected

for patenting (Masdar Institute, 2014).

University RankingsUniversity rankings are an increasingly important and visible

validation of a higher-education institute’s success in both academics and research. According to The Road to Academic

Excellence:Becoming a member of the exclusive group of world-

class universities is not something that can be achieved by self-declaration. This elite status—exemplified by the US Ivy League universities such as Harvard, Yale or Columbia; the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom; and the University of Tokyo—is usually conferred by the outside world on the basis of international recognition. (Altbach and Salmi, 2011)

Among graduate-level, research-intensive institutions, attaining a high rank among best-of-class international peers is no less important. Masdar Institute, as a new institution, is

relatively unknown at the international level. Achieving a high

place in international university rankings would help establish a

strong international reputation for Masdar Institute and contribute to its ability to attract the best faculty, students, and external support. Rankings can also be useful in identifying specific areas

for improvement, creating well-defined targets to be met.

Realizing the importance of rankings, Masdar Institute set up a taskforce to help it achieve global recognition as an institution

offering high-quality research and education. The taskforce

supports Masdar Institute’s pursuit of an international academic


ranking and has selected the Academic World Ranking (AWR) as

the most appropriate standing for Masdar Institute to achieve. To

achieve an acceptable Academic World Ranking, Masdar Institute

has established a roadmap of excellence in research productivity

starting with the academic year 2013–2014, and to be completed

by the end of 2015–2016 (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

In 2015 Masdar Institute topped the prestigious ranking of

Arab-region universities for research excellence by the US News

& World Report, which ranked more than 90 institutions across

16 countries. Masdar Institute ranked 1st in the inaugural “field-

weighted citation impact” list used to measure the quality of a

paper whether published by faculty, postdocs or students (US

News & World Report, 2015). It is one of the most sophisticated

indicators of the value of a university’s research publishing and

enables its users to compare the impact of citations across

subject areas with different publication rates.

The listing also ranked Masdar Institute 2nd in the “percentage

of total publications in top 10 percent” category and 3rd in the

“percentage of total publications in top 25 percent” category

(US News & World Report, 2015). These metrics indicate the

percentage of a university’s papers that are among the most

highly cited in the world, by field and publication year. They are

a measure of the volume of excellent research produced by a

university, independent of the university’s size.

Masdar Institute (MI)–MIT Collaborative Research

In the coming years the 2012–2016 Masdar Institute–MIT

Cooperative Agreement will continue to shape Masdar Institute’s

research and external collaborations (Figure 9.3). The agreement

has a goal of establishing industry engagement through flagship

research projects that will ultimately lead to the development

of research centers that are aligned with the strategic research

interests of Masdar Institute (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

143


Figure 9.3: Masdar Institute–MIT Cooperative Program, 2012–2016.


Masdar Institute is working to address the issues raised in

a 2013 review of previous and ongoing MI–MIT collaborative

research projects. The review looked into improved mechanisms for project selection and monitoring, particularly in regard to the

effectiveness of the collaboration between the two universities.

The taskforce recommended that the collaborative research

mechanisms be continued and possibly expanded, while also

considering the following five recommendations for improvement

of the program (Masdar Institute, 2012a):

1. Simplify and clarify Flagship Research Project

evaluation criteria.

2. Provide greater clarity and feedback in proposal

review.

3. Provide greater assistance during project start-up,

particularly to junior faculty.

4. Create more opportunities for face-to-face interaction

by faculty and students at the two universities.

5. Provide clear, consistent monitoring of project

progress.

In 2013 the Masdar Institute and MIT Innovation Program (MMIP)

was developed to support ideas that show significant commercial

potential. The program awards two types of transitional research

grants—ignition and innovation—following a model developed by the

Deshpande Center at MIT. Innovation grants are awarded to mature

ideas, providing the researchers with funding to assist in demonstrating the commercial applications and connecting to potential external investors. Ignition grants are awarded to high-risk, early stage ideas that show promise for eventual commercial application, and are of less financial value. These grant mechanisms are be administered collaboratively by the Research Development Office, iInnovation, and the MIT Deshpande Center (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Industry-Sponsored ResearchWorking with business and industry to translate discoveries

and ideas from labs and classrooms to the broader economy is

one of the most important functions of a modern university like

Masdar Institute. Such collaboration is the best means of making

a real social and economic impact through not only technology

development, but also the establishment of connections

between students and future employers as part of sponsored

research projects. As reported in Times Higher Education, "The

extent to which businesses are willing to pay for research and a

university's ability to attract funding in the competitive commercial

marketplace" are useful indicators of institutional quality (Times

Higher Education, 2015).

To facilitate this type of give-and-take between industry and

university, Masdar Institute developed externally sponsored

research funding targets based on extensive internal benchmarking

analyses, as well as analyses conducted as part of Mubadala’s R&D

taskforce. Baseline and benchmark analyses indicate that in 2012

Masdar Institute’s total research spending per faculty member

was approximately US$637,000 with externally sponsored research

spending per faculty member at approximately US$51,000 (Figure

9.5). This total research spending per faculty member is slightly

higher than the target of US$620,000 determined as part of the

Mubadala R&D taskforce benchmarking analysis conducted in July

2012. The universities included in the benchmarking analysis were

Stanford, MIT, California Institute of Technology, and Rockefeller

University, each selected as aspirational models for Masdar

Institute given that they are research intensive, US-based, and

graduate level. Based on this benchmarking assessment, Masdar

Institute has achieved its targeted level of research spending

per faculty member, and therefore the pro forma R&D spending

projections in Figure 9.5 are based on the US$620,000 per faculty

member benchmark (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

To further enhance the industry relevance and industry

support of its research, Masdar Institute is working to establish

and manage research partnerships with industry, government,

and academia via dedicated staff members, who are focused on

partnership development, and the iCenters. Coordinating of large-

scale strategic collaborations is a key activity, as is facilitating

industry and government connections for faculty and research

staff. Of central importance is an appropriate balance of research


funding from diversified sources, particularly government

agencies and industry. Masdar Institute has developed externally

sponsored research funding targets based on extensive internal

benchmarking analyses as well as analyses conducted as part of

Mubadala’s R&D taskforce.

Masdar Institute’s long-term target level of externally

sponsored research is based on two factors: (1) the benchmarking

analysis using Times Higher Education data for countries with

the most industry-funded university research per faculty member

in 2012; and (2) the percentage of industry-sponsored research

at benchmark US universities in 2011 as determined by the US

National Science Foundation. The Times Higher Education

benchmark countries selected are the top 10% of surveyed

countries, which are Korea, Singapore, and the Netherlands,

and the percentage of industry-sponsored research benchmark

universities are the same that were considered in the Mubadala

R&D taskforce analysis (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

As shown in Figure 9.5, the target for externally sponsored

research funding per faculty member for Masdar Institute is

US$85,067 by 2018 based on an average of the Times Higher

Education data, which amounts to approximately 14% of total

estimated research spending in the same year. It should be noted

that if the Times Higher Education data for the top 15 countries

with the most industry-funded university research per faculty

member were used, the Masdar Institute 2017 target would be

US$50,867 per faculty member, which is less than what Masdar

Institute achieved in 2012. Additionally, the average industry-

funded university research per faculty member in the US is only

US$25,800. The US, however, has robust government research

funding for universities via multiple agencies, and so industry-

sponsored research funding is not a priority for many US

universities. Rockefeller University, for instance, is a model with

regard to its graduate education focus and overall quality but

sources less than 1% of its research spending from industry, given

the strong public funding for medical research.


Figure 9.5: Sponsored research benchmarking and target assessment.


Figure 9.6: Sponsored research projects—partnerships developed and in progress (April 2015).

Foundries

O


In 2012, externally sponsored research spending at Masdar

Institute was approximately 8% of total research spending,

and so an increase of approximately 1% per year is needed to

achieve the 2017 sponsored-research funding target. Figure 9.6

shows Masdar Institute’s partnerships in various stages, from

initiation to the executed contract in April 2015. The calculated

target percentage for Masdar Institute-sponsored research is in

line with benchmark US university–industry sponsored research

percentages—Stanford (6%), MIT (15%), California Institute of

Technology (2%)—with a skew toward that of MIT, which is among

the best models globally for university and industry collaboration.

According to Battelle’s 2013 Global R&D Funding Forecast, the

US average percentage of sponsored research is approximately

5%, and so Masdar Institute plans to achieve a bit more than

double the average (Battelle and R&D Magazine, 2012).

Industry CollaborationMasdar Institute’s industry collaboration takes place with

domestic and foreign companies that wish to engage in research

activity in the UAE. Domestic collaborations are already being

developed via strong ties with Mubadala, which has dozens of

companies spanning key Abu Dhabi economic sectors.

Further research collaboration with Mubadala companies will

be a leading strategy for Masdar Institute in the next five years.

Success as of May 2015 has been achieved with companies in

the semiconductor, aerospace, energy, and industry sectors, and

the institute will pursue relationships with the healthcare and

information and communication technology sectors as well. Figure

9.7 lists and provides the value of a number of signed research

contracts with industry and government organizations that have

agreed to fund Masdar Institute research projects, whereas Figure

9.8 provides information on research contracts that are being

pursued, and their estimated value.

Over the next five years Masdar Institute will work closely with

the UAE government’s Tawazun companies as they further seek

to become research oriented. The institute initiated research

collaboration with Tawazun in July 2012 as a first step in building

a long-term relationship. In 2013 Masdar Institute and Tawazun

embarked on a collaborative research project focused on land

systems and advanced materials. Tawazun has since expanded

its joint investigations with Masdar Institute into other industrial

sectors that contribute to the country’s focus on promoting

innovation in technology as part of the country’s National

Innovation Strategy.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs also supports research

at the institute and is a key interface to foreign governments


and agencies. Masdar Institute will continue close collaboration

with the ministry to develop foreign government interactions and

deepen close relationships already in place with the US, Germany,

South Korea, and Japan (Masdar Institute, 2014).

Masdar Institute plans to launch efforts that will directly link

researchers with government officials and decision makers to

identify potential use-inspired research within these government

entities. Establishing such connections is a priority for the Research

Development Office (Masdar Institute, 2014). Masdar Institute has

identified its continued interaction with Abu Dhabi government

agencies and state-owned enterprises as essential in order to

continually demonstrate the value of Masdar Institute in driving

forward Abu Dhabi’s economic, environmental, and social visions.


Figure 9.7: Signed research contracts with industry and government organizations.

Signed Research Contracts (UAE organizations in bold)

)

Masdar)


Figure 9.8: Further Masdar Institute collaborations in process.

Pipeline Collaborations (UAE organizations in bold)


Increased Research FundingThe Masdar Institute Office for Institute Initiatives is working

to build a proactive engagement structure during the period from

2013 to 2018 with plans to achieve targeted levels of external

support for research activity and meet the growing need for

locally based university research.

Since 2009, Masdar Institute has engaged external entities that

are drawn to the Masdar Company and Abu Dhabi for business

or other strategic purposes. However, moving forward there is

significant opportunity to further establish proactive research

collaboration with organizations developing research capability

in the UAE (Masdar Institute, 2012a). Particularly relevant are

those entities that have or soon will establish research centers

bridging the relatively low technology readiness level of university

research with the readiness level required for commercialization.

Masdar Institute proactively engages with local stakeholders

playing a key role in shaping the UAE research landscape through

a number of steering committees. These committees have the

following objectives:

• Track the development of collaborations established

with Masdar Institute

• Identify activities and goals that should be met by

Masdar Institute collaborations

• Discuss and resolve escalated issues regarding

Masdar Institute collaborations

• Promote Masdar Institute research linkages

The local entities with which steering committees have been

formed include Mubadala, Tawazun, UAE Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electric Authority (ADWEA).

Moving forward, each Masdar Institute iCenter will either have a

steering committee with representatives from these organizations

(plus other organizations) or be represented on the established

steering committees (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Masdar Institute is looking to reduce the future misalignment

of its faculty capabilities with the interests of industry, and thus

to avoid poor research delivery. It is doing this through ongoing

coordination with stakeholders and by overseeing collaborations

in progress. To date, sponsored research has grown rapidly at

Masdar Institute, as indicated by the signed research contracts.


Intellectual Property Development

Like other elite research universities, Masdar Institute’s

research tends to be focused on early-stage, advanced scientific

research that would not otherwise be carried out by industry.

This means that the intellectual property (IP) that emanates

from its research is typically not at the “technology-readiness”

level desired by industry, which seeks immediate opportunities

to commercialize the research results. In most cases, the IP

developed at Masdar Institute requires additional development

and/or prototyping before it can be demonstrated to be

commercially viable to potential licensees (Masdar Institute, 2014).

To address this gap, the Technology Transfer Office is working

to put in place internal and external support mechanisms for IP

development and prototyping activities. These would typically

involve obtaining funds and/or grants necessary to allow high

potential IP to be developed to a stage acceptable to industry for

uptake and/or commercialization. The TTO is expected to work

in close coordination with iInnovation to assist in identifying

Masdar Institute technologies that demonstrate high potential

for commercialization and in developing commercialization

strategies and/or business plans that highlight the steps needed

to get to market (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Facilitating EntrepreneurshipAn essential aspect to realizing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge

economy transformation is the indigenous development of new

enterprises. In successful innovation hubs like California’s

Silicon Valley and Boston’s Route 128, new enterprises are

regularly spun out of nearby world-class research institutions

such as Stanford and MIT. Masdar Institute aspires to a similar

role for Abu Dhabi and the UAE. To help achieve this role the

institute has made a concerted effort to accelerate innovation

and entrepreneurship across all of its research thrusts through

a number of initiatives and collaborations. Building on its

previous undertakings, including the AED26 million Technology

Innovation Collaboration Agreement with BP (which established

the BP Innovation Scholarships for talented aspiring innovators),

and the MIT–Masdar Institute Innovation Program, it is now

developing a Technology Acceleration Center with BP. The center

is being established with a six-year, US$7 million commitment to

accelerate technology innovation.

Next-Generation Capacity Building and Community Networks

In order for Masdar Institute to position itself as a regional

leader in academic technology transfer and a source of innovation,

it will need to look outward. Already in Europe and in the US,

leading universities are looking for creative ways to add value

to early-stage research and to provide greater opportunities for

academic entrepreneurs. Proof of Concept Centers, Gap Funding,

and Incubators are just some of the proactive initiatives that

visionary universities are venturing into.

Masdar Institute’s Technology Transfer Office is working to

position itself to partner with other institutions, government, and

industry in searching out these kinds of endeavors. Opportunities

will become more apparent as Abu Dhabi’s first Five-Year Science,

Technology, and Innovation (STI) Strategy Plan launches. The

flexible TTO structure being developed will make Masdar Institute

capable and well positioned to respond to such opportunities

as they arise. Figure 9.9 shows the progression of five steps

that external collaborations follow from the time a potential

collaborator expresses interest in a partnership to the contract

negotiation and execution.


Figure 9.9: Five-stage pipeline process for Masdar Institute’s external collaborations.

Abu Dhabi Government Engagement

Masdar Institute’s first priority for government engagement

is the Abu Dhabi government (Masdar Institute, 2012a). The

institute has already established research relationships with

key government agencies under the Executive Council and local

companies, including the following (Masdar Institute, 2014):

• Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD)

• Executive Affairs Authority (EAA)

• Department of Transport (DoT)

• Mubadala (and subsidiaries)

• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC, and

subsidiaries)

• Abu Dhabi Water and Electric Agency (ADWEA, and

subsidiaries)

• Abu Dhabi Quality Conformity Council (ADQCC)

• Etihad

• The Center of Waste Management—Abu Dhabi

Additional research relationships have been formed with the

Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED), Abu Dhabi

Education Council (ADEC), Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), and

Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) (Masdar Institute, 2012a).

Masdar Institute will continue to interact with Abu Dhabi

government agencies and state-owned enterprises to continually

demonstrate its value in driving Abu Dhabi’s economic,

environmental, and social goals. Masdar Institute’s Public Affairs

Office is working to deepen current government collaborations

and establish new ones.

CHAPTER

Caveats and Conditions

10

158 Chapter 10 Caveats and Conditions

The economic transformation envisaged by the Abu Dhabi

leadership for the emirate and its people is an ambitious

and challenging goal, and one that requires concerted and complementary efforts across the spectrum of academia, industry, and government. The Masdar Institute, as the graduate research institution that has taken on the responsibility of educating a

good portion of the innovative human and intellectual capital

that transformation requires, thus fittingly faces a number of

challenges in the years to come.

Balancing Essential State Support with State Restrictions

The UAE government has not just been helpful in the

establishment of Masdar Institute and funding its operations

and expansions; its support is completely critical. Transforming

the UAE into a knowledge economy and developing an innovation

ecosystem in Abu Dhabi will take time and must receive continued

and unflagging backing for the coming decades. Without continuing

UAE government funding and support (through regulations and

policy-making decisions), Masdar Institute will not be able to

deliver on the transformational needs of Abu Dhabi. To help ensure

that this support endures, the Abu Dhabi Education Council is in

the process of developing an R&D department through which it

can provide grants, funding, and means of securing patents.

Adopting Rubrics for Success

Another potential obstacle facing Masdar Institute concerns the

ways in which its successes, functions, and standards are assessed.

The UAE government must avoid developing so-called cookie-cutter

standards for evaluating its universities, as if they all operated in the

same way, with the same goals, needs, and impacts. A liberal arts

college will not have the same funding requirements as a high-tech

research institute that has to purchase and maintain cutting-edge

lab equipment, nor will a medical school strive for the same student-

body size as a business school. Applying a standard that attempts to

measure all of the UAE’s higher secondary educational entities with

the same scale will impede their performance and reduce their impact.

159158 Chapter 10 Caveats and Conditions 159

In order for Masdar Institute to succeed as a specialist graduate

university, it must have the labs, microscopes, and facilities needed

to undertake pioneering research. It also needs a highly technical staff to maintain and operate these facilities. If it is held to the same budget restrictions as humanities colleges, which have no

advanced equipment requirements, it will suffer. Additionally, to

be able to push the boundaries of science and engineering in a

way that produces valuable IP and innovation, world-class faculty must be attracted and retained. That requires an ability to offer competitive salaries, but more importantly, access to research

funding and specialized equipment. This high-caliber faculty

may come at a cost, but without it, Masdar Institute’s labs and

its students’ minds will lie fallow—uncultivated and underutilized.

Similarly, in order to attract talented, ambitious, and dedicated students from within the UAE and across the world, Masdar Institute must offer a competitive and cutting-edge

learning experience. One important aspect of Masdar Institute’s

attractiveness is its sustainable campus—where everything from

the classrooms, dorms, common areas, and labs are fully powered

by renewable energy. The Masdar Institute campus integrates

some of the world’s most promising green building technologies

and is itself a testing ground for new sustainable innovations,

giving students a chance not only to study sustainability, but also

to live according to sustainable means. Providing the “sustainable

campus experience” to all those who call Masdar Institute home

serves as a visible example of the institute’s dedication to the

serious research challenges it aims to address, and is a unique

selling point for prospective students.

Masdar Institute, as a state-run institution, should also not be considered in error if it extends its R&D domains or educational offerings beyond strict engineering foci. Diversity in experience,

disciplines, and approaches is critical to achieving innovation.

Overlap in an institution’s research and academic offerings is not

a regulation or planning failure. Rather, it promotes competition,

as institutions may vie for the same funding, students, faculty, and

collaborations. Additionally, allowing a range of institutes of varying

quality to share academic and research domains produces a

diverse range of human capital for the knowledge economy—from

the basic technicians to the highly specialized technical experts.

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights

In order for Masdar Institute to succeed it requires a number

of Abu Dhabi government mechanisms and administrative

infrastructures focused on achieving mutual goals as well as

the allocation of appropriate resources to implement them. One

crucial initiative that needs to be acted upon in the short term

to reap medium- and long-term results is the establishment of

comprehensive and effective intellectual property rights to ensure

that the technology, systems, and concepts created by research

institutions like Masdar Institute are safeguarded and utilized.

These laws will not only protect the intellectual capital that Abu

Dhabi’s institutes create but will also attract the best and brightest

brains to the emirate to be a part of its knowledge economy.

Developing and Allocating Tangible and Nontangible Resources

The continued success of Masdar Institute will depend on factors that determine how its resources are developed and allocated.

These “resources” are literal and figurative, and they include: the

diversity of funds necessary for a high-tech educational institute; the autonomy given to the institute to control its activities and

handle the challenges of bureaucracy; the optimum balance

between a public/private educational model; and wisdom gained

through the trial-and-error process that is an intrinsic part of

establishing, operating, and attending a research institution.


Funding Diversity

The Road to Academic Excellence—The Making of World-Class Research Universities (Altbach and Salmi, 2011), a recent book that examines tertiary education in the context of global

competition, acknowledges that research universities are

expensive institutions. World-class, high-tech institutions, like

those Masdar Institute aspires to model itself on, are particularly

so. They require more funding than any other type of university

to attract the best staff members and students and to provide

the infrastructure necessary for top research and teaching. The

cost per student is inevitably higher than the average across an

entire higher education system. Adequate salaries for faculty,

well-equipped libraries and laboratories, and financial support for bright but needy students are examples of the expenditures required. Thus funding is key to the success of a research

university. Improving and diversifying access to research funding

could then aid in the maturation of Abu Dhabi’s R&D ecosystem.

Traditional forms of university funding include tuition/fees, contract research, endowment, intellectual property rights/patents, extraneous forms like third-party research, and two forms of government support (for specific research activities in the form

of grant or contract, and for the operational side of things, such

as capital expenditures and operating costs). Currently Masdar

Institute’s operations are funded purely through UAE government

support, while contract research provides a growing portion of

research funding. This mainly single-source-dependent model

is not ideal. It can place undue stress on the funding providers,

impinge on the autonomy of the institute, and cause instability

if funding is not easily accessible. In order to be able to access

greater funding, reduce the risks posed by the single-source-

dependent model, and reduce Masdar Institute’s burden on the

UAE government, the institute is pursuing structural changes

that allow for accepting grants, endowments, and other forms of

financial support.

Maintaining Autonomy

As Masdar Institute continues to grow, expand, and form

greater and stronger collaborative relationships within Abu Dhabi

and beyond, the institute will need to maintain its autonomy to

have its desired impact. According to John Fielden’s research of

global trends in university governance:

The basic principle behind institutional autonomy is that institutions operate better if they are in control of their own destiny. They have an incentive to change if they can directly benefit from their actions; they can be entrepreneurial and reap the rewards. Or they can be timid and see their competitor institutions overtake them. If a group of institutions in a university system is given autonomy to respond to national policy goals as they think fit, there is a reasonable chance that they will choose different ways of reaching the same goal and that some will be more innovative than others. Had they been centrally directed, this variety would have been unlikely. (Fielden, 2008)

Currently, the Abu Dhabi government funds Masdar Institute by

meeting its estimated budget requirements. The nature of such a funding mechanism greatly limits the allocation of funds internally and can impede growth and performance of the institute. In order for Masdar Institute to continue to grow and develop as required, it will work toward achieving its government support through an allocation system that allows the institute to move unused funds in the budget from one expense area to another, rather than being obligated to return the funds to the government. Masdar

Institute is also working to establish in the UAE the classical form

of university funding utilized all over the world—endowments. By successfully establishing this diversified and more flexible source of university funding in the UAE, Masdar Institute will be able to

secure more diverse and open funding, and reduce its financial

burden on the Abu Dhabi government.


Avoiding Bureaucracy

Linked to autonomy is the challenge posed to the success

of any research institution by bureaucracy, both internal and external. As most research institutions in the UAE are state institutions, they are often subject to bureaucratic rules and complex bureaucratic academic systems. An example of the

damage that bureaucracy can do to a research institute—even

one with great promise—can be seen in a case study of the

University of Malaya (the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur) and the National University of Singapore. These universities were

once two largely autonomous parts of a single institute that was

established in 1959. They split into two separate universities in

1962 and today, over 50 years later, these two institutes are on

opposite sides of the academic spectrum. The National University

of Singapore was 30th in the Times Higher Education ranking for 2009, while the University of Malaya did not make it into the top 200. One of the major reasons why University of Malaya fell

behind was ineffective governance and restrictive bureaucracy.

Malaysian civil service regulations made it difficult for the

University of Malaya to provide the competitive compensation

packages and modern lab facilities needed to attract the most

competent professors and researchers (Mukherjee and Wong,

2011).

Delineating the Public-Private University Model

When Masdar Institute was established it was intended to

emulate the successes of MIT, Caltech, Stanford, and other innovative

higher technology institutes credited with the economic uplift and

transformation of their surrounding communities. For this reason

Masdar Institute partnered with MIT from the start, creating a relationship in which the two institutes helped formulate curricula,

selected and trained faculty, and engaged in collaborative research

opportunities. However, Masdar Institute and its aspirational models

of MIT and Caltech are significantly different in one way. These world-


famous research universities follow the American private university

model, to which Masdar Institute cannot strictly adhere.

Private universities in the US are funded by a mix of tuition,

fees, endowments, private gifts, contract research, and corporate/

industry contributions. Public universities, on the other hand, are

funded primarily by the government. Each model has its own

benefits and its own limitations suitable for the role each is to play

in society.

Public universities are established and/or funded by the government through state funding or land grants (as in the US), with the primary interest of benefitting the wider population and

local economic needs. As such, their fees tend to be far less than

that of private universities, and they are more lenient in their

academic admissions standards. This allows them to provide the

state with a sizeable population of educated men and women to

take on a range of professions relevant to local economy. In the

US, state colleges and universities have been playing a critical

role in educating the masses for nearly 200 years. However, as

public universities are established and funded by the government,

they intrinsically respond to the government’s needs, which often

translate into more vocational-focused programs and limited-

risk research programs. Although there are some high quality

institutions that fall within the public university category—such as

the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign—they follow a “state-supported” model

rather than being purely state-run. Public universities in general

terms, tend to be broader in their educational offerings without

the specialized high-tech research budgets and facilities, with

relatively lower tuition costs and admissions requirements.

Private universities, however, have historically been established

by interest groups, such as religious organizations in the case of

Georgetown University, or through endowment by individuals,

like Stanford University and Cornell University. Without access to

continual government funding, they must regularly generate their

own funding, more often in the form of corporate sponsorship,

private gifts, contract research, and tuition. By not relying

on government funding, they are able to retain not only their

162


financial independence but also their intellectual independence,

which can allow them to pursue more bold and experimental

programs and research. Tuition tends to be more expensive, as

private universities operate without the benefit of government

subsidies enjoyed by public universities, and student admission

is understandably more competitive. As such, private universities

tend to target the more dedicated, competent, and promising

students, but in return, have more innovative and specialized

academic offerings (Wolfram, 1997). With their focus on merit,

private universities of this type become the preferred destination

of the intellectual elite.

Masdar Institute falls somewhere in the middle of this public/

private delineation. It is modeled after the one of the world’s most

innovative private universities—MIT—but was established by the

UAE government without endowment, so it instead operates

through UAE government funding like a government organization.

As is the case at US public universities, student tuition at Masdar

Institute is subsidized—in fact all of Masdar Institute’s students

are offered financial support through research assistanceships,

but they must first meet the rigorous admissions requirements of

MIT and maintain a high quality of academic and research output.

And while Masdar Institute is an independent institution, it is very

closely linked to the requirements of its patron government.

Its mission is equally apportioned between those of private and

public universities. Though Masdar Institute is modeled largely

on American Ivy League universities, its intended impact on the

UAE is as broad, economic, and strategic as many American

state universities—it looks to provide the intellectual and human

capital required for the UAE’s high-tech knowledge economy by

educating the UAE’s talented young men and women in industry-

relevant engineering disciplines.

While there is no need for Masdar Institute to follow either the

American public or private university operation model—Masdar

Institute has always been a proponent of localized adaptation

and the evolution of existing models and systems rather than

blind adoption—the institute’s current “customized” dichotomy

presents some challenges to meeting its stated goals.

Masdar Institute must retain its high standards for admissions

and academic performance while increasing its outreach to the

UAE’s youth, to ensure that each and every talented and able

Emirati understands the value of Masdar Institute’s education

for them and their country. In response to the need for UAE

National human capital development, Masdar Institute has put

in place appropriate mechanisms to attract the high-quality

Emirati students and give them additional time to make up

for their deficiencies in their undergraduate education. These

measures have thus far succeeded, allowing Masdar Institute

to reach a level of 45% UAE National enrollment, the highest

percentage of UAE National enrollment of any private university

in the UAE. Additionally, the institute must continue to emphasize

the role of diversity in achieving innovation, whether it is diversity

of experience and discipline, or culture and background. The

presence of international students should not be considered a

shortcoming. Rather, Masdar Institute must recognize that they

bring with them new ideas and unique insights that can enrich the

educational and research experience for all students at Masdar

Institute and have a positive effect on the UAE at large, by way of

valuable innovations and breakthroughs.

Additionally, the need to ensure the industry relevance of

degree programs and research must be balanced against the

known value of pursuing basic research that investigates and

analyzes a subject, phenomenon, or a basic law of nature without

requiring a practical application of the results. Basic research is

the backbone of quality higher education. Without it, intellectual

curiosity cannot be properly nurtured, developed, and used, and

intellectual curiosity is key to new ideas and new directions. It is

estimated that investments in basic research return between 20%

and 60% annually (Press, 2013).

Also, truly disruptive and game-changing innovation is not likely

to be achieved in incremental industrial applications of research

but rather requires bold exploration into unchartered territories.

Research can precede the recognition of a need or ability to uptake

a solution—for example information technology, biotechnology,

and genetic engineering were being researched in the second half


of the 20th century, long before an industry-ready use for them was

identified. In the 21st century, our emerging technologies are in

the area of nanoscience, synthetic biology, cognitive sciences, and

the Internet of Things, and they should not be overlooked purely

because local industry is not ready or able to fully take advantage

of their uses. Thus, basic research and research in emerging

fields are both crucial elements of innovation and should be given

importance at Masdar Institute.

Learning Not to Fear or Stigmatize

Failure

Achieving success tends to be a process, with many difficulties

before the end goal is realized. Those difficulties are part of the

process of learning and making necessary adjustments to achieve

the desired outcome. For this reason it is very important that

“failure” not be stigmatized.

An example of the importance of trial and error is the electronic

transportation system that was part of the initial Masdar City plan.

At the launch of the Masdar City project in 2007, this system was

believed to be a promising sustainable option.

An example of the importance of trial and error is the electronic

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system that was part of the initial

Masdar City plan. At the launch of the Masdar City project in 2007,

the PRT was believed to be a promising sustainable transportation

system. It was envisioned to be the primary mode of transportation

in the car-free Masdar City, providing residents with a safe, self-

piloted, and zero-carbon way to get around. However, pilot testing

of the system discovered that the technology was not suitable for

the complex application Masdar City required. The technology

works in principle, but the limited-scale deployment of the system

at Masdar City demonstrated that the technology would struggle

in a crisscrossing transportation network. But again, this is not a

failure; it is simply part of the process of finding the ideal solution.

An idea is tested until one that works is discovered. Through the

pilot test of the system, Masdar City was able to test this potential

solution in situ, which saved the cost and trouble of retracting

and replacing a system after full-scale deployment. And in the

meanwhile, electricity-powered cars have proven a more suitable

option, as they are more affordable and reliable, while the Google

Car is being touted as the future’s safe and sustainable form of

automatic individual transport. This process of testing, assessing,

and redirecting Masdar City’s internal transportation systems

allowed time for a more attractive and viable technology to be

developed—the self-driven electric car.

Responding to new information and making appropriate

changes in this way should be recognized, accepted, and not

criticized, otherwise it will put off entrepreneurs and trailblazers

and dampen the UAE’s spirit of innovation. Only the unwise set a

target and proceed toward it without regular reassessment and

adjustment to the terrain and conditions. In the UAE’s path to

progress, there will be many measured readjustments, informed

adaptations, and even discarded prototypes, all of which are

symptomatic of a healthy innovation ecosystem. Masdar Institute,

as a responsive research institution, will adapt, evolve, and learn

as it paves the way forward. This may include some “failures,” but

they are part of the overarching pursuit of excellence and must be

taken in stride.


CHAPTER

Meeting the Potential for Transformation and Innovation

11

168 Chapter 11 Meeting the Potential for Transformation and Innovation

Since classes first began in 2009, Masdar Institute has already

achieved what seemed impossible. With the backing of the Abu

Dhabi leadership and the guidance and passion of its champions,

a world-class research institute has been created in Abu Dhabi

from scratch.

Masdar Institute has, in a short period of time, established

competitive graduate degree programs, attracted faculty from

leading institutions, installed some of the region’s most high-tech

labs and related facilities, and begun to produce research that

has put Abu Dhabi on the science and technology map. With Abu

Dhabi’s Technology Development Committee, Masdar Institute

is working to facilitate patent applications, intellectual property

rights, and market penetration. Now the challenge is to utilize

Masdar Institute resources to expedite Abu Dhabi’s innovation

ecosystem and achieve its economic diversification goals.

The further success of Masdar Institute, as a research

institution and as a linchpin in the Abu Dhabi knowledge

economy transformation, rests primarily on the support and

encouragement that the country’s leadership provides. Without

continued patronage from the leadership, Masdar Institute will

not be able to meet its great potential for transformation and

innovation.

Transforming an economy is no easy or quick task. It takes

many elements—finances, organization, infrastructure, time, and

most importantly, the willingness of the country’s young people

to take on the baton and race ahead with it. To help achieve that

critical motivation, the value of the UAE’s knowledge economy

transformation must be conveyed to the UAE’s young men and

women. To do this requires cultivating a culture of innovation;

giving honor, prestige, and rewards to those who achieve scientific

and industrial progress; and protecting those who take intellectual

and economic risks.

His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander

of the UAE Armed Forces, highlighted the importance of youth

during the 2014 UAE National Day, saying:

We have recognized the value of human capital and its importance in building nations. We are therefore keen to preserve the rights and well-being of our people and to meet their needs, with a special emphasis on our youth, whom we consider to be our hope for a better future. We believe that youth are the makers of today, the hope for tomorrow, and the pillar for any real progress. There is no greater investment that can be made by any nation than in the capabilities of its youth. (Youth Represent, 2014).

Masdar Institute’s own track record over the past decade

has shown that connecting to the UAE’s young men and women

is achievable. The first batch of UAE National students Masdar

Institute enrolled were nearly all in the Engineering Systems and

Management program, as the existing culture in the UAE valued

only “management” as a worthy career for talented young Emiratis.

The 2015 batch of UAE National students at Masdar Institute has

a much stronger science, technology, and engineering focus, with

a number of students pursuing materials science, microsystems,

and mechanical engineering. In only a few years of academic

operations, Masdar Institute has already seen the beginning of

the cultural shift needed to motivate, inspire, and guide the UAE’s

youth into powering the country’s future knowledge economy.

This is a continuation of the growth chart Masdar Institute has

been witnessing since the institute began academic operations

in 2009. When Masdar Institute first opened its classrooms with

19 UAE National students, some worried that there would not be

enough dedicated and talented young Emiratis to support and

contribute to Masdar Institute’s success. Each year, increasing

number of UAE National students prove this fear unfounded.

They are drawn by a combination of factors: their devotion to their

country, the passion of Masdar Institute’s champion, MIT (and

their trust in that institution), and the support of industry. The

availability and number of students giving us the benefit of the

doubt is a testament to Masdar Institute’s responsibility to deliver.

169168 Chapter 11 Meeting the Potential for Transformation and Innovation 169

As the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al

Nahyan, recognized so long ago, the UAE’s young people are the

key to the country’s progress and prosperity. They have the will,

the passion, and the talent to succeed. With Masdar Institute,

and the support of the UAE leadership, the UAE is on the path to

transforming its young people into the country’s true asset and its

country into a competitive and prosperous knowledge economy.



Appendix

Masdar Institute of Science and TechnologyIndividual Program Goals for Graduates

and Learning Outcomes


MSc in Chemical Engineering(http://masdar.ac.ae/programs/masters-program/msc-in-chem-

ical-engineering)

Program goals for graduates:

• An ability to identify and address current and future

chemical engineering problems related to energy sources,

generation, conversion, and green chemical production with-

in a broader framework of sustainable development

• An ability to apply a multidisciplinary approach to

conceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to chemical

engineering problems in the field of energy and sustainability

• An understanding of the impact of solutions to chemical

engineering problems in a global, economic, environmental,

and societal context

• An understanding of the value of technical and scien-

tific research, service to society, leadership, and the lifelong

learning required to advance career aspirations

Program learning outcomes:

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of fundamental

sciences and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve

complex chemical engineering problems, particularly as they

pertain to renewable energy and sustainability

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of chemical engi-

neering to the analysis, design, and development of chemical

reactors, processes, unit operations, and chemical plants to

professionally and ethically meet the desired needs of

society

• Use advanced techniques, skills, and modern scientific

and engineering software tools in professional practice

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of chemical

engineering to design and develop chemical reactors, unit

operations, and plant processes for effective renewable

energy, sustainability, and chemical production

• Use an advanced approach to design and conduct ex-

periments, and to analyze and interpret data

• Communicate effectively in written and oral form, both

individually and as a member of a multidisciplinary team,

and thus to successfully put forward the scientific findings at

national and international levels

MSc in Computing and Information Science

(http://masdar.ac.ae/programs/masters-program/

msc-in-computing-and-information-science)

The MSc in CIS program targeted learning outcomes that

are adapted from the accreditation criteria stipulated by the

ABET Computing Accreditation Commission (ABET, 2008).

This adoption and adaptation of the IT goals will help ensure

the highest standards of, as well as conformity to, estab-

lished international norms.


• Create leaders who are capable of developing and man-

aging cutting-edge information technologies, thus increas-

ing the knowledge force in Abu Dhabi and the surrounding

region

• Instill in graduates an understanding of the value of

technical scholarship, research, and service to society

• Produce graduates who are aware of the requirement

for and possess the ability to be engaged in lifelong learning

• Collaborate across the Masdar Institute to capitalize on

and contribute to the institute’s interdisciplinary nature to

help solve important world problems


• Use and apply current technical concepts and practices

in core computing and information technologies

• Analyze a problem and identify and define the comput-


ing requirements appropriate to its solution

• Design, implement, and evaluate computer-based sys-

tems, processes, components, and programs, both in teams

and individually, to meet desired outcomes

• Communicate effectively with a range of audiences

• Recognize the need for and have an ability to engage in

continuing professional development

MSc in Engineering Systems and Management


msc-in-engineering-systems-and-management)


• Ability to identify and respond to complex engineering

systems problems (involving technical and socioeconomic

components)

• Ability to apply advanced systems analysis tools in a

multidisciplinary setting in order to bound (i.e., to define

and limit), plan, analyze, design, and implement solutions to

engineering systems problems

• An understanding of the complex interactions between

engineering system solutions and their implications for tech-

nological, economic, societal, and environmental systems

on a larger scale (regional, national, global), with a view on

long-term sustainability


tific scholarship, service to society, leadership, and lifelong

learning required to professionally and ethically further their

career aspirations in support of the needs of the community


• Successfully apply appropriate combinations of ad-

vanced concepts of engineering, economics, system theory,

management, and policy to identify, formulate, and address

engineering systems problems

• Successfully use advanced system analysis and design

tools (optimization, simulation, architecture, statistical anal-

ysis, surveys, applied principles, heuristics, etc.) to design,

develop, implement, integrate, and improve systems and

processes that target sociotechnical integrated engineering

systems

• Understand and apply the relationships between the

management tasks (of planning, organization, leadership,

and control) and the human element (in production, re-

search, and service organizations), in conjunction with an

understanding of (and ability to deal with) the stochastic

nature of organizational and political systems

• Assess the direct and indirect impact of engineering

solutions on sustainable development (e.g., economic, en-

vironmental, and social factors) with a focus on energy and

sustainability

• Use appropriate advanced methods to design, conduct,

and analyze experimental studies for engineering systems

with a strong sociotechnical component


individually and as a member of a multidisciplinary team



msc-in-electrical-power-engineering)



electrical engineering problems related to energy sources,

generation, conversion, transmission, utilization, efficiency,

protection, and control, all within a broader framework of

sustainable development


conceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to electrical


engineering problems in the field of energy and sustainabili-

ty

• An understanding of the impact of solutions to energy

problems in a global, economic, environmental, and societal

context

• An understanding of the value of technical and scientific

research, service to society, leadership, and lifelong learning

required to further their career aspirations




complex electrical power engineering problems

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of electrical

power engineering to the analysis, design, and development

of electric systems, components, equipment, or applications

to professionally and ethically meet the desired needs of

society


and engineering software tools for professional practice

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of electrical

and power electronics engineering to design and develop

electric/electronic hardware systems for effective renewable

energy conversion, control, and power delivery




individually and as a member of a multidisciplinary team,

and thus to successfully put forward the scientific findings at

national and international levels

MSc in Materials Science and Engineering


msc-in-materials-science-and-engineering)



needs in various aspects of materials and devices (both ac-

tive and passive) for all sorts of applications toward sustain-

able and improved human well-being

• An ability to apply a multidisciplinary approach to con-

ceive, plan, design, and implement innovations and solutions

to problems and challenges that involve materials and their

properties and applications

• An understanding of the potential impact of materi-

als-based technologies and innovations in social, economic,

and environmental contexts

• An understanding of the value of intellectual approach,

technical scholarship, service to society, leadership, best

practices, and lifelong learning




complex problems involving materials and devices

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of materials

engineering to the analysis, design, and development of

materials, devices, systems, and processes to professionally

and ethically meet the desired needs of society

• Use an advanced approach to design and conduct

experiments in the area of materials and/or devices, and to

analyze and interpret data

• Be continuously aware of contemporary issues and

research opportunities/challenges in the field of materials

engineering as related to energy and sustainability, and en-

gage in lifelong learning in the field and in the fundamentals

of other related disciplines

• Use advanced materials characterization techniques,

skills, and modern scientific and engineering tools




MSc in Mechanical Engineer-ing(http://masdar.ac.ae/programs/masters-program/

msc-in-mechanical-engineering)



mechanical engineering problems related to energy

sources, production, conversion, efficiency, and control

within a broader framework of sustainable development


ceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to mechanical

engineering problems in the field of energy and sustainability

• An understanding of the impact of solutions to energy

problems in a global, economic, environmental, and societal

context

• An understanding of the value of the technical and

scientific scholarship, service to society, leadership, and the

lifelong learning required to further their careers




complex mechanical engineering problems

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of mechanical


systems, components, or processes to professionally and

ethically meet the needs of society



• Be continuously aware of contemporary issues and

research opportunities/challenges related to energy and

sustainability, and engage in lifelong learning in the field and

in the fundamentals of related disciplines







msc-in-microsystems-engineering)



microsystems engineering problems (those applying to

microelectronic devices, photonics, and micromechanics)

related to data communication, health and medicine, as well

as to the production, conversion, efficiency, and control of

energy sources, all within a broader framework of sustaina-

ble development


conceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to microsys-

tems engineering problems in the fields of data communica-

tion, health and medicine, and energy and sustainability

• An understanding of the impact of solutions to data

communication, health and medicine, and energy problems

in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts







complex microsystems engineering problems

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of microsystems


systems, components, or processes to professionally and


ethically meet the desired needs of society



• Assess contemporary issues and research opportu-

nities/challenges related to energy and sustainability, and

engage in lifelong learning, both in the field and in the fun-

damentals of related disciplines





MSc in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure


msc-in-sustainable-critical-infrastructure}


• Ability to design integrated urban infrastructure sys-

tems for new or existing developments with careful exami-

nation of environmental, social, and financial requirements

• Ability to apply planning, design, and operations tools

using multidisciplinary inputs in order to effectively generate

and assess solutions to urban infrastructure problems

• An understanding of the complex interactions between

proposed infrastructure systems solutions and their impact

on the long-term sustainability of urban systems


tific scholarship, service to society, leadership, and lifelong

learning required to further their career aspirations in sup-

port of the desired needs of the community


• Successfully apply advanced concepts of planning,

design, and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve

complex infrastructure planning problems, particularly as

they pertain to sustainable urban infrastructure planning

• Successfully apply advanced skills of infrastructure pro-

jects management, using decision-making criteria, to meet

societal needs with a long-term sustainability objective

• Develop a critical understanding of the theories applied

in contemporary urbanism and identify design strategies

based on an understanding of the complexity of urban infra-

structure

• Employ advanced techniques, skills, and modern scien-

tific, engineering, and visual communication software tools

for professionals in urban and infrastructure development

• Use an advanced approach to design and conduct quali-

tative and quantitative research, and to analyze and interpret

data

• Demonstrate and present ideas and solutions effectively

in written and oral form, both individually and as a member

of a multidisciplinary team, and thus to successfully put

forward the scientific findings at national and international

levels

MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering


msc-in-water-and-environmental-engineering)


• An ability to identify and address current and future so-

cietal problems related to water, waste, and the environment

within a broader framework of sustainable development


ceive, plan, design, and implement solutions to problems in

the field of water and environmental engineering

• An understanding of the impact of solutions to water

and environmental engineering problems in a global, eco-

nomic, environmental, and societal systems context








complex water and environmental engineering problems,

and understand the impact of such solutions on sustainable

development

• Successfully apply advanced concepts of water and

environmental engineering and fundamental sciences to

design, analyze, and develop technologies, processes, or

systems to professionally and ethically meet the desired

needs of society

• Use an advanced and rigorous approach to the design

and execution of experiments, and to the analysis and inter-

pretation of experimental data

• Be knowledgeable about contemporary issues and

research challenges/opportunities related to water and

environmental engineering, and engage in lifelong learning

to keep abreast of such issues


and engineering tools for problems related to professional

practice in the field of water and environmental engineering

• Communicate effectively and professionally in written

and oral form, both individually and as a member of a multi-

disciplinary team

MSc in Geomechanics Engineering (Fall 2016)Program goals for graduates:

• The ability to identify, address, and mitigate current

and future geomechanics engineering problems related to

subsurface natural resources exploitation, production, and

optimization, as well as to approach construction methods within

a broader framework of sustainability

• The ability to apply a multidisciplinary approach to solving

geomechanics engineering problems in the field of geosciences

and subsurface engineering

• An understanding of the impact of geomechanics solutions to

subsurface-related problems in a global, economic, environmen-

tal, and societal contexts

• The development of professional engineering skills that

reflect current and emerging technologies in order to enhance

opportunities for advancement in a chosen field


• Apply advanced concepts of fundamental sciences and engi-

neering to formulate and solve complex geomechanics engineer-

ing problems

• Apply advanced concepts of geomechanics engineering to

solve and mitigate subsurface-related problems according to opti-

mal and sustainable practices, and to professionally and ethically

meet the desired needs of society

• Analyze current and emerging research opportunities/chal-

lenges related to energy and sustainability

• Design and conduct research and critically evaluate the

results using advanced techniques, and modern scientific and

engineering software

• Communicate effectively in written and oral form, both indi-

vidually and as a member of a multidisciplinary team

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Masdar Institute - 10 Years in the Making - By Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh with Assistance From Zarina Khan

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