Six KU Master’s students participated in a Youth Hackathon hosted by TotalEnergies and the Institut Francais in the UAE focused on the evolution of the UAE energy sector. 

The Hackathon took place from 7 to 9 June 2021, and culminated with a final pitch ceremony that was held at Warehouse 421 in Abu Dhabi in the presence of His Excellency X. Chatel, Ambassador of France to the UAE, and Elias Kassis, TotalEnergies Country Chair in the UAE.

A total of 18 students from three universities, including Khalifa University, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates University, participated in the Hackathon. They were divided into three teams of six students. Each team was made up of students from different universities, backgrounds, and degree programs, and was assigned to study and develop a solution for one of three different energy sources –  gas and hydrogen, solar, and wind.

The KU students who participated were Huda Mohamed Alhashmi, MSc in Petroleum Engineering; Ahmed Khalid Alzaabi, MSc in Petroleum Engineering; Brenda Hernandez Corona, MSc in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure; Lamiaa Elsherbiny, MSc in Mechanical Engineering; Waleed Khaled Elayan, MSc in Health, Safety and Environment Engineering; and Ahmed Mahdy Yassin, MSc in Electrical Engineering. 

The solar team, which included Huda and Brenda, won first place for their proposed solution to the current challenges the region is facing when it comes to solar power activities. Their idea was to develop a startup that converts solar waste to life by recycling solar panels into many different raw materials and substances that can be used in a wide variety of sectors.

“I am extremely happy to be part of this amazing initiative. We had a great time exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with green/ renewable energy resources. We were lucky to be exposed to different scientific arguments, knowledge and discussions,” Huda shared. She also expressed gratitude to the KU faculty members who nominated the students to participate in this Hackathon.  

The three-day program began with general presentations about the future of energy from experts, followed by an ice breaking session to allow all participants to get to know each other.  

On the second day, teams were assigned an energy source and began developing ideas to address the challenges faced in each energy topic.  They were guided by expert instructors who helped them plan, organize and coordinate their ideas into beneficial and practical solutions.

On the third day, each group presented their solution in-person to His Excellency X. Chatel and Elias Kassis.

Ahmed, who was part of the wind energy team, said the experience forced him to think about how wind turbines would be placed in the UAE within the context of the country’s climate and environment, and what the necessary steps would be to maintain those turbines for a long period of time. 

“I learned the importance of a proper and concise planning process and how to organize one’s thoughts. I really enjoyed taking the challenge of coming up with innovative ideas with renewable energy in mind. The organizers did an amazing job in breaking the ice and engaging everyone enrolled,” he shared.

Waleed, who graduated with a BSc in Chemical Engineering from KU and is now pursuing his MSc in Health, Safety and Environment Engineering, developed a solution that would help the UAE adopt clean and sustainable energy by leveraging the UAE’s abundant supply of natural gas and splitting it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can be used as a sustainable fuel source, while the carbon dioxide would be sequestered using carbon capture and utilization (CCUS) technologies. 

The one-of-a-kind hackathon provided a unique opportunity for Khalifa University students to investigate the challenges and possible solutions facing the country’s energy transformation with experts in the energy field. Energy is a central thrust in KU’s research portfolio, with Masdar Institute focused on advancing solutions in renewable energy and Petroleum Institute focused on making traditional energy more efficient and sustainable.

Providing students with opportunities to collaborate with industry experts can bring significant benefits, from providing them with new perspectives to expanding their professional networks. Khalifa University’s Student Services Office is committed to supporting opportunities like this in order to maximize students’ academic experience.

Erica Solomon
Senior Publication Specialist
20 June 2021

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University Announces Key Research Collaborations as Faculty Led Knowledge-Sharing Sessions across Various WFES 2019 Platforms

His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University, and His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, visited the Khalifa University stand at the World Future Energy Forum 2019 that was held from 14 – 17 January as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week (ADSW) 2019 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). The event brought together investors and service providers in the global sustainability sector.

Khalifa University showcased a total of five sustainable concepts in research innovation at the event. The university also announced key research collaborations with local and international organizations, marking its prime role advancing new solutions and technologies in the renewable energy and sustainable technologies areas.

The four-day WFES, inaugurated on 14 January focused on the intellectual leadership of sustainability while facilitating partnerships between innovators and investors in energy platforms, climate change, water and the future of mobility, space, bio-technology and technology sectors.

Some of the projects that were featured at the Khalifa University stand (Hall 4; Booth A401) include advance material for CO2 capture, the Masdar Institute Solar Platform, the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium’s (SBRC) flagship Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) project and its path-breaking commercial flight with biofuel, conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel in the UAE and a condition monitoring system with multi-agent mechanism for external non-contact smart inspection of buried oil and gas pipelines.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “For Khalifa University, the premier gathering of the global sustainability sector at World Future Energy Summit 2019 offers the perfect platform to interact with energy industry leaders and explore potential collaborations. It is also an occasion to highlight Masdar Institute’s research accomplishments and showcase its capabilities in clean energy and sustainable technologies for the benefit of the international corporate majors. We believe this year’s participation in WFES activities will give us the impetus to further advance our research and innovation expertise in areas such as energy storage, mobility, solar, energy efficiency, waste-to-energy, water and environment, advanced materials, as well as carbon capture to help increase the contribution of clean energy to the UAE’s total energy mix in an efficient, safe and economical manner.”

Additionally, Khalifa University higher officials and faculty lead knowledge exchange across various WFES platforms. Dr Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice-President for Research and Development and Professor of Practice, Khalifa University, shared his perspectives in a session titled ‘In Conversation: The foreign relations of energy transition – positioning the Gulf’ at the Energy Forum.

Dr. Steve Griffiths said: “Khalifa University is proud to showcase new technologies at the World Future Energy Summit, which has gathered leaders across key technology and sustainability platforms that include artificial intelligence, energy, environment, water, health and space. These leaders are contributing to knowledge exchange, highlighting innovations and advancing solutions to global challenges in sustainability. We believe participation in this year’s summit effectively showcases Khalifa University’s capabilities in research, development and innovation across the sustainability spectrum.”

Dr. Nicolas Calvet, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, and Chair of the Masdar Institute Solar Platform – Khalifa University, is speaking about concentrated solar power (CSP) industry during a session titled ‘’ at the Solar Forum. Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, and his team are presenting their work on advance materials for CO2 capture, including three individual projects.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
16 January 2019

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