The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology campus was officially inaugurated at Masdar City, an emerging global clean-technology cluster in Abu Dhabi.

The institute is the Middle East’s first graduate research institution dedicated to renewable energy and clean environmental technologies.

“Abu Dhabi is dedicated to higher education as a key element to the successful integration and adoption of clean energy and forging commercialisation opportunities for the region. Masdar Institute is the foundation for shaping future scientists, and is a core driver in moving to a knowledge-based economy, with a strong focus on intellectual capital,” stated Dr Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, and chairman of the executive committee of the board of trustees of Masdar Institute.

“The advancements in renewable energy and clean technology are vital to diversifying Abu Dhabi’s economy, creating jobs, helping meet rising energy demands, expand its energy portfolio and to conserving its hydrocarbon resources.”

The institute has been designed to improve both the living and working experience through smart, high performance building design. Today, the institute and its facilities use 54 per cent less potable water consumption, have a 51 per cent reduction in electrical demand and are fully powered by solar energy. These reductions are based on comparisons to UAE standard baselines for buildings of similar size and specifications.

While constructing the buildings, a special mix of concrete was also used to minimise carbon emissions, and the wood used came from sustainable forests.

The institute currently has 41 professors and 170 students from the United Arab Emirates and 32 other nations.

On completion of the second phase of construction, the institute will educate in excess of 600 graduate students with 9 open laboratories, 2 clean rooms, 13 hi-bay laboratories, a 90 seat auditorium, 12 classrooms and 324 student apartments.-TradeArabia News Service