The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) has appointment of Dr Russel C Jones as founding president of the university.

MIST is a key element of the Masdar Initiative, Abu Dhabi's multi-billion dollar, multi-faceted response to the need for a global focus on alternative energy and sustainability.

MIST will be the first graduate-level, research-driven scientific institution in the region, and its role within Masdar will make it unique in the global academic community. The MIST campus will be a centerpiece of the Masdar Zone Development located in the heart of the integrated 'green community' near the Abu Dhabi airport, said an official spokesman.

The Institute will offer master's and doctoral-level degree programmes focused on science and engineering to advance energy and sustainable technologies.

MIST is being developed in cooperation with the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which will leverage its broad international experience to assist Masdar in establishing a sustainable, homegrown academic and scientific research institute.

'The Masdar Institute will turn our vision of a clean energy future into a sustainable reality for the region and the world. The advancement of education and the creation of a research culture is very high on the priority list of Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,' said Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
 
Dr Jones has held a number of distinguished academic leadership positions, most recently president of the University of Delaware, academic vice-president at Boston University and dean of engineering at the University of Massachusetts.

He has also served on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and as executive director of the National Society of Professional Engineers in Washington DC. - TradeArabia News Service