The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, and Toyota Motor Corporation, the world’s leading automotive manufacturer today signed a deal to set up Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship Program for conducting research on the advancement of low-carbon emission vehicle technologies.

According to the agreement, Toyota, winner of the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2010, will use the US$1.5 million prize fund to establish a scholarship program for 10 students. One student will be selected for each academic year and the scholarship includes a two-week trip to Japan.

The annual scholarships will be offered to highly-qualified graduate students from around the world to work on projects in the area of technologies for sustainable development.

On behalf of each party, Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative, The Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology attended a signing ceremony at the Masdar Institute stand at the World Future Energy Summit 2012 in Abu Dhabi today. The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Masdar Institute, and Director-General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize.

Makoto Kitamura, Grand Master of Toyota’s Middle East & North Africa Representative office, and Eigo Yamamoto, Sales & Marketing Manager, Toyota, were also present at the ceremony, in addition to Dr Steve Griffiths, Executive Director, Institute Initiatives, and Dr Youssef Shatilla, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Masdar Institute.

Organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, WFES 2012 opened on 16 January at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The world’s most influential leaders in renewable energy, including heads of state, policy makers, government officials, business leaders, and academics, have convened in Abu Dhabi, the emerging global hub for renewable energy, to discuss, promote and debate the challenges and solutions of the world’s energy requirements.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director-General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: “This substantive partnership between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Masdar Institute sits at the heart of what the Zayed Future Energy Prize has set to achieve. In merely two years, the Prize has taken its rightful place as a catalyst for expediting innovation around the world.

“The scholarships funded by Toyota will serve to ensure that these scholars will benefit from a rich, academic, research-driven environment where they will be able to pursue the development of cutting-edge technologies.”

Talented students selected to receive Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship will write their final Master’s degree thesis on a sustainable mobility topic such as product development or technology strategy. Each student with the scholarship will have a supervisor at Masdar Institute who will closely monitor and support the student’s studies and Master’s thesis work.

In addition, each student will spend two weeks at Toyota Motor Corporation and other sites in Japan, learning about the company’s efforts to develop cutting-edge low emission vehicle technologies and also Japanese industries’ efforts in realizing simultaneously economic growth and environmental preservation.

Nobuyuki Negishi said: “Toyota recognizes the importance of global sustainability and implements several programs across various platforms to engage with the community. Masdar Institute is one of the leading research-oriented academic institutions that constantly engage with the youth to develop and implement clean energy technologies. We are honored to establish this scholarship program at Masdar Institute that will create the right environment for students to conduct their research and achieve breakthrough in bringing new energy technologies for everyday use.”

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh said: “The establishment of Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship Program takes us another step forward in facilitating research in key sustainable technology areas that remain one of the cornerstones of our academic activities. Signing the deal with a global automobile leader such as Toyota further strengthens our status as a world-class institution that aims to nurture students and develop them into capable energy leaders of tomorrow. We are delighted to enter into this arrangement that will contribute to the advancement of low-carbon emission vehicle technologies.”

Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship Program and its benefits are subject to the student maintaining a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) as determined by Masdar Institute and satisfactory progress on their research. The scholarship will be offered to talented students qualified to meet Masdar Institute’s admission standards which include appropriate TOEFL score, GRE and an excellent CGPA from a recognized university.

Students will divide their time between class work and research in one of Masdar Institute’s Master of Science (MSc) programs including Electrical Power Engineering, Engineering Systems and Management, Computing and Information Science, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Engineering and Water and Environmental Engineering.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize, managed by Masdar, seeks to identify, recognize and reward innovation, leadership, long-term vision and impact on renewable energy and sustainability. It seeks to encourage the many solutions and technologies, which are helping to create a new, sustainable energy future that could change the world.

Located at the heart of the home-grown research and development community at Masdar City, Masdar Institute is an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies. It already has existing arrangements with leading global corporations for conducting research in renewable energy and sustainable technology areas.

 

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