Seven Select Students Leave for Japan for Eight-Week Internship Coordinated by Japan International Cooperation Center

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 21May, 2013 -Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced five major Japanese corporations are offering eight-week summer internships to UAE national students in Japanfor the second successive year.

Seven UAE national students selected from four Master's programs - Engineering System and Management, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Power Engineering and Microsystems Engineering - are participating in this internship that runs until July 19. The internships are being coordinated by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), and supported by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

The first two 'Foundation'weeks will include intensive classes for the Japanese language, culture, and basic information. They will then go to their respective companies for five weeks with a final week reserved for meetings that will includea JICE review of the internship process and companies. JICE is also expected to take the students ona number of cultural and work-related field-trips throughout Japan.

Ms. Sachiko Yamano, President of JICE, said: "The second annual internships offered at five Japanese corporations will enable the students to understand the latest technologies in their respective fields. We hope the students will find the language classes, business etiquette, practices and cultural field-trips encouraging for better interaction with company officials during the internship. We welcome the UAE national students from Masdar Institute to Japan and hope they will have a productive learning experience throughout their eight-week stay."

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: "The students will intern with the major Japanese companies to learn the latest technology in their areas of study, acting as instruments of knowledge transfer. With the support of the UAE's leadership, Masdar Institute continues to create additional learning opportunities overseas for the students through the JICE internship. We hope the students will gain fresh insights during their stay in Japan and bring back clean technology expertise that will further contribute to the country's economic growth."

Two UAE national students Mohamed Al Musharrekh and Iman Ustadi will intern with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD, (MHI), while Abdulla Al Shammari will do his internship at Chiyoda Corporation. JGC Corporation will host Jasem Al Hammadi and Majed Al Marzouqi as interns, while Hitachi, Ltd., Infrastructure Systems Company will have Hasan Alhashmi for the internship program. Ahmed Mukhayer will spend the summer interning with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Iman Ustadi said: "As a research assistant at Masdar Institute, I believe that the value of my research will not be sharpened without the collaboration of an industry major. Therefore, I believe that being an intern at one of these big companies such as Mitsubishi will definitely add value to mycurrent research.I have always been fascinated about the unique lifestyle of the Japanese people and I will try to position myself as an ambassador for my country, my academic institution and personally, for myself."

Mohamed Al Musharrekh said: "The Japan internship is a unique opportunity that gives me the chance to learn more about the latest technologies in desalination and waste recycling and work towards transferring the knowhowat a later stage to the UAE. Another objective is to learn about the culture and to represent the Masdar Institute students in Japan."

Jasem Al Hammadi, a student of Engineering System and Management, aims to focus more on the development and management of technologies in building smart and green communities, as well as a strong and sustainable infrastructure that are essentialin these fields.

He said: "I am keen to experience the productive and unique Japanese 'working style', learn about the Japanese business and management model, and how different it is compared to the UAE. Also, I expect to learn more about the Japanese's popular culture and the tradition, education, manners, etiquette, food, and modern urban life. Moreover, I am looking forward to learn the Japanese language and interactwith new people and my peersin Japan."

During the internship, Mohamed Al Musharrekh and Iman Ustadi will learn the concept of integrated waste treatment systems in Japan and run the 'Model &Simulation' to find out the best solution of waste treatment in the region. This program is offered at MitsubishiHeavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co.,Ltd., a subsidiary of MHI.

Abdulla Al Shammari, who interns with Chiyoda Corporation'sGreen Infrastructure Project Unit, will learn the technology and the policy in the fields of solar energy suchas PV and CSP projects. The Unit is in charge of social infrastructure andindustrial facility projects. Jasem Al HammadiandMajed Al Marzouqi will learn the technologyatJGC Corporation's department that is in charge of development and promotion of business and technology in the fields of CO2capture, renewable energy, biomass, coal,environmental protection, energy saving and smart community.

At Hitachi, Ltd., Infrastructure Systems Company, Hasan Alhashmi will learn about bio plastics polymerization process design,experiments for process development by using pilot facility, plant design, and mass and heat balance calculation, as well ascell culture tank design. He will aim to gain an understanding of the operations of a pharmaceutical plant,the scaling up technique of culture tank by using CFD, and possibly thetrial run of real plant.

Ahmed Mukhayer who will intern with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will seek to understand the development of water quality management using ozone in order to apply in water heaters, refrigerators and atwater purification plants.

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar's core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi's knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity's toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.

-Ends-

About Masdar Institute
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Masdar Institute) was established by the government of Abu Dhabi as a not-for-profit, private graduate university to develop indigenous R&D capacity in Abu Dhabi addressing issues of importance to the region.

In collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute has developed an academic and research platform that articulates its mission and vision according to critical energy and sustainability challenges.

An important characteristic of Masdar Institute is its focus on complex real-world problems that require a multidisciplinary approach for the development of solutions from an integrated technology, systems and policy perspective. This multi-interdisciplinary and integrated approach is supported by the structure of its academic programs and by the emphasis placed on engaging external partners from industry, government, and other academic institutions in collaborative activities.

Masdar Institute offers degrees in:

  • MSc Engineering Systems and Management
  • MSc Computing and Information Science
  • MSc Materials Science and Engineering
  • MSc Mechanical Engineering
  • MSc Water and Environmental Engineering
  • MSc Microsystems Engineering
  • MSc Electrical Power Engineering
  • MSc Chemical Engineering

Please visit our website www.masdar.ac.ae/

For more information contact:
Bader Al Zarei
Director - Communications
Public Affairs Department
Email: balzarei@masdar.ac.ae 
Phone: +971 02 8109372

© Press Release 2013