17 June 2010
MSc in Intelligent Buildings Design and Automation (IBDAA) to Commence in September Following Demand from Region's Construction Industry

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The British University in Dubai (BUiD), the Middle East's leading research-based postgraduate university, yesterday announced a new Masters degree titled "MSc in Intelligent Building Design and Automation (IBDAA)"

The announcement coincides with the 2010 graduation ceremony, held yesterday under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and Chancellor of BUiD.  With some 79 postgraduate students due to receive their awards today, this is BUiD's largest graduation to date.

"It was a very successful day for BUiD and its students. We have seen yet another successful batch of professionals complete vital post-graduate studies that will be applied to the growth of our nation's economy," said Professor Abdulla Alshamsi, Vice-Chancellor, BUiD.

"In addition, we have reached goals and achieved great success this year by expanding our educational portfolio to meet demand and needs across industry sectors in the UAE. With our new IBDAA programme, we can continue to breed industry leaders within the intelligent construction and design arena," added Alshamsi.

This MSc IBDAA programme is offered in association with UK's Cardiff University and the University of Manchester and aims to educate practicing architects/building physicists in the theory and application of the design of sustainable built environments and automated  control systems for energy efficiency.

The programme will focus on the construction of building infrastructure which incorporates the controls and automation to ensure efficient long-term use of energy during construction and throughout the working life of the building.  The course will also provide students with a thorough understanding of specific tools and techniques in intelligent building design and automation.

For the 2009-2010 graduating class, a majority of students completed Masters programmes in Project Management, Education and Information Technology.

Dissertation topics from BUiD's 2009-2010 graduating class include:

  • The impact of leadership on organisational conflict and turnover in UAE organisations

  • Culture diversity management in the healthcare sector

  • Evaluating the success factors of emiratisation in the banking sector

  • Delay to Projects - cause, effect and measures to reduce /eliminate delay by mitigation / acceleration

  • Sustainable Leadership - The Key to Business Excellence and Innovation

  • Design for outdoor in a hot and dry climate: a study of outdoor thermal comfort in Dubai, UAE

  • Business intelligence implementation challenges in telecommunication industry

The graduation also sees the launch of a book detailing the dissertation abstracts of graduates from 2006-2009, with another for those of the 2009­-2010 graduates, to follow shortly.

BUiD offers Ministry-accredited full and part-time research based Masters Degree programmes, the region's first accredited Doctorate in Education and Continuing Professional Development courses in: Education, Finance and Banking, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, IT Management, Project Management, Systems Engineering, Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, and Sustainable Design of the Built Environment.

Interested applicants for the 2010-2011 intake can apply by calling +971 4 391 3626 or by visiting www.buid.ac.ae.

-Ends-

About The British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) is the Middle East's leading research-based postgraduate university, facilitating world-class education, training and research. It provides an important and growing community and resource for young professionals, leading academic, corporate managers and aspiring leaders of all description.

BUiD, a truly local university, is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and internationally recognised for its top quality education, which is on par with British standards thanks to its association with UK-based universities including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University, King's College London, and the Cass Business School at City University, London. 

BUiD offers full and part-time research based Masters Degree programmes, the regions first accredited Doctorate in Education and Continuing Professional Development courses in: Education, Finance and Banking, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, IT Management, Project Management, Systems Engineering, Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, and Sustainable Design of the Built Environment.

The non-profit university has attracted academic experts to develop regionally tailored programmes, in which they extend and challenge the boundaries of knowledge, understanding and research.

BUiD works in collaboration with leading organization and institutions including Atkins, Emirates Green Council Building, KHDA, Ministry of Education, Dubai Human Resource Forum, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ADCCI) and CIOB among others, to encourage professional development across the UAE's public and private sectors.

The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

For further enquiries contact Nishath Rizwan at BUiD on +971.4.391.3626, www.buid.ac.ae

© Press Release 2010