ADWEA and Masdar Institute Sign Scholarship Co-operation Agreement

Agreement to Strengthen Human Capital Development and Enable Sharing of Knowledge, Expertise and Technology

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 20 October, 2013 – The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), a leading government organization in the UAE providing a sustainable supply of water and power to support the growth of Abu Dhabi, and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced they have signed an agreement, officially expanding the strategic collaboration to jointly contribute to human capital development.

The agreement formalizes the terms and conditions upon which ADWEA Scholars will be sourced, admitted, supported, funded and supervised for post-graduate courses at Masdar Institute.

His Excellency Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, Director-General, ADWEA, was present at the signing ceremony. The agreement was signed by Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, and His Excellency Faris Obaid Al Dhaheri, Business Support Director, ADWEA.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh said: “We are delighted to enter into a scholarship agreement with ADWEA, one of our key stakeholders who collaborate with us in several research projects. The expertise offered by our globally-renowned faculty serves as the guiding force that enables students to work towards breakthrough innovations. With the support of the country's leadership, we continue to strengthen our capabilities for providing higher learning opportunities, more importantly in energy and water-related research. We hope the program will prove to be immensely beneficial to UAE nationals within the ADWEA Group.”

His Excellency Faris Obaid Al Dhaheri said: “The scholarship agreement is designed to create learning opportunities for our national employees and enhance their skill set through post-graduate study, including Master's and Doctoral programs. In addition to ADWEA Scholarship Program, we believe this agreement will further expand ADWEA's contribution and commitment to human capital and knowledge development – one of the fundamentals of Abu Dhabi's Vision 2030 plan.”

The ADWEA Scholarship Program recognizes the need to encourage UAE nationals to pursue postgraduate qualifications, with a special focus on water and power. It offers valuable opportunities for UAE national employees, directors and officers of the ADWEA Group to continue with their postgraduate qualifications.

Since its inception, a total of 425 students have benefited from the Scholarship program. ADWEA Group also grants tuition assistance and study leave to qualified employees in order to allow them to continue their educational pursuits while maintaining their present employment status. The current scholarship agreement with Masdar Institute aims to further widen the scope of opportunities available to the employees.

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.