AUS Faculty Workshop on Renewable Energy Education and Research: Addressing the Need of Industry

Summary and Objectives

The Renewable Energy Research Center (RERC) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) is proud to host the First Faculty Workshop on Renewable Energy Education and Research: Addressing the Need of Industry (FW-REER’18) in Sharjah, UAE.

The objective of the proposed two-day workshop is to discuss current and future renewable energy education and research activities that address the need of the energy industrial sectors while offering efficient energy sustainability. The workshop will discuss the recent development made in the renewable sources, energy efficiency and conversion and how such topics can be integrated in the electrical engineering curriculum to enhance the knowledge of power engineers. In addition, possible joint research collaboration between industry and university will be addressed.

The workshop will focus on renewable energy course requirements in different curricula while identifying new topics that must be integrated to fit the major developments in the energy sector. This is achieved by providing an opportunity to many experts from both academia and industry and students to share their experiences in the energy field, especially renewable sources, energy efficiency and conversion. This will enable the participants to reach a consensus on global energy curricula.

The workshop will also address the implementation of  laboratories accompanying the energy courses to enhance the practical accepts as well as to boost the learning process and to induce critical thinking for better energy solutions. In addition, recent research and development issues in the energy sector will be presented while exploring possible international collaboration. The second day will highlight the importance of upgrading the skills of current engineers to meet the new and current energy developments through lifelong learning. Finally, recommendations from industrial and academic representatives will take place.

Intellectual Merit

Intellectual merit of the proposed workshop centers on the need to engage dialogue on renewable energy education and research activities between experts in the Gulf region and the near countries and the US and European experts, and explore possible joint research collaboration between the different sides. This is timely in light of the increasing pressures of globalization in the engineering profession.

Broader Impact

The broader impact of the proposed workshop is develop a better understanding of the curriculum changes when it comes to teaching renewable energy systems from different prospective. New course materials and laboratory experiments will be outlined and distributed to universities in the Middle East. The workshop will pay attention to ways to promote the ever increasing need for engineers focusing on energy, in particular renewable sources, energy efficiency and conversion, hence, ideas for recruiting, retaining and mentoring undergraduate students, graduate students and young faculty in these areas will be discussed.

Faculty and Student Participation

We propose to have invited speakers from Europe and the US, in addition to graduate students, who over the course of the workshop will present diverse research and educational activities in the renewable energy field. It is expected that during the final day of the workshop, possible future research collaboration between industry and universities in the region will be explored and identified.

The Need for the Workshop in the UAE

The host institution (AUS) has unique experience in energy and educational activities, and has strong commitment to bring expertise from the US and elsewhere. This proposed workshop calls for a joint collaboration between several energy faculty in the US, Europe and the Gulf area. The PIs are proposing to organize a workshop with emphasis on curriculum development, laboratory teaching, interactive and lifelong learning in the energy area.

AUS, as in the past, should continue to take the lead in organizing such workshops, especially at the international level. This workshop allows all sides to establish joint collaboration in renewable energy education development and research to enhance the worldwide industrial energy sector.

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