Multidisciplinary research and education is a core value of Masdar Institute. At Masdar, the students have the freedom to take courses from any program outside their own. The graduate students in our group can choose from a large number of graduate-level courses offered at Masdar Institute, with strong relevance to the research activities within our group. The course work is intended not only to equip the students with the fundamentals needed to conduct their research more effectively, but also to gain a wider perspective on subjects with global interest. Examples include courses offered at the Water and Environmental Engineering (WEN), Material Science and Engineering (MSE), Chemical Engineering (CHE), Engineering Systems and Management (ESM), and Mechanical Engineering (MEG) programs at the Institute. A non-comprehensive list of possible courses includes:

WEN504-Desalination (MSc-Level):Introduces the fundamental science and technology of desalinating water to overcome water scarcity and ensure sustainable water supplies. The course covers: (i) Thermal Technologies (Multi Stage Flash [MSF], Multi Effect Distillation [MED] and Vapor Compression [VC]), (ii) Membrane Technologies (Reverse Osmosis [RO], Electro Dialysis [ED], Nano Filtration [NF]), (iii) Future Technologies (Humidification De-humidification, Membrane Distillation [MD], Forward Osmosis [FO]), (iv) Power-Desalination Cogeneration, (v) Pre- & post-treatment, (vi) Alternative driving energies (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Nuclear), (vii) fouling/scaling, corrosion, material used and environmental impacts; and (viii) economics of desalination systems.

WEN614-Sustainable Desalination Processes (PhD/MSc-Level): Introduces key issues related to promoting sustainable desalination operations in today’s desalination industry. The course analyzes developments in the desalination industry using the three elements of sustainability: cost society, and the environment. The course covers: i) environmental impacts of desalination processes, ii) designing safe and sustainable intake and outfall systems for desalination plants, iii) assessing economic feasibility of new desalination processes, iv) evaluation of renewable‐energy powered desalination processes, v) application of membrane distillation in desalination, and vi) recent technological improvements for enhanced desalination processes.

WEN617-Membrane Technology (PhD/MSc-Level): The course will describe in details membrane separation technology and wide range of applications including water treatment and desalination. The course covers: global water shortages and need for membrane technology, Microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane processes and current applications in water treatment. It also describes operational issues, limitations and System Configuration and Design.

WEN613-Advanced Thermal Desalination (PhD/MSc-Level): The course describes the advanced science and technology of thermal desalination processes for fresh water production to overcome water scarcity and ensure sustainable fresh water supplies. It addresses technical and economical parameters of both commercial operating and new technologies. It covers also the recent developments, areas to enhance efficience, reduce water production cost and CO₂ emission. The course covers: i- Techno-economical study and analysis of conventional thermal technologies; MSF, MED and VC, ii- Hybrid, tri Hybrid and Integrated Technologies, iii- New and Promising Future Technologies Analysis (H-DH, MD), iv- Pretreatment and posttreatment systems (NF, UF and FO, NP, and IX), v- Power-Desalination Cogeneration Analysis, vi- Solar Desalination, vii- Nuclear Desalination, viii- Desalination related issues; scale, corrosion, material used and Brine Management and Environmental Impact and viii- Areas of Enhancing Desalination Processes Performance.

MSE516-Imaging of Materials (MSc-Level): Students in this course will study and investigate principles and applications of imaging techniques for materials characterization including transmission and scanning electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. Topics include: electron diffraction; image formation in transmission and scanning electron microscopy; diffraction and phase contrast; imaging of crystals and crystal imperfections; review of the most recent advances in electron microscopy for bio- and nanosciences; analysis of chemical composition and electronic structure at the atomic scale. Lectures are complemented by real-case studies and computer simulations.

ESM608-Sustainable Development: Theory, Research and Policy (PhD/MSc-Level): This course examines alternative conceptions and theoretical underpinnings of the notion of “sustainable development.” It focuses on the sustainability problems of industrial countries (i.e., aging of populations, sustainable consumption, institutional adjustments, etc.); and of developing states and economies in transition (i.e., managing growth, sustainability of production patterns, pressures of population change, etc.). It also explores the sociology of knowledge around sustainability, the economic and technological dimensions and institutional imperatives along with implications for political constitution of economic performance.

MSE510-Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Materials (MSc-Level): Thermal and mechanical properties of various materials such as metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and composites.  Correlations of these properties with: (1) their internal structures (atomic, molecular, crystalline, micro-and macro); (2) processing and; (3) service conditions (mechanical and thermal). Case studies drawn from a variety of real applications including metals and alloys, semiconductor devices, heat storage, energy conversion, thin film technology, biomaterials, and composites.

WEN502- Industrial Ecology (MSc-Level): Quantitative techniques for life cycle analysis of the impacts of materials extraction, processing use, and recycling; and economic analysis of materials processing, products, and markets. Student teams undertake a major case study of an energy related product/process using the latest methods of analysis and computer‐based models of materials process.

ESM 609-Energy and Poverty Solutions (PhD/MSc-Level): This course examines the challenges of reducing poverty within developing communities by promoting improved access to modern energy services. Normative assumptions underlying various definitions and approaches for development are examined, with an emphasis on the human development and capabilities approach as a useful theoretical foundation.  Statistical data and indicators on energy poverty and energy access are critically examined to better understand current global energy needs. Students learn and apply advanced tools and methodologies for localized energy needs assessment, energy planning, and design of integrated energy systems. Throughout the semester, students work in small teams on a structured, in-depth design project that addresses an energy related need for a specific community, and participate in a week-long visit to work with the community on the project. The course is highly interactive and multidisciplinary, and relies heavily on class participation and the successful management of team projects.

ESM611- Technology Strategy (PhD/MSc-Level): Outlines tools for formulating and evaluating technology strategy, including an introduction to the economics of technical change, models of technological evolution, and models of organizational dynamics and innovation. Topics covered include: making money from innovation; competition between technologies and the selection of standards; optimal licensing policies; joint ventures; organization of R&D; and theories of diffusion and adoption. Taught using a combination of readings and case studies.

MEG602-Multiphase Flow in Sub-surface Porous Media (PhD/MSc-Level): The course is focused on the achievement of a clear and rigorous understanding of the fundamental properties, concepts and theories which are of importance in treating storage and multiphase fluid flow in sub-surface porous media, with or without heat transfer, mass transfer, and/or chemical reactions.

MEG603- Computational Fluid Mechanics (PhD/MSc-Level): This course provides engineering applications of computational fluid dynamics with background information on the most common numerical methods; two dimensional in viscid and viscous flows; boundary layer flows; and an introduction to three dimensional flows. Applications will be illustrated utilizing FLUENT code.

ESM620-Analysis for Complex System Networks (PhD/MSc-Level): This course is intended to present Complex Networks from an Engineering Systems point of view building on the System Architecture course. It provides the tools to describe and analyze engineering, social, organizational, biological, and communication, networks.  A large portion of the course is dedicated to quantitative analyses of networks and tools for their visualization. The class will also review the latest research publications in engineering systems network applications.  Particular emphasis will be given to the engineering system grand challenges of today:  health, social-communication, power, transportation, and water.

CHE611-Experimental Techniques/Instrumentation for Catalysis Research (PhD/MSc-Level): Fundamental theories of reaction rates. Determination of rate parameters using various analytical techniques such as UV-VIS, GC, GC-MS, FTIR, etc. Analysis of rate data and complex reaction networks.  Analytical chemistry of catalytic reactions.

CHE620-Advanced Techniques in Molecular Sensing (PhD/MSc-Level): The course focuses on current molecular sensing techniques. Student will be exposed to different molecular sensing techniques including, but not limited to light microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, x-ray spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, analytical centrifugation, and dynamic light scattering. Challenges and opportunities for molecular sensing with different techniques.

MEG611-Multiphase Thermal Fluids in Power and Energy Technologies (PhD/MSc-Level): This course aims to present a state-of-the-art understanding about phase-change phenomena in nature, power and energy industries. It covers different levels of phase-change principles from fundamental liquid-vapor interfacial behavior, to interfacial liquid-vapor transport dynamics, to evaporation and condensation characteristics, and to transient analysis of thermal-fluid cycles. Rigorous mathematical analysis, experimental and numerical videos are given to help students probe complicated multiphase thermal-fluid physics. Vivid examples are introduced to show the importance of advanced thermal-fluid research to power and energy innovation. Students completing this course are able to conduct independent research in this field.

MEG612-Advanced Convection and Two-phase Heat Transfer (PhD/MSc-Level): Advanced treatment of fundamental aspects of convection and 2-phase heat transfer.  Topics covered include: conservation laws, laminar and turbulent convection, mass transfer including phase change and moving boundary problems. Problems and examples include theory and applications drawn from a spectrum of engineering design and manufacturing problems.

MSE640-Advances in investigation of Intermolecular & surface forces (PhD/MSc-Level): Intermolecular forces embrace all forms of matter. This course aims at presenting a comprehensive view of intermolecular and surface forces and the common way to investigate these forces by means of different scanning probe microscopy techniques. The first part of the course will describe the role of such force in determining the properties of simple and complex system. This subject touches on a very broad area of phenomena in physics, chemical engineering and biology. The second part of the course present the fundamentals underlying Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for the investigation of intermolecular and surface forces.

WEN610-Environmental sampling and data analysis (PhD/MSc-Level): This course is intended to present advanced notions in environmental sampling theory and statistical techniques for the analysis of sampled data, to water and environmental scientists to. The course covers such topics as statistical sampling techniques, field sampling design, sample size identification, estimation of the characteristics of the population, identification of hot spots, estimation of spatial patterns, statistical tests, and prediction with data series. A number of real-world case studies are also presented.