Scholarships for Bachelor Degrees in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering - RIT DUBAI

Dubai, UAE: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is providing full scholarships to Emirati Nationals to get bachelor’s degrees in electrical or mechanical engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai (RIT Dubai). The move is part of DEWA’s scholarship programme to develop UAE National workforce, in support of the UAE Vision 2021.

“The move is aligned to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to support and develop skilled UAE nationals. It also supports the UAE National Agenda to develop the capabilities of Emirati employees. These scholarships will reflect positively on academic performance and professional excellence, in line with our strategy to enhance Emiratisation, and develop a reliable National workforce to enhance specialised workforce in government organisations,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA constantly develops and improves educational and training plans and programmes in order to provide job opportunities for UAE Nationals. DEWA has achieved excellent results in Emiratising the workforce with 80.44% of UAE Nationals in senior management in the first quarter of 2014, another 42.4% in middle management, and 30.94% in non-supervisory positions,” added Al Tayer.

“The scholarship programme supports the Emirati workforce and prepares them for their careers. This initiative is part of DEWA’s integrated strategy to enhance Emiratisation, provide scholarships, support students to complete their academic studies in the UAE and abroad, and establish a solid base of skilled Emiratis who are able to continue and enhance DEWA’s success,” said Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA.

“It is one of the missions of RIT Dubai to build human capacity in the UAE in vital areas including sustainability, energy efficiency, smart cities, service leadership and sustainable environment. Having close interactions with leading entities such as DEWA is critical to succeed in achieving the goals of the UAE Vision 2021. DEWA has always been a leader in supporting universities’ initiatives to build a complete ecosystem of qualified National workforce in the UAE,” said Dr. Yousef Al Assaf, President of RIT Dubai.

The campus, located in Dubai Silicon Oasis, houses two main research centres for its engineering students: the Energy & Sustainability Centre and the Mechatronics Laboratory. The focus of this program is on energy sustainability and efficiency in the UAE and the rest of the world.

“The necessary paradigm shift in the source of the energy we use and how we use it represents a truly global challenge, and our group, part of the worldwide network of expertise that Rochester Institute of Technology embodies and represents, is uniquely positioned to accept this challenge,” said Dr. Wa’el Abdel Samad, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at RIT Dubai.

DEWA’s Emiratisation includes launching ambitious programmes to train and prepare Emiratis to enter the technical fields in this vitally significant sector. The scholarship programme offered is subject to the rules, regulations, and scholarship procedures adopted at DEWA. To qualify for the scholarship, a student’s high school rate must be 80%, at least. After completing their bachelor’s degrees at RIT Dubai, scholarship recipients will be hired in engineering positions at DEWA where they will receive competitive packages.

RIT Dubai has recently stirred global interest as students from the mechanical engineering department won first prize at the prestigious Engineering Students Renewable Energy Competition (ESREC). Participation in such events helps RIT Dubai increase students’ awareness about important issues such as global warming and sustainable environments. Furthermore, RIT Dubai is planning to introduce a master’s degree in smart city sciences in association with Dubai Silicon Oasis and the esteemed Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM) in Spain.

RIT Dubai is proud to support Dubai’s initiatives to become a smart city over the next few years and look forward to the impact these innovations will have on the community and the world. This public-private endeavour is emblematic of the interdisciplinary thinking RIT Dubai aims to foster in its students so that they, too, may go forth and improve their world with a combination of creative thinking and leading-edge technology.

In today’s globalised and highly competitive world, the need for a universally recognised degree has become increasingly important, and provides UAE nationals with an important advantage as they graduate with an American diploma that is accredited by the U.A.E. Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. RIT has a long history of academic excellence, including one of the largest cooperative education programmes in the world, and prepares students for successful careers in a global society.

Students can learn about RIT and its academic programmes on its website www.rit.edu/dubai/