Careers in Sustainability: Passion is the Key (October 2023)

The College of Engineering in collaboration with the Women in Engineering Committee is hosting the Careers in Sustainability seminar targeting university students in the UAE and seeking to introduce them to diverse career opportunities within the fields of sustainability. This initiative will dive deeper into the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and will reflect the UAE's vision to diversify and enhance the quality of the labor market by encouraging youth in the UAE to pursue careers relevant to sustainability, ultimately leading to green jobs and a greener economy.

Key Highlights

• Guiding Career Choices: The aim is to assist university students in making informed decisions about their university degrees and programs by showcasing various careers in sustainability. They will be provided with firsthand insights that will help them choose paths that align with their passion for sustainability and contribute positively to the environment.
• Advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): This initiative aims to inspire students to dedicate their academic pursuits and future careers to finding solutions for sustainability challenges. By nurturing a generation of passionate sustainability advocates, we hope to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs on a local and global scale.

The seminar will be moderated by Maha AlShehhi and Sara Almazmi, Members of the Sustainable Development Youth Council in the UAE. The guest speakers include Amal Al Ahmadi and Mayyas Al Salman.

Amal Al Ahmadi is the Head of the Research and Development Section at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and she also manages the UAE’s Food Security file. She is a geneticist and a public policy expert in food security and in science and technology. She received her bachelor's in biology from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and her master's in molecular genetics from the University of Leicester in the UK. In addition, she has a second master's degree in public policy in science and technology from the Mohamed Bin Rashid School of Government, which further bridged her extensive background in research and her work experience. She has worked extensively on many key UAE strategies and policies, and one of her main goals and passion is to bridge data-driven science with high-impact policies.

Mayyas Al Salman is a Senior Low Voltage Solar Design Engineer at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and a member of Shams Dubai team. She is a certified solar PV expert with experience in evaluating solar design applications. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering from the University of Sharjah and a Master of Science in Engineering Systems Management from AUS. In addition, she graduated from Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, which aided in expanding her sustainability horizons. She contributes to the promotion of solar energy by imparting her knowledge to contractors, enabling them to attain solar photovoltaic certification. She is on a mission to drive towards sustainability as she has made valuable contributions to showcase DEWA’s sustainable projects at prominent events.

The seminar will also feature faculty from the Women in Engineering Committee, who will be showcasing their research in sustainability.

For more information, contact [email protected].