Khalifa University expands its PhD in Engineering Program with five new specializations

Press release

Published September 30th, 2012 - 05:19 GMT

Al Bawaba

Khalifa University announced today that it has been approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to offer five new fields of specialization under its PhD in Engineering program. The new PhD specializations include: Mechanical, Aerospace, Nuclear, Biomedical Engineering and Robotics. Khalifa University was the first University in the UAE to offer a PhD in Engineering program and these new specializations add to the existing specializations in Communication, Computer and Electronic Engineering.

The additional specializations will enable Khalifa University students to select from a much broader range of PhD areas of studies – all of which are critical to the development of human capital in fields that have been specifically targeted by Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision.

“Khalifa University is actively engaged with external partners that are shaping the future of the UAE economy. Our discussions with these partners have identified the need for highly specialized PhD-level education. These programs have become increasingly necessary to build a resilient and sustainable knowledge economy, which is a vital part of achieving Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision” said Dr. Tod Laursen, President of Khalifa University.

“It is deeply gratifying to receive formal approval to add these additional specializations to the existing PhD program in Engineering,” remarked Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Khalifa University’s Senior Vice President for Research and Development. “These new PhD specializations will make important contributions towards the expansion and diversification of the UAE economy into critical knowledge-intensive industries.”

He continued, “This makes our program unique as students will now have the option to either concentrate their studies in one of this rich set of specializations or they may opt to do a generic PhD that spans more than one specialization. This multidisciplinary approach to PhD studies is at the forefront of graduate education”.

Khalifa University currently enrolls over 1,227 students, with more than 80 percent of its students being UAE nationals. It enrolls a total of 22 PhD students, with expectations to grow this number in the next few years.

Background Information

Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research

The newly-established Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KU) combines the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MI), the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) and the Petroleum Institute (PI) into one world-class, research-intensive institution, seamlessly integrating research and education to produce world leaders and critical thinkers in applied science and engineering. Khalifa University endeavors to be a leader among research intensive universities of the 21st century, while catalyzing the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s rapidly developing knowledge economy.