NUST
has launched a Centre for Energy Systems early this year to provide a pivot to
NUST Institutions involved in energy sector programs and to support and
consolidate the various activities/projects, which make good sense for scalable
and sustainable operations with a view to contribute to industry and national
economy in times of energy crisis. Salient features of the Center are
summarized below.
The objective of the centre is to introduce and consolidate new programs,
especially national projects that can be directly integrated with larger
initiatives in the country. Biofuels from energy crops (non edible) and coal
gasification and conversion to high quality motor fuel are relevant examples.
Goals
of Center include increasing the number of highly qualified and award winning
tenure track faculty at NUST, assembling an outstanding additional pool of
science and engineering regular research faculty with relevant expertise in the
form of visiting industrial chairs, and attracting the best and brightest
students to NUST focused on energy related and environmental sciences and
research. This critical mass and intellectual capital will greatly enhance our
range of expertise, educational programs, research capabilities, the potential
of increasing rapid development of additional breakthrough technologies
activities, the long term research and educational activities in energy and
environmentally-related discipline, the ability to propel our current research
strength to the next level, and the ability to form a focus area for University
research in all fields, including those outside of the sciences and
engineering. The expertise sought will be at the highest levels in science and
engineering because outstanding scientists and engineers will be attracted to
highly sought chairs and professorship positions. These new faculty will help
educate increasing numbers of students to deal with the immanent workforce
crisis in the energy fields.
Furthermore, the energy center will be developed to enhance
innovation, cross discipline partnership, and transfer of technology in fields
related to conventional and unconventional fossils fuels, biofuels, and
alternative energy technology development. The center will incorporate existing
institutes to this core mission and enhance their strength by adding highly
qualified faculty, research scientists, collaborating industry chairs and
additional sophisticated research labs. Collaborative industry-academic
partnerships will achieve technological breakthrough developments by conducting
energy related research to congregate local and global needs.
The center will focus on meeting advanced research needs of the energy industry
through expansion of research activities, joint industry academic research and
technology development, flexibility in intellectual property agreements and
additional graduate student fellowships. It will work as an international
knowledge harbinger to prop up the information exchange of energy ideas and
technology developments. Educational and research activities will engage energy
companies and academic & Government organizations to associate with
research groups and project teams at the National University of Sciences &
Technology(NUST). Such partnerships will solve pressing front line research
problems and engage in long term high risk research projects important to our
energy future.