Second Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholar to graduate June 4

Abu Dhabi (WAM): The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the Toyota Motor Corporation yesterday jointly announced that the second Masdar Institute-Toyota scholar will successfully complete his two-year programme this week. The Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship was established from the prize money Toyota received in 2010 after winning the Zayed Future Energy Prize for its innovative hybrid Prius. The scholarship is designed to promote opportunities for students to work on projects in the area of technologies for sustainable development. Edgar E. Samano Baca, from the Masdar Institute Engineering Systems and Management programme, will be completing the program this year on his graduation day. In addition to the standard Masdar Institute benefits, scholarship recipients are provided with a special two-week 'Japan Experience' arranged by Toyota. Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative of Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said, "Edgar spent his Japan Experience learning about how closely sustainability is integrated into every aspect of Japanese social and work culture. We hope he will use this experience for future research and to develop innovative solutions with the academic capabilities he has gained at Masdar Institute. We wish him the best." Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said, "The second Masdar Institute-Toyota scholar has also proved his mettle as a Masdar Institute student through his close involvement in the research project. We congratulate him on his accomplishments and thank the U.A.E. leadership for supporting us in our human capital development efforts. We also thank Toyota for their contribution and wish Edgar Samano Baca good luck." Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability, Masdar, and Director of Zayed Future Energy Prize, said, "We are delighted to congratulate Edgar Samano Baca. The Zayed Future Energy Prize is proud to have contributed to creating a future energy leader and we hope to continue our contribution to driving innovation in clean energy through supporting talented students." As the 2014 Toyota scholar, Baca participated in a research project that studied the effect of passive shading on the productivity of urban residents. – Emirates News Agency, WAM