Abdalla Abdelghani is pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering and is interested in energy research. He is interested in pursuing a career in energy engineering because he wants to be a “pioneer in the energy field and [knows that] that field will help the Egyptian economy.”

He started his journey in the faculty of engineering at Aswan University in 2019. He said, the first year was difficult, but over time he adapted and earned excellent grades.

In 2022, he learned about an internship opportunity through the USAID-funded Center of Excellence for Energy, which he thought was “a great opportunity to learn new topics about renewable energy.” He spent two weeks of the internship at Ain Shams University learning in their energy laboratories, and affiliated training spaces, getting hands-on experience in photovoltaic and wind energy. This was followed by a day at Schneider electric company, an industry partner of the center.

Abdalla says this internship helped him gain the practical experience required for his career after graduation. He also is grateful to have exposure to their company culture and procedures through this experience.

He says his work with the Center of Excellence for Energy “increased his knowledge about energy not only in the technical region, but also in marketing.” He thinks the work the center is doing is important because “it contributes to solutions in the energy field” and offers training to students in the field.

Due to this internship, he has decided to also take courses in battery management system applying that knowledge in the field of electrical vehicles as well as courses in power electronics.

The Center of Excellence for Energy encourages students to engage in practical trainings such as the workshops and internship opportunities they offer as well as applied research. Through these opportunities, they will gain practical work experience to complement their theoretical learning. In addition, they may make connections with professionals in the energy sector industry and government.