Ain Shams and Mansoura Engineering Students Explore Innovative Energy Technologies through ASU Exchange

The fall 2024 student cohort from Egypt’s Ain Shams and Mansoura universities has just wrapped up an intensive semester of study and research at Arizona State University, or ASU, showcasing academic excellence and international collaboration through the USAID Center of Excellence for Energy, or COE/E, Student Exchange Program. The students excelled academically while developing technical skills in renewable energy and power generation.

 

“The net-zero Egypt 2050 project at the end of the Energy Transition course opened my eyes to my own country’s energy landscape,” shared graduate student Mohamed Abdelgalil, who secured a research scholarship to continue at ASU. “Understanding the integration challenges of various renewable technologies, from solar thermal to nuclear, has been invaluable. It showed me exactly what it will take to decarbonize Egypt’s economy by mid-century.”

 

COE/E provided hands-on technical training with innovative energy technologies. Students toured ASU’s Deng Renewable Energy and Advanced Materials Laboratory (DREAM Lab), where Professor Shuguang Deng showed them how he and his research team are producing biofuel from biomass and testing catalysts that streamline production. At First Solar’s testing lab and solar panel field in Mesa, Arizona, students witnessed photovoltaic technology in action and learned specialized testing procedures for solar panel quality assurance.

 

Several students manufactured solar cells under the guidance of ASU Assistant Professor Nick Rolston in an advanced workshop at the Solar Fab ASU Core Facility, gaining practical experience in semiconductor processing and photovoltaic device fabrication.

 

The journey continued at ASU’s Combined Heat and Power Facility, where students observed advanced trigeneration systems that integrate cooling, heating, and electricity generation, supplying 15% of ASU’s Tempe campus energy needs. They also examined the integration of conventional power generation with renewable energy systems at the Salt River Project’s Agua Fria Generating Station, including a 100MWh Tesla Megapack facility, which developed their understanding of grid-scale energy storage solutions.

 

Graduate student Nada Mostafa attended the 2024 MIT Sustainability Summit, participating in workshops on emerging energy technologies and sustainable infrastructure. She joined research discussions at Harvard University about energy transition in developing economies. “I understood how concepts such as sustainability and circular economy can transform communities,” she noted.

 

The program’s integration of cultural experiences with technical training proved particularly effective, offering students invaluable cultural insights. Students visited the Heard Museum to learn about indigenous approaches to sustainable resource management and traveled to Washington, D.C., to explore U.S. policy and historical landmarks.

 

During their visit to Northern Arizona University, or NAU, the cohort engaged with advanced engineering applications, participating in demonstrations of computer-aided design programming and cement 3D printing.

 

The program had a profound impact on building students’ technical skills. They mastered advanced energy system modeling, photovoltaic device characterization, and power systems integration – expertise that directly aligns with the Center’s goals of building technical capacity in Egypt’s energy sector and driving sustainable development through advanced engineering education and research.

 

The semester concluded with a visit to the Grand Canyon, offering perspectives on geological time scales and natural resource management. The future energy engineers of Egypt had successfully balanced technical skill development with broader cultural understanding, preparing to address complex energy challenges back in their home country.

 

“My exchange experience at ASU was truly life-changing. I not only learned a lot about energy and sustainability but also grew on a personal level. The new culture, diverse people, and various challenges helped me become more confident and adaptable,” expressed Ziad Oraby, an undergraduate from Ain Shams University.
 

 

For more information on the Student Exchange Program and other training activities, visit the Center of Excellence for Energy.