An initiative sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Cairo, TIEC’s Egypt University Partnerships Accelerator (UPA) provided a platform for faculty and administrators from TIEC member universities and Egyptian institutions to share innovations and current research at their universities in the field of renewable energy, laying the groundwork for future collaborations between Egypt and Texas.
The program started with a series of virtual seminars this spring, followed by an in-person exchange in Texas by six faculty members representing six universities in Egypt. The visit included:
- Networking and learning at Rice University, renowned for its applied science programs and its Center for Energy Studies was ranked the #1 energy & resource policy think tank in 2019.
- Joining the University of Houston engineering faculty and global engagement staff, to share renewable energy research- particularly hydrogen and wind energy, and to discuss current models of partnership at UH. The university has 10 energy-related colleges, 46 graduate and professional programs in energy, and 37 energy research centers.
- At the University of Texas, the #1 energy research campus in Texas, the delegation met three departments showcasing the interdisciplinary nature and impact of energy, including the Center for Electromechanics, the Energy Institute, and the Walker Department for Mechanical Engineering. During these meetings, research surrounding hydrogen, carbon capture, and the energy transition were presented.
- Several opportunities for partnership and collaboration ensued from the delegation’s visit to Texas Tech University including considerations of joint research proposals on wind or solar energy, faculty exchange, student externships and co-supervision of Ph.D. candidates. Texas Tech is the only university in the U.S. with a doctoral program in wind energy and the tour included the National Wind Institute, the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility, and the Oilfield Technology Center.
- Tours and round table discussions at Texas A&M Energy Institute (TAMEI) where the delegation was hosted by Jeff Sammons, Associate Executive Director of TAMEI. The Energy Institute brought forth its approach of crossing departmental and college boundaries to address all facets of the energy landscape, which naturally connect engineering, sciences, technologies, economics, law, and policy.
As a product of the delegation visit, a joint proposal was developed between the participating Egyptian faculty and Texas A&M Energy Institute to showcase faculty and student research at COP27 (UNFCCC’s Conference of the Parties), which was to be held in Egypt in November of the same year. Upon acceptance of the joint proposal, TAMEI faculty and students joined their university counterparts in Egypt for their official side event in the Green Zone, The Climate and Energy Impact Showcase. The showcase provided a platform for students and faculty to share their research in renewable energy and a tangible reason to continue the collaboration that started during the visit to Texas.
Throughout the showcase, students and faculty spoke about innovative technologies and pathways for achieving zero-carbon emissions, combating climate change, promoting energy equity, ensuring water and food security, and sustaining agricultural and energy production worldwide. Speakers discussed energy-transition solutions related to low-carbon or decarbonized energy production; alternative dense-energy carriers; the effects of technology advancements on disadvantaged or energy-poor communities; and the potential tradeoffs associated with new innovations and their impacts on the environment, sustainability, and the future of energy.
The Climate and Energy Impact Showcase was created as a product of the TIEC University Partnerships Accelerator program and revealed the impact an in-person exchange can create. The event was attended by five of the six participating Egyptian universities, TIEC, TAMUEI, and Greentown Labs. Participating universities included Texas A&M University, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, Assiut University, Badr University, Cairo University, Galala University, Alexandria University, and Suez Canal University in Egypt.