An increasing demand for electricity in the UAE has sparked government plans to expand into the nuclear energy field. As such the demand for qualified professionals remains strong. With the first of four nuclear power plants in the country set to come online in 2017, the drive to educate a new generation of Emiratis in the nuclear field is well under way.
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), which is developing the country's nuclear energy programme, has set up full scholarship programmes. It has also partnered with the Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research (KUSTAR), the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) and the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) to educate, train and recruit students of the finest calibre who will go on to drive this emerging industry forward.
Why go nuclear?
Given the rapid growth of the UAE, electricity demands increase by 9 per cent every year. The UAE Government is looking into sources of clean energy to sustain the growth, explained Fahd Al Qah'tani, ENEC media relations manager.
"Renewable energy [wind and solar energy] will make up to 7 per cent of UAE's energy production by 2020, while nuclear energy production will make up to 25 per cent by 2020," said Al Qah'tani.
"When the four nuclear power plants are completed they will provide up to 2,300 jobs," he added. "In order for the country to ensure Emiratis lead in this industry we have begun scholarship and training programmes from now."
Al Qah'tani said students who pursue this field have an open career path ahead of them. "The Emiratis we are recruiting now will make the first generation of engineers, operators and technicians. They will have the opportunity to lead, train and teach the next generation. The nuclear energy industry will provide them with long-term career paths."
Drive towards Emiratisation
The nuclear power plants are set to create jobs for engineers, technicians, operators and administrators, among others. "Our target is to have a workforce constituted of 60 per cent Emiratis by 2020," said Al Qah'tani. "We are trying to create a base of Emirati nuclear engineers, operators and technicians to ensure sustainability of the power plants in the future."
Online applications for ENEC's scholarship programmes are set to re-open in April. However, since the launch of its bachelor's and masters scholarships in May 2009, 40 Emirati students — four of them women — have been selected to study at KUSTAR in the UAE and other universities in the UK, US and France.
"Since we launched the scholarship programmes we have received over 1,000 applications, 30 per cent of which were from [Emirati] women," said Al Qah'tani.
He said the response exceeded their expectations. "The students are interested, curious and excited. They realise this is a critical project for the country and they want to be a part of it. They realise it's an opportunity for them to become pioneers," he added.
The pioneers
Sara Zuhair Al Shomali, 18, is one of the first women to be awarded a scholarship by ENEC to enrol for KUSTAR's mechanical engineering programme.
"I applied because it's a new opportunity to be the first in an important field for the country," she said. "Nuclear energy is a clean source of energy and people should look into it… the four power plants will decrease carbon emissions by 15 per cent, although electricity demand will double by 2020."
"I'm proud to be a pioneer and I have many goals," said Ali Al Nuaimi, who is on an ENEC scholarship reading a bachelor degree in nuclear engineering at Pennsylvania State University in the US. "The UAE will now become a leader in this industry, and we need to support that… . [Nuclear energy] is the most clean and efficient energy in the world. It can reduce carbon emissions and the UAE will now become a role model for countries who want to develop civil nuclear energy," he added.
Although not all Emiratis will win places on ENEC's scholarship programmes, they should not despair. Dr Mark Drummond, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Provost, said although scholarships get students' attention, "there is no shortage of training to go around".
Although the HCTs have not yet been engaged in discussions regarding the nuclear energy programme, Drummond said they are anxious to do so. "We are anxious to be part of that discussion… [as] we have strong demand for Emirati students in engineering disciplines," he said.
The HCTs recently admitted more women to its engineering programmes in four campuses, including the one in Fujairah. With the locations of the nuclear power plants as yet undecided, it could potentially serve to curb unemployment in such areas, Drummond added.
"This [the new plants] will give opportunities for our graduates to stay locally which will be good if that's the case [the plants are built in various locations], because there will be real opportunities for good jobs in those areas," he said.
For more information to start your career in nuclear engineering visit:http://www.enec.gov.ae/careers-scholarships
