EPFL Middle East – Ras Al Khaimah

EPFL Middle East is a pioneering research center based in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE which converges graduate and postgraduate research in the field of Energy and sustainability. EPFL Middle East was created under the patronage of His Highness, Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras al Khaimah, and was inaugurated along with the then President of the Swiss Federal Government, His Excellency Mr. Pascal Couchepin in May 2009.

EPFL Middle East embodies the shared vision of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah and of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). It is an expression of the pioneering and defining foresight of His Highness, Sheikh Saud and the Swiss Authorities who view scientific research and innovation as the primary factor of value creation and economic development. Transitioning to a knowledge-based economy is thus an essential investment, in a world where the prosperity of tomorrow is increasingly defined and predicted by the number and quality of our graduates today.

From a scientific perspective, Ras Al Khaimah and the UAE is an ideal location for focused research on the most important global challenges of this century: renewable energy, water and energy security, sustainable urban environment and clean technologies. Scientific advances and technological innovations in these domains are key enabling factors of our future development. They constitute a clear competitive advantage and present us with the opportunity to reach out in addressing very pressing and increasingly important realities of climate change, enhanced urbanization, energy demand, plus land and water use. Preparing highly-skilled scientists and leaders of tomorrow, is a task we must embark on today, if our younger and future generations are to be inspired by their past, and confident in their future.