15 Members of Masdar Institute's YFEL program to attend inaugural AFEF 2012 at Singapore International Energy Week

To be held from 22 - 24 October, AFEF is a world-class platform for the promotion of leading-edge sustainable energy governance, business, investment, finance, and technology that enable smart delivery of clean energy solutions. Part of the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2012, AFEF is also the leading global energy event.

The YFEL members, meticulously selected through a study case competition that had stringent selection criteria, will be accompanied by Sara Al Junaibi, Outreach Officer at Masdar Institute. AFEF, organized in association with Masdar, is part of a collaborative initiative to bring the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) experience internationally to Asia. The future energy forum is an international event that began in Europe and now comes for the first time to Singapore in Asia.

The schedule for the YFEL members in Singapore includes visits to a research-based successful business venture, academic institutions and networking with energy industry leaders. A meeting and a luncheon event at the Masdar booth will enable them to network with international students from 12 different educational institutions in Singapore. They will later visit Visenti, a recent spin-off from highly innovative and successful research at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) that is focused on supporting utility companies in monitoring their infrastructure and optimizing their operations. A visit to the National University of Singapore will wind up their program at AFEF 2012.

Dr Lamya N. Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Masdar Institute, said: "With fast-expanding economies that have already begun to implement large-scale clean energy projects, Asia is gaining status as an emerging power in the sustainability sector. For YFEL members, the inaugural AFEF will serve as the right platform to interact with the Asian energy leaders and expand their industry insights. With the support of the country's leadership, YFEL members have steadily raised their profiles at international forums across the world and we hope AFEF will provide them with a new learning experience."

In addition to the specially organized events, the YFEL members are also scheduled to attend the panel discussions and interactive sessions that cover topics such as 'Options for the Future Energy Mix', 'Financing Tomorrow's Energy Needs', 'Connecting the Dots: Energy-Water-Food Nexus', 'Implementing Sustainable Energy Solutions in Asia - Diversifying the Energy Mix', and 'Market and Investment Perspectives in Asia'. They will also attend other events such as the Singapore Energy Summit Networking Reception and AFEF Business Leaders Panel.

With several global energy leaders expected to attend the forum, the event provides the right setting for YFEL members to engage and interact with, and expand their scope of knowledge in the renewable energy industry. Visits and networking events are designed to provide them with the right learning ground and equip themselves to carry out future roles as industry professionals.

Part of the Masdar Institute's Outreach program, YFEL offers young professionals and students from the UAE and abroad an opportunity to become more engaged in finding solutions to the world's biggest challenges - achieving energy efficiency and tackling climate change. It also aims to bring young professionals closer to government representatives, business leaders and other organizations active in the area of alternative energy and sustainability.