Texas A&M University at Qatar co-hosted the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Middle East-Mediterranean Materials Congress on Energy and Infrastructure Systems earlier this month at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Doha.
The conference is co-organized and sponsored by Qatar University, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) and the Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO).
Dr. Eyad Masad, executive associate dean and professor of mechanical engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “This international conference is organized in conjunction with TMS which is the premier materials society in the world. I am glad that the partnership with Qatar University, QEERI, and QAPCO — along with other organizations — allowed us to host such an international meeting.”
This materials congress focuses on new materials research and development in applications of interest for Qatar and the entire Middle East and Mediterranean region. The goal of this congress is to build synergy among researchers working on different materials applications but with similar objectives of enhancing design, sustainability, and functionality of materials. The event is also a forum for establishing collaboration among academia, research institutions, and industry in the Middle East and Mediterranean region and the rest of the world.
Dr. Mohammed Yousef Al Mulla, vice president and CEO of QAPCO, welcomed all the delegates to the conference, saying, “QAPCO is honored to be one of the corporate sponsors of this important conference as we believe now is the perfect time to highlight the current research and development being undertaken in this field. It is indeed a privilege to be able to work in partnership with Texas A&M University at Qatar as it provides a wonderful opportunity for industry and academia to collaborate in order that the theoretical aspects discussed at conferences like this can be successfully applied within production.”
The three-day event includes three concurrent sessions on each day that align with the three topical tracks: Sustainable Infrastructure Materials; Materials for Energy Extraction, Conversion, and Storage; and Computational Materials Design. Track 1 encompasses materials issues and solutions pertaining to critical infrastructure and will have an overarching theme of sustainability. In track 2, there is an emphasis on not just renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power but also oil and gas, which are topics of key interest to the Mideast-Mediterranean/North Africa geographic area. Track 3 focuses on computational materials design, especially as applied to energy and infrastructure systems. The goal of the technical program is to leverage regional interests and expertise, particularly along these three tracks.
“Materials engineering and research underpins the Qatar Energy and Water Security Grand Challenges,” Dr. Mohammed Khaleel, QEERI executive director said. “The scientific exchange and discussions at the TMS meeting will be very fruitful to researchers here in Qatar working on these two grand challenges. Bringing the TMS congress to Qatar is truly a good example of how well academia, research institutes and industry are working together. In this regard, at QEERI, we value our partnership with Texas A&M at Qatar, Qatar University and QAPCO.”
Mariam Ali AlMaadeed, director of the Center for Advanced Materials and coordinator of Materials Science and Technology Master Program at Qatar University, said, “I hope this Materials Conference will bring together researchers and professionals from a broad set of disciplines to discuss the latest developments and solutions in the sustainability, design and functionality of materials. It will provide an excellent opportunity to foster novel materials and technological solutions for a cleaner, cheaper and more efficient energy extraction and storage. MEMA 2015 will catalyze dialogue among the leaders from academia, industry and government to enhance research and to build knowledge based economy as per Qatar National Vision 2030. This conference would be one of the strongest and best ever in terms of the quality of the work being presented as well as the depth and breadth of the technical sessions.”
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is a premier professional organization that encompasses the entire range of materials and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. The conference seeks to be the premier forum for presentations of current interest and significance related to sustainable infrastructure materials; materials for energy extraction, conversion and storage; and computational materials design.