Cooperative Agreement FINAL No: AID-391-A-15-00001 REPORT 2014 – 2019 U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Energy 2 U.S.-PAKISTAN CENTERS FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN ENERGY Fortunately, I was able to secure the USAID scholarship Muneeza so I could focus on my education without having to Ahmad worry about money. Even as a young girl, Muneeza “They used to say girls were not “I had been thinking about getting Ahmad always enjoyed science and cut out for engineering and will a master’s degree for some time mathematics, so when it was time not contribute to the field in the but due to the financial burden of for college, engineering seemed future. But I had the support of my my siblings’ education, I couldn’t like the best fit. teachers and was able to convince ask my parents to pay for me. I “I like to solve problems and look at them with my performance in the saved up for a year to cover the things from new perspectives.” classroom and lab,” Muneeza says. application fee, first-semester Muneeza was working at a tuition fees and hostel rent for But Muneeza faced skepticism my master’s program. Fortunately, from her classmates about her manufacturing supply firm in Lahore when she heard about I was able to secure the USAID decision to pursue engineering. scholarship so I could focus on my Around the world, people still have the Center for Advanced Study in Energy at NUST, but it was a long education without having to worry a hard time picturing about money.” women when they hear the journey that involved saving enough word “engineer.” money to pay the fees. FINAL REPORT | 2014–2019 3 USPCAS-E Project Click on section names to navigate 5 Executive Summary 8 Data Overview 11 Section 1. Activities and Accomplishments 35 Section 2. Lessons Learned 37 Section 3. Assessment of Performance Under the Cooperative Agreement 41 Section 4. Partners in Pakistan 45 Section 5. The Centers at NUST and UET Peshawar 49 Conclusion: Looking to the Future 57 Annexes The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) or the United States Government. 4 U.S.-PAKISTAN CENTERS FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN ENERGY Samia Subhan I am the first female engineer Qureshi of my family. From a very young age, Samia says that she “loved to play with equations.” She explains, “My favorite subject was mathematics and I always succeeded in getting the highest grade.” Growing up, she realized that many people didn’t consider women for technical or field work. “I wanted to break this stereotype. My family gave me an open choice for selecting any field and luckily, I am the first female engineer of my family. I always find it fun working in the field.” FINAL REPORT | 2014–2019 5 The vision: develop groundbreaking energy research and EXECUTIVE energy solution hubs in Pakistan. This program was made possible by an $18 million grant to ASU, a $15 million grant to UET Peshawar and a $15 million grant to NUST as part of SUMMARY a larger USAID investment to support Pakistan’s economic development by strengthening universities. Through this partnership, ASU is leveraging its expertise in higher education, university design, applied research and Create a compelling vision, one that takes energy to help Pakistan release its enormous potential for people to a new place, and then translate that economic growth through its universities. Partnering with vision into a reality. USAID, ASU coordinated subject matter experts and applied – Warren Bennis, cutting-edge knowledge on the front line of research and pioneer in the field of leadership studies innovation. USPCAS-E focused on applied research relevant to Pakistan’s energy needs, helped to produce skilled Energy is the lifeblood of modern society. Without graduates in the field of energy; and served as a bridge consistent access to affordable, reliable and sustainable between the government, industry and academia. energy, all sectors of an economy are endangered. Pakistan ASU was excited to collaborate with USAID and these two is the fifth most populous country in the world; its population universities to open up new educational opportunities and doubled between 1990 and 2019. Access to electricity address the critical need for a sustainable energy supply has improved for Pakistan, but with frequent one- to two- in Pakistan. With technical guidance from ASU, and under hour outages per day, reliable power remains out of reach. the umbrella of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Furthermore, over the past 20 years, Pakistan’s energy of Pakistan, the centers at NUST and UET Peshawar are source has shifted from mainly renewable hydro energy poised to become Pakistan’s premier sustainable energy to diesel and fossil fuel-based energy sources. In addition, think tanks that will harness practical solutions for Pakistan’s Pakistan lacks the necessary workforce of trained engineers, current and future energy needs. energy experts and policymakers to assist with future energy planning and development. These disruptions exact a high PROJECT IMPACT cost for businesses and severely impact the quality of life for The impact of the USPCAS-E project can be summed all Pakistanis. Affordability in Pakistan is significantly affected up in three broad areas: infrastructure, workforce by a high reliance on oil-based energy solutions. development, and sustainable structures and finances. The U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in The infrastructure is both physical and intellectual. The Energy (USPCAS-E), funded by USAID, is a project that new facilities provide the space and place for research, was conceived to deliver practical energy solutions and learning and knowledge-generation to occur — but without establish energy-focused graduate degrees to address the corresponding intellectual infrastructure, they are just Pakistan’s energy crisis. office space. Preparing a workforce by producing skilled The project sought to harness the strengths of existing graduates working for a renewable energy future has wide- universities and partner with a U.S. university to create two ranging impacts that ripple across individual lives, families, new energy centers offering graduate degree programs in communities and the country as a whole. Central to this is energy and a culture of applied research. The overarching the creation of a culture of research. Curiosity and scientific goal for the five-year (2014-2019) project was to develop rigor systemically and consistently applied set the stage for immediately available bandwidth in people, including boundless growth and innovation. And finally, all good ideas leadership and a trained workforce; power; and solutions, need a plan to sustain them both in terms of enthusiasm especially in the area of renewable energy. and finances. Sustainability was built on relationships with stakeholders; connection to the broader energy landscape; In 2014, USAID funded the USPCAS-E program at Arizona and contributions to the marketplace in the form of services, State University (ASU), a partnership between ASU and key trainings and continuous education. two leading Pakistani universities: the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, along with U.S.-based partner Oregon State University (OSU). 6 U.S.-PAKISTAN CENTERS FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN ENERGY PROJECT IMPACT Infrastructure Workforce development: Sustainability y Physical: Two new state-of- faculty and graduates y Foster a culture of research and the-art buildings y New degrees and curriculum entrepreneurship y Intellectual: Faculty, y Applied research y Industry interaction and fundraising researchers and graduates y Exchange programs with y Technology Centers, short courses hands-on training at ASU and testing services PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS In five years, the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Energy have: y Enrolled more than 1,000 master’s and y Graduated more than 375 students from the Ph.D. students in energy graduate programs. centers at NUST and UET Peshawar with y Created 13 modern degree programs and advanced degrees in energy — with many 151 industry-relevant courses. more students in the pipeline. y y Developed governance structures that facilitate Secured 121 internships for an ongoing dialogue about energy education and USPCAS-E students. research needs in Pakistan. Ten stakeholder and y Hired 45 new faculty members. Think Tank meetings engaged nearly y Recruited and supported women and 500 representatives from Pakistan’s energy disadvantaged students in energy sector, including academia, government, NGOs engineering programs. and industry. y Raised more than $2 million from public y Offered in-country training on a wide variety and private entities. of technical topics. More than 30 hands-on workshops and seminars related to various y Developed the framework and extensive training energy sectors were offered. for Technology Centers at each center; these centers will offer critical testing services and y Created 16 state-of-the-art labs and training opportunities in photovoltaics. two libraries. y Hosted 217 students and faculty for a semester- long exchange experience at ASU and OSU in the U.S., where scholars were embedded in a sophisticated research university using the latest equipment, techniques and protocols in energy policy, photovoltaic reliability, power systems, energy materials, fuel cells and batteries and thermal energy. FINAL REPORT | 2014–2019 7 The work of the centers also created some intangible but There are many people who helped to make this project a equally important outcomes. success: leaders at USAID, HEC, NUST, UET Peshawar, y Exchange scholars consistently highlighted the ASU and OSU; faculty, staff and students from NUST and value of the exchange experience, often calling it UET; faculty, staff and students at ASU and OSU; leaders transformational. and collaborators from governmental entities, private industry, non-profits, and non-governmental agencies; and, of course, y Many individuals breached the entrenched silos the project teams.