Offered Degrees:

Master of Science in Engineering ‘M.Sc.’ (NEW)

Professional Master of Engineering ‘M. Eng.’

Professional Doctorate in Engineering ‘D. Eng.’ (NEW)

Concept of the Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities Programs

Population growth and rapid urbanization are combining to create huge challenges for cities all over the world. Meeting demand for urban services in these cities will need massive capital investment over the years. The concentrations of people and their activities create intensified pressure on the environment.  Cities consume around 75 % of the natural resources in order to sustain the various functions performed within them. Without the proper design and planning, this massive urban growth will inevitably exacerbate existing problems of congestion, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity, as well as social inequalities in resources access.

However, this very concentration and dynamics offer opportunities, through design and actions at an urban scale, to enhance resources efficiency, and in doing so, raise equitable access and minimize the various environmental impacts, including the effects of climate change.

The program focuses on natural resources efficiency in the built environment and aims at directing education and research towards achieving progress to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• Goal 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable”, along with other SDGs such as
• Goal 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable use of water and sanitation for all”,
• Goal 7 “Ensure sustainable energy for all”, and
• Goal 9 “Promote sustainable infrastructure and industrialization and foster innovation”.

This concept comes also in line with the UNEP Initiative launched after the Rio+20 summit in Brazil, 2012: "The new Global Initiative for Resource Efficient Cities”.

Agreements with another University

The Interdisciplinary Program on Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities is jointly developed by 5 partner universities under the umbrella of the global Center of Excellence for Natural Resources and Development (CNRD) -one of five centres of Exceed Network of excellence of universities- including Ain Shams University, Egypt; TH Köln University of Applied Sciences, Germany; Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Kenyatta University, Kenya and Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. Since 2015, the five member universities have joined forces to develop the program through a deliberate sequence of international workshops of the partners. The job market demand and graduate profiles were defined, their necessary competencies compiled, and the curriculum and master’s modules’ content and respective didactics jointly developed.

Master of Sciences ‘MSc’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities

Program Description

Many cities of the global south suffer from pressing key challenges such as continuous population growth, severe energy crisis, water poverty issues, inadequate urban mobility, inefficient waste management, social disparity and inequality, and increasing levels of pollution. Education and research respond to such challenges mostly by disciplinary approaches seeking technical or socio-economic solutions, but often lack a deliberate and integrated approach to the city as a system. Therefore, the ‘M.Sc.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities targets these challenges from an integrated view of engineering, social sciences, economics, and governance. Here, resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production patterns are key aspects – tackling energy, water, transportation systems, food supply, urban design, resilience, and much more. The program is designed to enable graduates to contribute in interdisciplinary teams to the planning and management of cities towards efficiency, resilience, and social inclusion.

Program Competences

The holder of Master of Sciences ‘M.Sc.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities must be able to:

1.Recognize cities as socio-ecological systems, their non-linear and non-deterministic behaviour and their metabolism, and the required spatial considerations for sustainable cities.

2.Distinguish the complex relationships between different systems/sectors in cities (e.g. building construction and energy, water supply, waste and wastewater management), their governance, and manage resources efficiently.

3.Analyse the product chains and material cycles and resources - demand cycles (i.e. water, energy, mobility systems, food supply, urban design,…), and assess the local natural resources production potentials within the city system.

4.Conduct research, correlate disciplinary knowledge, use smart technology and modelling techniques, and develop interdisciplinary alternatives for responding to urban environment challenges.

5.Communicate and share ideas with specialists and non-specialists in both written and oral manners.

Degree Holders’ Attributes

The Holders of Master of Sciences ‘M.Sc.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities:

•Recognize the role of urban resource efficiency for social equity, environmental protection, and the overall sustainability of the city system.

•Use the required knowledge and skills to deal with pressing challenges in cities from a deliberate and integrated approach to the city as a system.

•Utilize and manage cities’ resource efficiency to balance environmental and social challenges with future demands.

•Value the patterns of user demands and behaviour and how they affect the technology-environment interaction in the energy, water, food, waste, traffic, and building sectors and thus the urban metabolism at large.

•Identify cross-sectoral efficiencies in the expanded nexus debate over energy, water, food, waste, and other sectors.

•Support the local production potentials for natural resources.

•Distinguish simulation and modelling techniques as well as information technologies.

•Effectively communicate and are able to lead interdisciplinary work teams.

•Develop oneself academically and being able to learn continuously.

Program Tracks

The Elective courses are grouped into 3 main tracks, in addition to the pool of ‘Methods and Tools’ courses, as follows:

Track 1: City Infrastructure

Track 2: Integrated Planning and Building Design

Track 3: Management and Governance

Required Courses

In order to get a Master of Sciences ‘M.Sc.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities, and to satisfy the Program Competences, the following set of courses need to be completed considering that Elective (1) & (2) can be selected from any of the 3 Tracks of courses. Students can register course(s) out of the listed in these bylaws as elective(s), however, the advisor has to verify the course(s) learning outcomes with program competences.

Professional Master of Engineering ‘M. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities

Program Description

Many cities of the global south suffer from pressing key challenges such as continuous population growth, severe energy crisis, water poverty issues, inadequate urban mobility, inefficient waste management, social disparity and inequality, and increasing levels of pollution. Education and research respond to such challenges mostly by disciplinary approaches seeking technical or socio-economic solutions, but often lack a deliberate and integrated approach to the city as a system. Therefore, the Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities M.Eng. program seeks to qualify professionals from different disciplines with competences and skills that enable them to deal with real life problems and respond to current pressing challenges and complex problems of cities using an interdisciplinary and systemic approach given the principle of city as a system of all sectors to provide the basic functions for its inhabitants.

Program Competences

The holder of Professional Master of Engineering ‘M. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities must be able to:

1.Recognize cities as socio-ecological systems, their non-linear and non-deterministic behaviour and their metabolism, and the required spatial considerations for sustainable cities.

2.Distinguish the complex relationships between different systems/sectors in cities (e.g. building construction and energy, water supply, waste and wastewater management), their governance, and manage resources efficiently.

3.Analyse the product chains and material cycles and resources - demand cycles (i.e. water, energy, mobility systems, food supply, urban design,…), and assess the local natural resources production potentials within the city system.

4.Conduct research, correlate disciplinary knowledge, use smart technology and modelling techniques, and develop interdisciplinary alternatives for responding to urban environment challenges.

5.Communicate ideas, gain experimental learning, and improve entrepreneurial skills.

Degree Holders’ Attributes

The Holders of Professional Master of Engineering ‘M. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities:

•Recognize the role of urban resource efficiency for social equity, environmental protection, and the overall sustainability of the city system.

•Use the required knowledge and skills to deal with pressing challenges in cities from a deliberate and integrated approach to the city as a system.

•Utilize and manage cities’ resource efficiency to balance environmental and social challenges with future demands.

•Value the patterns of user demands and behaviour and how they affect the technology-environment interaction in the energy, water, food, waste, traffic, and building sectors and thus the urban metabolism at large.

•Identify cross-sectoral efficiencies in the expanded nexus debate over energy, water, food, waste, and other sectors.

•Support the local production potentials for natural resources.

•Distinguish simulation and modelling techniques as well as information technologies.

•Effectively communicate and are able to lead interdisciplinary work teams.

•Demonstrate leadership qualities, management, and entrepreneurial skills.

•Develop oneself professionally and being able to learn continuously.

Required Courses

In order to get a Professional Master of Engineering ‘M. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities, and to satisfy the Program Competences, the following set of courses need to be completed considering that only one course from each pool of Elective (1) & (2) courses can be selected. Students can register course(s) out of the listed in these bylaws as elective(s), however, the advisor has to verify the course(s) learning outcomes with program competences.

Professional Doctorate in Engineering ‘D. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities

Program Description

Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities D.Eng. program aspires to be an interdisciplinary and impactful advanced program to graduate skilled and diverse professionals, who can realize resource efficiency for social equity, environmental protection, and the overall sustainability of the city system through their leading roles in planning, designing, operating, or management of cities nationally and worldwide. The D.Eng. program seeks to qualify experts, practitioners, and authorities’ responsible in charge from different disciplines with competences and skills that enable them to deal with real life problems and respond to current pressing challenges and complex problems of cities using an interdisciplinary and systemic approach given the principle of city as a system of all sectors to provide the basic functions for its inhabitants and emphasize the role of cities’ resource efficiency to balance environmental and social challenges with future demands.

Program Competences

The holder of Professional Doctorate in Engineering ‘D. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities must be able to:

1.Apply appropriate tools and modelling approaches, and simulation theories to assess and design a sustainable engineered mechanism for a resource efficient city.

2.Anticipate and respond to emerging trends and opportunities in the field of resource efficiency and management of sustainable cities through innovative research.

3.Expertly integrate knowledge and methodologies from multiple disciplines to analyse life cycle and resource flows in cities systemically and address complex societal challenges.

4.Acquaintance of resource efficient mechanisms and new and smart technologies for sustainable living trends cycles.

5.Engage with industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to translate research findings into real-world applications and solutions.

Degree Holders’ Attributes

The holders of Professional Doctorate in Engineering ‘D. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities:

•Apply the analytical and critical approach to specialized / interdisciplinary knowledge in the field of resource efficiency and management of sustainable cities.

•Move towards developing new methods, tools and methods for professional practice.

•Use appropriate technological means and conduct empirical research and perform field measurements to serve professional practice.

•Apply appropriate tools and modelling approaches, and simulation theories to assess and design a sustainable engineered mechanism for a resource efficient city.

•Design, implement and manage scalable system metabolic models (from household to building, to neighbourhood, to city and, finally the city region)

•Effectively communicate and lead a work team in different professional contexts.

•Efficiently employ available resources, develop them, and work to find new ones.

•Aware of their role in community development and environmental preservation.

•Act in a manner that reflects a commitment to integrity, credibility, and professional rules.

•Are Committed to continuous self-development and transferring his knowledge and experiences to others.

Required Courses

In order to get a Professional Doctorate in Engineering ‘D. Eng.’ in Resource Efficiency for Sustainable Cities and to satisfy the Program Competences, the following set of courses need to be completed considering:

•The elective courses can be selected from those offered by any other department with code 6xx or 7xx.

•Courses are different than being completed while studying in any previous postgraduate studies.

•In case of selecting any course out of the list below, the advisor has to verify the course(s) learning outcomes with Program competences.