PhD Electrical Engineering

Key information

Funding: Self-funded
School: Engineering and Physical Sciences
Location: Dubai
Award: PhD
Delivery type: Full-time, Part-time

The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences places a high value on enabling individuals to obtain a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree by research. This opportunity is available at the Dubai Campus.

This programme is designed to equip students with the skills to contribute to new frontiers of knowledge in the field of Electrical Engineering. It emphasises the ability to critically analyse, evaluate, and solve complex problems through independent research. Our postgraduate research activities reflect the interdisciplinary nature of modern research and its associated industries, drawing on the strong synergy between science and engineering.

Initially, those with an interest in undertaking a project in the broad area of energy are encouraged to apply. This may include renewable energy, energy utilisation and energy conservation as well as improved materials for energy production and conversion.

Research

PhD study on the Dubai Campus will enable the candidate to work with staff and students in Dubai, with the potential to collaborate with research groups in Edinburgh. Candidates are expected to conduct high-value, fundamental, and applied research in engineering.

Students will work under the supervision of an expert academic supervisor based at the Dubai Campus and be supported by a second supervisor in Dubai, Edinburgh or Malaysia. In addition to time spent doing research project work, students will engage with scientific literature and participate in research group discussions and meetings using electronic communications.

On completion of the research project, students spend some six months 'writing up' to produce a final PhD. Once the thesis has been submitted, internal and external academics will examine the student’s work and knowledge of the PhD subject.

Research topics for PhD supervision

A range of research projects can be considered, including the following.

Renewable Energy Technologies.
Sensorless control of AC drives; Investigations of signal injection nonlinearities on AC machines' performance.
Distributed generation and its impact on the power grid/Smart grid (this requires a strong background in power electronics and control).
Energy efficiency and demand-side management.
Applications of hybrid battery/supercapacitor energy storage systems.
Hybrid concentrating Photovoltaic (PV) /Thermal Energy system for UAE buildings.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in the energy sector.

Research proposal

The research proposal (normally three to four pages) should contain as much as possible of the following:

Introduction or outline of the proposed topic
Statement of objective(s) and/or specific research questions
Summary of some of the relevant literature that supports the research objective(s)
An indication of the intended research methodology
An indication of the theoretical structure and/or conceptual outline
A provisional timetable of the major phases of the research process
Results expected from the research, e.g., practical value of the research or possible contributions to knowledge, policy or methodology. At this stage we are not looking for a definitive document but merely an indication that you have thought through most of the above issues. Please note that work submitted may be subject to screening using plagiarism software.

Accreditation

Read more about the UAE Federal Accreditation.

This programme is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE.

Entry requirements

Candidate criteria

Interested applicants should complete the online application form, making clear on the form that you are applying to study at the Dubai Campus.
If you have any questions about the application process, contact Kurian Kuruvilla (Kurian.Kuruvilla@hw.ac.uk)

Additional information

Supporting documents

Applicants interested in our PhD opportunities need to submit the following:

Copies of full academic transcripts from all previous academic degree courses and copies of certificates for degrees already awarded.
Confirmation of funding source and/or confirmation of sponsorship/sufficient funds to pursue studies.
A detailed research proposal.

English language requirements

If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability.

The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 6.0.

If you do not have IELTS 6.5, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.

For more information about your application and our English Language requirements, please see Section 10 of our page on English Language Requirements as part of your application.

Funding information

	Full Time	Part Time
Local and International	AED 99,500 per year	AED 49,750 per year

All tuition fees inclusive of VAT.

We offer a number of competitive funded scholarships for research degrees. Full or partial support may be available for well-qualified candidates from UK research councils, research pools, charities or industry.

View our full range of scholarships.

Why Heriot-Watt

As the first British university to set up a campus in Dubai in 2005, we have established ourselves as a pioneer in the higher education market in the UAE. The three consecutive five-star ratings by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a testament to our reputation for world-class teaching.

The futuristic Dubai campus is designed to offer interactive and collaborative learning experiences with innovative classroom styles fostering group work and engagement like Collaborative lecture theatres, Digitally Classrooms and Seminar rooms. The campus also has dedicated cutting-edge laboratories and workshops that span various engineering disciplines along with Psychology, IT, Photography, Design and Architecture.

Our practical, leading-edge research combined with strong links to business and industry, have made our graduates highly employable and sought after by the best organisations worldwide, with over 90% in graduate-level jobs or further study within six months of graduation. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education through our Go Global programme.