Page 77 - AJMAN UNIVERSITY PR REPORT - APRIL 2025

The first prize was awarded to Bayan Alradib, Farah Adnana and Samer H Zyoud, for their work on
recyclable solar cells. Bayan Alradib, a fourth-year engineering student at Ajman University
specialising in power and renewable energy, explained how their research explored an
environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional solar cells.

“We did research in the nanotechnology field where we developed a solar cell that is recyclable and
not harmful to the environment, compared to traditional ones,” she said.

Their project focused on developing solar cells using Copper Zinc Tin Sulphur (CZTS), a compound
that is abundant, non-toxic, recyclable, and cost-effective. Unlike conventional cells that rely on
cadmium sulphide, a toxic material that’s hard to recycle, the CZTS cells are sustainable and better
suited for the UAE’s harsh desert climate.

“Solar cells are very sensitive to heat,” said Bayan. “When temperatures rise, the open circuit
voltage drops and efficiency collapses. Our cells maintain high efficiency under these conditions
and can be deployed on a large scale in future to power towns and neighbourhoods.”
“This idea came to me while working with the compound in another project. I thought, why not use
this as a clean source of energy?” added Bayan.

The team hope their innovation will pave the way for more scalable and sustainable solar energy
solutions in the region.

New measure of progress

Second place was awarded to Dr Mohammed Elseidi, assistant professor of statistics and data
science at Umm Al Quwain University. His research offers a fresh perspective on how national
progress should be measured, beyond just economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product
(GDP).

“We developed a new model using machine learning and statistical forecasting to create what we
call a Hybrid Wellbeing Index,” said Dr Elseidi. “It combines over 100 indicators spread across
human development, financial growth, and sustainability.”

For instance, the Human Development Index in this model factors in health, mental wellbeing, and
overall life satisfaction. Meanwhile, financial indicators include business architecture and
economic metrics, while sustainability indicators cover environmental impact and climate-
conscious policies.

“GDP does not reflect whether a country is truly thriving in a sustainable and human-centric way,”
said Dr Elseidi. “Our model gives a fuller picture of where a society stands and where it’s heading in
terms of wellbeing and sustainability.”

The model has already shown promising results in the UAE, predicting strong growth in overall
wellbeing over the next five years. “Our research shows that the wellbeing of people in the UAE has
steadily increased over the last 20 years. And our forecast predicts even more progress in the next
five years,” he said.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-wellbeing-economy-award-winners-2025-solar-panels-
gdp