- HBKU / QF
Education City
Doha
Qatar - +97444547483
Muammer Koç
Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Sustainability, Faculty Member
- Knowledge Economy, Human Capital Development, Social Capital, Knowledge Management, Entrepreneurship, Technological Innovation, and 76 moreInnovation statistics, Corporate Environmental Responsibility, Higher Education, Education Policy, Design, Education, Management of Innovation, New Product Development, Additive Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Advanced manufacturing technology, especially in ultraprecision machining, micromachining and ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting on ductile and brittle materials, Islamic Economics, Higher Education Policy, Ibn Khaldun, Ottoman-Turkish Westernization, Sociology of islam, PEM fuel cells, Comparative Methods, Econometric Theory, Empires, Sociotechnical Systems, Sustainable Transportation, Fuel Cells, Environmental Management, Housing Policies, History of Turkey and Middle east, Islamic Studies, Education in Turkey, Housing Policy, Islamic Accounting, Low-Cost Housing (Architecture), Climate Change in Developing Countries, Pvd Coatings, Hydrogen Economy, Housing And Sustainability, Delphi, Institutional Change, Disruptive Technologies, Housing and Dwelling (Architecture), Surface Coatings, Temperature Coatings, Abrahamic Religions, State Formation and Sovereignty in Middle East, Earnings Management, Hydrogen, Sustainable Rural Development, Poverty Alleviation, Poverty, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Management, Social Entrepreneurship, Creativity, 3D printing, Three dimensional Printing (3DP), Inkjet 3DP, Powder-based 3DP, Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing, E-learning, Business Administration, Philosophy of Science, Human Resource Management, Finance, Sustainable Development, Media Studies, Renewable Energy, Environmental Sustainability, Educational Technology, Public Policy, Engineering, Business, Economics, History, and Ecologyedit
- Dr Koç has been the Founding Professor, and was the Founding Head, of Sustainability at HBKU in Education City, Doha,... moreDr Koç has been the Founding Professor, and was the Founding Head, of Sustainability at HBKU in Education City, Doha, Qatar since 2014. Previously, he held professor, director, chair and dean positions at universities in Turkey and the US (2000-2014). He has a Ph.D. degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Ohio State University (1999) and an Executive MBA degree from the University of Sheffield, UK (2014). His research and teaching interests are on sustainable knowledge society, sustainable development, knowledge-based economy, human and social capital development, organizational and social efficiency, near-zero waste policies and technologies, renewable energy, design innovation and entrepreneurship, advanced manufacturing, 3DP for energy and biomedical applications. He has 400 publications in various international journals and conferencesedit
Education is considered the primary driver of sustainable development. Teachers play a critical role in the conjunction of ideal, designed, and actual teaching and learning experience delivery. Successful education plays a crucial role in... more
Education is considered the primary driver of sustainable development. Teachers play a critical role in the conjunction of ideal, designed, and actual teaching and learning experience delivery. Successful education plays a crucial role in accomplishing the UN Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). Therefore, this research focused on the better preparation of teachers to deliver high-quality education for achieving SDGs in Qatar. To this end, this study investigated teachers’ development needs, including their professional preparation, empowerment, and assessment, by employing semi-structured interviews in selected schools. In summary, the findings show a lack of professional development (PD) opportunities, and the current PD approaches have no direction, purpose, or progress. The results also demonstrate that objective and customized assessment methods, a clear and robust career roadmap, and career promotions accordingly would increase teachers’ motivation for their, and thus student...
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The interaction avenues, levels, and impacts between parents, schools and teachers have changed drastically due to the ever-increasing responsibilities, frequent and rapid changes in the curriculum, the invasive dominance of the internet... more
The interaction avenues, levels, and impacts between parents, schools and teachers have changed drastically due to the ever-increasing responsibilities, frequent and rapid changes in the curriculum, the invasive dominance of the internet and digital media in the lives of all stakeholders, and the digitization of learning materials, to name a few. This pilot study follows a design-thinking approach to investigate the current practices, needs, and challenges of parental involvement in public schools in Qatar to improve student achievements towards sustainable living and habits by identifying problems, developing solutions, and improving student achievement in conjunction with all local and relevant stakeholders. To this end, building on extensive and comparative studies on theories, models, and best practices within and outside the selected domain, a qualitative study is conducted to obtain insight from local teachers and parents in preparatory public schools. The grounded theory meth...
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Three-dimensional printing (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. Researchers around the globe have been putting their efforts into AM processes improvement and materials... more
Three-dimensional printing (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. Researchers around the globe have been putting their efforts into AM processes improvement and materials development. One of the most widely used extrusion-based technology under AM processes is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Numerical simulation tools are being employed to predict the FFF process complexities and material behavior. These tools allow exploring candidate materials for their potential use in the FFF process and process improvements. The prime objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art scientific achievements in numerical simulations of the FFF process for polymers and their composites. The first section presents an in-depth discussion of the FFF process’s physical phenomena and highlights the multi-level complexity. The subsequent section discusses the researc...
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Various studies show that sustainability and education are closely interdependent. Design and implementation of the right performance assessment for students’ skills acquisition and achievements is, therefore, critical for achieving the... more
Various studies show that sustainability and education are closely interdependent. Design and implementation of the right performance assessment for students’ skills acquisition and achievements is, therefore, critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article presents an in-depth analysis of the Qatar education system (K-12 level), focusing on the current assessment approaches and remaining challenges that hinder the development and implementation of proper performance-assessment methods aligned with SDGs. Based on a proposed theoretical framework influenced by the constructive alignment theory, this article examines the current performance assessment practices in Qatar and recommends potential improvement avenues with respect to SDGs and education goals (EGs). Using this framework as an analytical tool, results reveal a lack of alignment between the assessment practices, educational goals, and the SDGs. This work shows that tailored, contextually proper,...
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The sports industry is an ever-growing sector worldwide. With technological advancements in information technologies, the sports industry has merged with the entertainment industry, reaching and influencing billions of people globally.... more
The sports industry is an ever-growing sector worldwide. With technological advancements in information technologies, the sports industry has merged with the entertainment industry, reaching and influencing billions of people globally. However, to ensure and advance the safety, security, and sustainability of the sports industry, technological innovations are always needed in several manufacturing and materials processes to achieve cost-effectiveness, efficiency, durability, reusability, and recyclability of products used in this industry. For example, 90% of the field hockey equipment produced in the world comes from Sialkot, Pakistan. Most export quality field hockey equipment is currently produced via reinforcement of glass/carbon fibers in epoxy resin. The current study aimed to introduce new materials for field hockey equipment to reduce manufacturing costs and the environmental impact of synthetic materials, without comprising the quality of the final product. Our literature r...
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Metal-alloys tubes are used in the falling-film evaporator of the multi-effect distillation (MED) that is the dominant and efficient thermal seawater desalination process. However, the harsh seawater environment (high salinity and high... more
Metal-alloys tubes are used in the falling-film evaporator of the multi-effect distillation (MED) that is the dominant and efficient thermal seawater desalination process. However, the harsh seawater environment (high salinity and high temperature) causes scale precipitation and corrosion of MED evaporators’ metal tubes, presenting a serious technical challenge to the process. Therefore, the metal/metal alloys used as the material of the MED evaporators’ tubes are expensive and require high energy and costly tube fabrication process. On the other hand, polymers are low-cost, easy to fabricate into tubes, and highly corrosion-resistant, but have low thermal conductivity. Nevertheless, thermally conductive fillers can enhance the thermal conductivity of polymers. In this article, we carried out a feasibility-study-based techno-economic and socioeconomic analysis, as well as a life-cycle assessment (LCA), of a conventional MED desalination plant that uses titanium tubes and a plant tha...
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Human exposure to healthy doses of UV radiation is required for vitamin D synthesis, but exposure to excessive UV irradiance leads to several harmful impacts ranging from premature wrinkles to dangerous skin cancer. However, for countries... more
Human exposure to healthy doses of UV radiation is required for vitamin D synthesis, but exposure to excessive UV irradiance leads to several harmful impacts ranging from premature wrinkles to dangerous skin cancer. However, for countries located in the global dust belt, accurate estimation of the UV irradiance is challenging due to a strong impact of desert dust on incoming solar radiation. In this work, a UV Index forecasting capability is presented, specifically developed for dust-rich environments, that combines the use of ground-based measurements of broadband irradiances UVA (320–400 nm) and UVB (280–315 nm), NASA OMI Aura satellite-retrieved data and the meteorology-chemistry mesoscale model WRF-Chem. The forecasting ability of the model is evaluated for clear sky days as well as during the influence of dust storms in Doha, Qatar. The contribution of UV radiation to the total incoming global horizontal irradiance (GHI) ranges between 5% and 7% for UVA and 0.1% and 0.22% for U...
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Public and private investments play a central role in production functions by providing the required capital for development. There are many studies in the literature investigating the linear macroeconomic relations based on public and... more
Public and private investments play a central role in production functions by providing the required capital for development. There are many studies in the literature investigating the linear macroeconomic relations based on public and private investment in cross-country and country-specific analyses by focusing on various perspectives and methodologies. However, there is a gap in the literature in exploring nonlinear causal relations among public-private investment and economic growth, particularly in the U.S. and China, in order to comparatively discuss policy implementations and potential implications. To narrow the gap, this study investigates nonlinear causal relationships between public-private investment and gross domestic product in the U.S. and China, which are the largest economies comprising about 40 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018. These countries show a similar pattern in economic growth and implementing sustainable development goals, although...
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Falling film evaporators are used in applications where high heat transfer coefficients are required for low liquid load and temperature difference. One such application is the lithium bromide (LiBr)-based absorber and generator. The... more
Falling film evaporators are used in applications where high heat transfer coefficients are required for low liquid load and temperature difference. One such application is the lithium bromide (LiBr)-based absorber and generator. The concentration of the aqueous LiBr solution changes within the absorber and generator because of evaporation and vapor absorption. This causes the thermophysical properties to differ and affects the film distribution, heat, and mass transfer mechanisms. For thermal performance improvement of LiBr-based falling film evaporators, in-depth analysis at the micro level is required for film distribution and hydrodynamics. In this work, a 2D numerical model was constructed using the commercial CFD software Ansys Fluent v18.0. The influence of the liquid load corresponding to droplet and jet mode, and the concentration, on film hydrodynamics was examined. It was found that the jet mode was more stable at a higher concentration of 0.65 with ±0.5% variation compar...
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Organization efficiency is a pivotal paradigm for an organization’s profitability in short-term cycles and long-term sustainability as a responsible stakeholder of a society. Measurement of organizational efficiency primarily depends on... more
Organization efficiency is a pivotal paradigm for an organization’s profitability in short-term cycles and long-term sustainability as a responsible stakeholder of a society. Measurement of organizational efficiency primarily depends on tracking the performance of the organization based on key performance indicators established commonly and differently by sectors. Literature on measuring organizational efficiency is limited in quantity and qualitatively poor, specifically on organizations operating in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf where specific culture and traditions take precedence. This paper brings about a comparative review on organizational efficiency models, measurements, and indicators based on international best practices and conduct a comparative analysis from the Qatari organizational context. The methodology involved in measuring and benchmarking organizational sustainability identify the “as is” state of organizational sustainability and efficiency in the organiz...
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Hosting a mega-event such as the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup is a defining moment for Qatar, a country that is in transition, small in size and population, and rich in natural gas reserves. It is a unique opportunity to host a universal... more
Hosting a mega-event such as the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup is a defining moment for Qatar, a country that is in transition, small in size and population, and rich in natural gas reserves. It is a unique opportunity to host a universal event and leave a sustainable positive legacy for the country. However, the preparation, execution, and after-effects of such events are challenging initiatives with significant long-term impacts on the economy, society, and environment in the hosting country and nearby region. This study addresses the intersection between mega sports events and sustainability, to systematically compare and learn from past mega-events and apply that to the case of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Qatari bid proposed a new FIFA Men’s World Cup (WC) spatial compact model around just one city area and the goal of achieving the first carbon-neutral WC. Herein, the challenges, opportunities, and progress in this scenario are evaluated accordingly, showing that local organizers...
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The Arabian Peninsula is one of the world’s largest sources of mineral dust that includes several major population hotspots. However, until now, few studies have performed a comprehensive quantification of the long-term variability of... more
The Arabian Peninsula is one of the world’s largest sources of mineral dust that includes several major population hotspots. However, until now, few studies have performed a comprehensive quantification of the long-term variability of aerosol species in this region. In this study, the speciation, variability, and distribution of aerosol optical depth over the Arabian Peninsula during 2005–2015 is analyzed by using the modern-era retrospective analysis for research and applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) model together with satellite retrieved data and AERONET observations and focusing on nine large cities in the region (Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Riyadh, and Sanaa). Over the past decade, the mean annual aerosol optical thickness (AOT) values were in the range of 0.3–0.5, which is attributed to both mineral dust (60–70%) and anthropogenic activities (20–30%). An increase in AOT values between 2005 and 2009 is attributed to increased dust generation from the Sa...
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Even though Qatar’s per capita electricity consumption is one of the highest in the world, little is currently known about behind-the-meter power consumption. The residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity, accounting for... more
Even though Qatar’s per capita electricity consumption is one of the highest in the world, little is currently known about behind-the-meter power consumption. The residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity, accounting for approximately 59% of the overall consumption of electricity. As energy subsidies lead to budget deficits and overconsumption of carbon resources, there is a pressing need to examine the residential load profile to better understand consumption patterns and uncover potential solutions for more efficient usage. Residential load profiles are typically influenced by seasonal and socio-economic factors. Furthermore, household load profiles can be used to examine the viability of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this study, a total of 10 houses in Qatar were chosen, and their power demand was monitored for over a year using smart energy monitors. This empirical research was conducted to achieve the following goals: (1) creation of the first high-resol...
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This study examines the concept of sustainability and livability at the neighborhood level in a low-density city such as Doha. In its current form, Metropolitan Doha, Qatar’s capital and where 80% of the population resides, is neither... more
This study examines the concept of sustainability and livability at the neighborhood level in a low-density city such as Doha. In its current form, Metropolitan Doha, Qatar’s capital and where 80% of the population resides, is neither sustainable nor ranked highly in many city livability indices of international cities, although Qatar aims to become a truly sustainable state as envisioned in its Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and endorsed in its National Development Strategies 2012 and 2018. Doha remains a fractured city; its rapid growth has led to unrestrained, extensive urban sprawl with high dependency on private transportation mainly by large SUVs, continually instigated by the absence of public transportation. Doha is also a relatively low-density city where the main driver of its urban sprawl is the inhabitants’ deep-set desire for privacy, and hence, home ownership of single-family detached villas, which have become the predominant residential building-block of neighborhoo...
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Most of the sustainability management models proposed in the literature are based on conceptual designs, which limits their potential to be applied in practice. In order to develop a holistic tool for organizational sustainability... more
Most of the sustainability management models proposed in the literature are based on conceptual designs, which limits their potential to be applied in practice. In order to develop a holistic tool for organizational sustainability management, it is imperative to account for, and integrate, the sustainability best practices in the conceptual models. The primary objective of this work is to explore the organizational sustainability themes, functional areas, and the corresponding best practices of the most sustainable organizations. Based on the results, we aim to propose a framework which can support the theoretical models. The starting set of 100 most sustainable organizations is obtained through a well-defined sustainability ranking, Global 100. A systematic method is developed and applied to screen the organizational reports between 2012 and 2016. As a result, 61 reports of 20 organizations are selected for review. We used grounded mechanism to conduct the review. The results of th...
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This study presents the conditions and results of experimental investigations on various photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning methods and the effects on the performance of cadmium-telluride CdTe-type photovoltaic (PV) modules located in... more
This study presents the conditions and results of experimental investigations on various photovoltaic (PV) module cleaning methods and the effects on the performance of cadmium-telluride CdTe-type photovoltaic (PV) modules located in Doha, Qatar. The study aims to find the optimum cleaning technique and frequency based on cleaning performance and cost. PV modules are in a dusty and rocky area in the western part of Doha, Qatar within the north campus of Education City. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology is employed for five different PV modules. The results show that microfiber-based wiper along with microfiber & vacuum cleaner are the most effective cleaning methods with about 6% improvement for the weekly period compared to the control panel among the considered methods. However, due to the increased cost of adding a vacuum cleaner, the microfiber-based wiper is the most efficient method when both cost and improvement rates are considered. In addition, the most efficie...
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This study focuses on the significance of neighborhoods in a city as the smallest self-sufficient urban units akin to nuclear families in the larger society. Thus, improvements to the neighborhood form can improve livability, maximize... more
This study focuses on the significance of neighborhoods in a city as the smallest self-sufficient urban units akin to nuclear families in the larger society. Thus, improvements to the neighborhood form can improve livability, maximize walkability, and better the overall life quality of city inhabitants, which, in turn, advance a city’s overall environmental and social sustainability profile. The physical form (arrangement) and density of neighborhoods are primarily shaped by land ownership regulations, transportation, and communication means. The development of smart technology, especially in the fields of transportation and communication, has led to the reconsideration of some of sustainable urban form concepts such as neighborhoods. Low-density cities like Doha, Qatar can become both sustainable and livable, creating the basis for a sustainable city. First, this paper presents a critical review of Doha’s neighborhoods and advanced transport and communication technologies, in addit...
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Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of an investigation to compare three different three-dimensional printing (3DP) or additive manufacturing technologies [i.e. fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA) and... more
Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of an investigation to compare three different three-dimensional printing (3DP) or additive manufacturing technologies [i.e. fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA) and material jetting (MJ)] and four different equipment (FDM, SLA, MJP 2600 and Object 260) in terms of their dimensional process capability (dimensional accuracy and surface roughness). It provides a comprehensive and comparative understanding about the level of attainable dimensional accuracy, repeatability and surface roughness of commonly used 3DP technologies. It is expected that these findings will help other researchers and industrialists in choosing the right technology and equipment for a given 3DP application. Design/methodology/approach A benchmark model of 5 × 5 cm with several common and challenging features, such as around protrusion and hole, flat surface, micro-scale ribs and micro-scale long channels was designed and printed repeatedly us...
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The Emirate of Abu Dhabi heavily relies on seawater desalination for its freshwater needs due to limited available resources. This trend is expected to increase further because of the growing population and economic activity, the rapid... more
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi heavily relies on seawater desalination for its freshwater needs due to limited available resources. This trend is expected to increase further because of the growing population and economic activity, the rapid decline in limited freshwater reserves, and the aggravating effects of climate change. Seawater desalination in Abu Dhabi is currently done through thermal desalination technologies, such as multi-stage flash (MSF) and multi-effect distillation (MED), coupled with thermal power plants, which is known as co-generation. These thermal desalination methods are together responsible for more than 90% of the desalination capacity in the Emirate. Our analysis indicates that these thermal desalination methods are inefficient regarding energy consumption and harmful to the environment due to CO2 emissions and other dangerous byproducts. The rapid decline in the cost of solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems for energy production and reverse osmosis (RO) technology for...
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Renewable energy investments require a substantial amount of capital to provide affordable and accessible energy for everyone in the world, and finding the required capital is one of the greatest challenges faced by governments and... more
Renewable energy investments require a substantial amount of capital to provide affordable and accessible energy for everyone in the world, and finding the required capital is one of the greatest challenges faced by governments and private entities. In a macroeconomic perspective, national budget deficits and inadequate policy designs hinder public and private investments in renewable projects. These problems lead governments to borrow a considerable amount of money for sustainable development, although such excessive debt-based financing pushes them to unsustainable economic development. This substantial amount of borrowing makes a negative contribution to the high global debt concentration, putting countries’ economic and social development at risk. In line with this, excessive debt-based financing causes an increase in wealth inequality, and when wealth inequality reaches a dramatic level, wars and many other social problems are triggered to correct the course of wealth inequalit...
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This study investigates the causal relationship between public investment and sovereign debt (i.e., external and domestic public debt) with respect to the limits of public-debt sustainability for four countries with the highest GDP (i.e.,... more
This study investigates the causal relationship between public investment and sovereign debt (i.e., external and domestic public debt) with respect to the limits of public-debt sustainability for four countries with the highest GDP (i.e., the United States, China, Japan, Germany) during the period of 2000–2015. In summary, this study establishes quantitative evidence based on empirical findings to support the claim that sovereign debt is harmful to the financing of public infrastructure if it breaches certain thresholds, as proposed in this study, and according to the literature. By this approach, the findings enable us to make recommendations about the need for mobilizing domestic resources and innovating new financial models to promote sustainable development within the limits of sustainable public debt. In short, this paper concludes that performing a project for sustainable development by implementing unsustainable financing models will always end up with unsustainable economic ...
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Condensation occurs in most of the heat transfer processes, ranging from cooling of electronics to heat rejection in power plants. Therefore, any improvement in condensation processes will be reflected in the minimization of global energy... more
Condensation occurs in most of the heat transfer processes, ranging from cooling of electronics to heat rejection in power plants. Therefore, any improvement in condensation processes will be reflected in the minimization of global energy consumption, reduction in environmental burdens, and development of sustainable systems. The overall heat transfer coefficient of dropwise condensation (DWC) is higher by several times compared to filmwise condensation (FWC), which is the normal mode in industrial condensers. Thus, it is of utmost importance to obtain sustained DWC for better performance. Stability of DWC depends on surface hydrophobicity, surface free energy, condensate liquid surface tension, contact angle hysteresis, and droplet removal. The required properties for DWC may be achieved by micro–nanoscale surface modification. In this survey, micro–nanoscale coatings such as noble metals, ion implantation, rare earth oxides, lubricant-infused surfaces, polymers, nanostructured sur...
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This paper develops a theoretical model to analyze whether a rentier state can diversify its economy away from the rent revenue and hence sustain the economic development and preserve the status-quo. Considering the decarbonization... more
This paper develops a theoretical model to analyze whether a rentier state can diversify its economy away from the rent revenue and hence sustain the economic development and preserve the status-quo. Considering the decarbonization process of the global economy and rapidly fall in economic value of hydrocarbons in the face of the supply glut, rentier states depending on oil and gas revenues urgently need to diversify their economies to avoid social backlash and political upheaval. There are three intertwining factors that determine an effective economic diversification away from the rent revenue: The profitability of non-rentier sectors, the size of the domestic economy to induce a “Big Push” for industrialization to non-rentier sectors, and the level of economic inclusivity. For an optimal level of economic diversification in a rentier state: (1) Non-rentier sectors should be attractive to private agents without the entry barriers; (2) domestic economy should be large enough to ind...
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Growth in nanocoatings technology is moving towards implementing nanocoatings in many sectors of the industry due to their excellent abilities. Nanocoatings offer numerous advantages, including surface hardness, adhesive strength,... more
Growth in nanocoatings technology is moving towards implementing nanocoatings in many sectors of the industry due to their excellent abilities. Nanocoatings offer numerous advantages, including surface hardness, adhesive strength, long-term and/or high-temperature corrosion resistance, the enhancement of tribological properties, etc. In addition, nanocoatings can be applied in thinner and smoother thickness, which allows flexibility in equipment design, improved efficiency, lower fuel economy, lower carbon footprints, and lower maintenance and operating costs. Nanocoatings are utilised efficiently to reduce the effect of a corrosive environment. A nanocoating is a coating that either has constituents in the nanoscale, or is composed of layers that are less than 100 nm. The fine sizes of nanomaterials and the high density of their ground boundaries enable good adhesion and an excellent physical coverage of the coated surface. Yet, such fine properties might form active sites for corr...
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Inequality, in any form and dimension, is a major damaging factor for sustainable development. One of the essential drivers of inequality is the over-agglomeration and congestion in a certain region. The reasons for the agglomeration are... more
Inequality, in any form and dimension, is a major damaging factor for sustainable development. One of the essential drivers of inequality is the over-agglomeration and congestion in a certain region. The reasons for the agglomeration are well documented, such as knowledge-spillovers, access to supply and demand markets, availability of skilled labor, and good infrastructure. However, over-agglomeration in a region, mainly triggered by poor planning and mismanagement of resource allocation, may also become a barrier for sustainable development. The over-agglomeration generally results in undesired negative effects impeding the economic, social, and environmental development any further, even causing irreversible social and environmental issues. Following the big-push model, a theoretical model is proposed to consider the negative effects of increasing rent prices due to over-agglomeration first on the industrial development of a country. This is then followed by a case study of Istan...
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Particulate matter (PM) has gained significant attention due to the increasing concerns related to their effects on human health. Although several reviews have shed light on the effect of PM on human health, their critical adverse effect... more
Particulate matter (PM) has gained significant attention due to the increasing concerns related to their effects on human health. Although several reviews have shed light on the effect of PM on human health, their critical adverse effect on material's structure and sustainability was almost neglected. The current study is an attempt to fill this gap related to PM impact on structural materials under the overall consideration of sustainability. More specifically, this review highlights the existing knowledge by providing an overview on PM classification, composition, and sources in different locations around the world. Then, it focuses on PM soiling of surfaces such as solar panels due to an increasing need to mitigate the impact of soiling on reducing photovoltaic (PV) power output and financial competitiveness in dusty regions. This topic is of critical importance for sustainable deployment of solar energy in arid and desert areas around the world to help in reducing their impa...
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Heat transfer fluids are a crucial parameter that affects the size and costs of heat exchangers. However, the available coolants like water and oils have low thermal conductivities, which put many limitations to the development of heat... more
Heat transfer fluids are a crucial parameter that affects the size and costs of heat exchangers. However, the available coolants like water and oils have low thermal conductivities, which put many limitations to the development of heat transfer to achieve high performance cooling. The need for development of new classes of fluids which enhance the heat transfer capabilities attracted the attention of many researchers. In the last few decades, modern nanotechnology developed nanoparticles, which have unique thermal and electrical properties that could help improve heat transfer using nanofluids. A “nanofluid” is a fluid with suspended fine nanoparticles which increases the heat transfer properties compared with the original fluid. Nanofluids are considered a new generation of heat transfer fluids and are considered two-phase fluids of liquid solid mixtures. The efficiency of the fluid could be improved by enhancing its thermal properties, especially the thermal conductivity, and it i...
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ABSTRACT Abstract—Relationship between organizational culture/climate and creativity/innovation and the role of leadership to transform organizations is discussed based on a literature review. Then, a critical analysis of leadership,... more
ABSTRACT Abstract—Relationship between organizational culture/climate and creativity/innovation and the role of leadership to transform organizations is discussed based on a literature review. Then, a critical analysis of leadership, organizational culture and innovation capacity of Turkish university system is presented. Long-term sustainability and growth of an organization largely depend on its innovation capacity. Innovation is a direct consequence of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors for an organization, just like for a human being. In order to be innovative, an organization should grow, keep and flourish creative individuals; it must establish and maintain a transparent, open, functional, minimum-hierarchical culture where collective decision-making, risk taking and rewarding for merit are valued. Transformative or charismatic leadership can transform a stagnant organization into a dynamic and innovative form if only a critical mass in the organization supports it.
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Use of stainless steel has been increasing in HVAC, sanitary and medical devices, as well as several structural and transportation applications, due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance.... more
Use of stainless steel has been increasing in HVAC, sanitary and medical devices, as well as several structural and transportation applications, due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance. Austenitic stainless steels are the most common type used in the metal industry. Due to the limitations of forming these alloys into complex shapes at room temperature conditions,
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Foundations (Awqaf in Arabic and Ottoman, plural of Waqf) have been one of the cornerstones of the Ottoman State in its economic as well as social systems. Awqaf were so pervasive and embedded at every aspect in the Ottoman society that... more
Foundations (Awqaf in Arabic and Ottoman, plural of Waqf) have been one of the cornerstones of the Ottoman State in its economic as well as social systems. Awqaf were so pervasive and embedded at every aspect in the Ottoman society that one of the well-‐known Ottoman historians, Prof Fuat Koprulu, stated that “one could be born, raised, educated, work, live and die and buried in or by Awqaf” (Koprulu, 1942; Sak, 2005). Recently, presence and role of foundations in the higher education in Turkey have been on the rise. Number of universities established by foundations increased to 70+ from 6+ between 2007 and 2013. In the near future, further increases in role of foundation universities are expected on the education and preparation of the next generation of citizens and workforce. Although plenty in number, the current foundation universities are not fully functional, partly due to heavy regulations and restrictions imposed on them by law through the higher education council (YOK), b...
Automotive industry relentlessly in a quest for higher performance of vehicles in several aspects such as increased fuel efficiency and hence reduced tailpipe emissions, improved aerodynamic and driving performance, elevated safety... more
Automotive industry relentlessly in a quest for higher performance of vehicles in several aspects such as increased fuel efficiency and hence reduced tailpipe emissions, improved aerodynamic and driving performance, elevated safety precautions such as crash energy absorption, etc. All these concerns should be addressed with minimal weight increase and without compromising from passenger safety. This manuscript, first gives an overview for world auto industry and projections, and then reviews benefits and problems encountered in development and implementation of high strength steels particularly in automotive industry.
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In this book, the role of human capital as the basis of economic and social development is examined through a comprehensive literature survey and critical analysis in conjunction with its interplay with social capital. The objectives of... more
In this book, the role of human capital as the basis of economic and social development is examined through a comprehensive literature survey and critical analysis in conjunction with its interplay with social capital. The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine the knowledge economy and society concepts as a platform of sustainable development (economic, environment, human, and social development) with recent examples; (2) understand the building blocks of human and social capital, and their impact on knowledge society, sustainable development, and public welfare; (3) identify the roles, mechanisms and development of a policy framework for education, science, technology, and innovation (ESTI) system towards development of human and social capital within the context of Turkey and its regional, national and societal needs as well as culture and history.
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This study critically analyses the recent education reform efforts in Qatar, and the changes taking place in various levels of education, as well as their preliminary effects on the human capital development for Qatar. Data were collected... more
This study critically analyses the recent education reform efforts in Qatar, and the changes taking place in various levels of education, as well as their preliminary effects on the human capital development for Qatar. Data were collected through content analyses of the reports on the standardized international test results including TIMSS and PISA, findings of research studies, as well as the outputs of local assessments and the national reports on education. The analyses revealed that since the launch of the new education reform in 2002, Qatar focused on education as the key to its future progress, and realized that success depends on the ability to compete in a global knowledge economy, rather than relying on gas and oil reserves. To date, significant changes have occurred in the educational landscape from many aspects. However, despite of the substantial investments made, no high quality indicator was gathered in education and there existed many concerns about the challenges and disadvantages of the new reform, having direct or indirect effect on many stakeholders in education including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community as a whole.
After one and half decade of reform, the results indicate that Qatar is still far from meeting its national curriculum standards and has a long way to go for providing quality education, especially in mathematics and science education. The findings provide an overall review of the quality of education system in Qatar and devise progressive policy recommendations for upcoming years.
After one and half decade of reform, the results indicate that Qatar is still far from meeting its national curriculum standards and has a long way to go for providing quality education, especially in mathematics and science education. The findings provide an overall review of the quality of education system in Qatar and devise progressive policy recommendations for upcoming years.