hello guys. I would really appreciate it if you could give me feedback on my essay for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship.
Future Goals and Study
We would like to learn more about your interest in further academic study. Why do you want to study this degree programme? What specifically about this degree programme will be useful for your future goals?
Growing up in Sudan, I witnessed how instability and weak energy infrastructure limit food production, health services and economic stability. Despite having an abundance of renewable energy resources, Sudan nevertheless relies significantly on refined petroleum to generate electricity, yet many rural areas remain underserved, and due to recent conflicts, vital infrastructure, such as pipelines, refineries and transmission lines, has been severely damaged and destroyed, causing Sudan to lose more than a third of its electricity production. Considering this, I want to pursue further studies to build the technical and problem-solving skills needed to design sustainable energy systems that are affordable and effective in areas with limited infrastructure, promoting energy solutions that can reliably support farmers, rural families and displaced communities.
The MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh is well-suited for my academic interests and goals as it combines engineering, social science, and policy. Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems is the module with the greatest potential impact on the communities I hope to serve. Sudan's solar irradiation is among the highest globally, making solar PV the most affordable and scalable technology. Mastering this module will enable me to design efficient, cost-effective PV systems and optimise off-grid PV-battery networks.
Many communities in Sudan live far from the national grid, and those connected often experience frequent outages. The future of electrification lies in resilient mini-grids and distributed generation systems. This is why the Distributed Energy Resources and Smart Grids module will be most beneficial, as it will give me the specialised knowledge needed to design and deploy decentralised/distributed generation and smart grids capable of managing modern renewable sources, the solution for connecting rural Sudanese communities.
The module I'm most excited about is Energy Policy and Politics, which explores how governance, equity, and geopolitics shape the renewable energy transition. This course will equip me with the necessary strategic and political skills to create context-aware energy policies that attract foreign direct investment and influence the national energy sector reform.
Using skills from the University of Edinburgh, I plan to provide practical, sustainable solar solutions for Sudan's most vulnerable communities. For refugee camps and rural villages, I would like to work with NGOs, UN agencies and local authorities to deploy solar systems and provide reliable electricity and clean water. For smallholder farmers, instead of relying on expensive diesel generators for irrigation, I will design affordable solar-powered irrigation and pumping systems to enhance crop productivity and food security.
Future Goals and Study
We would like to learn more about your interest in further academic study. Why do you want to study this degree programme? What specifically about this degree programme will be useful for your future goals?
Growing up in Sudan, I witnessed how instability and weak energy infrastructure limit food production, health services and economic stability. Despite having an abundance of renewable energy resources, Sudan nevertheless relies significantly on refined petroleum to generate electricity, yet many rural areas remain underserved, and due to recent conflicts, vital infrastructure, such as pipelines, refineries and transmission lines, has been severely damaged and destroyed, causing Sudan to lose more than a third of its electricity production. Considering this, I want to pursue further studies to build the technical and problem-solving skills needed to design sustainable energy systems that are affordable and effective in areas with limited infrastructure, promoting energy solutions that can reliably support farmers, rural families and displaced communities.
The MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh is well-suited for my academic interests and goals as it combines engineering, social science, and policy. Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems is the module with the greatest potential impact on the communities I hope to serve. Sudan's solar irradiation is among the highest globally, making solar PV the most affordable and scalable technology. Mastering this module will enable me to design efficient, cost-effective PV systems and optimise off-grid PV-battery networks.
Many communities in Sudan live far from the national grid, and those connected often experience frequent outages. The future of electrification lies in resilient mini-grids and distributed generation systems. This is why the Distributed Energy Resources and Smart Grids module will be most beneficial, as it will give me the specialised knowledge needed to design and deploy decentralised/distributed generation and smart grids capable of managing modern renewable sources, the solution for connecting rural Sudanese communities.
The module I'm most excited about is Energy Policy and Politics, which explores how governance, equity, and geopolitics shape the renewable energy transition. This course will equip me with the necessary strategic and political skills to create context-aware energy policies that attract foreign direct investment and influence the national energy sector reform.
Using skills from the University of Edinburgh, I plan to provide practical, sustainable solar solutions for Sudan's most vulnerable communities. For refugee camps and rural villages, I would like to work with NGOs, UN agencies and local authorities to deploy solar systems and provide reliable electricity and clean water. For smallholder farmers, instead of relying on expensive diesel generators for irrigation, I will design affordable solar-powered irrigation and pumping systems to enhance crop productivity and food security.
