Qatar University’s College of Engineering (QU-CENG), in collaboration with Hilson Moran, hosted a lecture aimed at providing a brief history of sustainability from an engineering perspective.
Titled “The challenges and opportunities to be faced by the next generation of engineers in the coming 40 years,” the event was chaired by QU Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Student Chapter. 
According to QU-CENG, the lecture also provides an overview of the challenges that future engineers will face in their profession.
“These types of lectures help find solutions for the challenges that might face the future generations of engineers considering sustainability and smart systems,” CENG Dean Dr Khalifa al-Khalifa said.
He noted that engineers need to be equipped with modern techniques based on regional and global perspectives to move towards the knowledge-based economy “and make a huge difference to the future of technology and engineering.”
Attending the event include CENG Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department head professor Elsadig Saad, Moran, regional director Matt Kitson, and Principal Sustainability consultant David McKenna, as well as representatives from CENG.
CENG associate professor Dr Ahmad Sleiti and McKenna presented “How new technologies and design techniques must be adopted in order to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 and beyond” and “Overview of QU’s project for the International Solar Decathlon Event involving the development of a house powered entirely by the sun”. 
Dr Sleiti noted that the Solar Decathlon is an international competition created by the US Department of Energy in which universities from all over the world meet to design, build and operate a grid-connected, energetically self-sufficient house. 
“The houses use solar energy as the only energy source and are equipped with all the technologies that permit maximum energy efficiency,” he said. 
“The goal of the Solar Decathlon initiative is to contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of industrialised, solar and sustainable housing, to raise awareness, encourage professionals, educate the general public, promote architecturally attractive solar system integration, and clearly demonstrate that high performance solar homes can be comfortable, attractive and affordable,”  Dr Sleiti noted.
Kitson said Doha has come a long way in the last decade and to achieve its National Vision, Qatar must strive to develop better quality, healthier and more efficient buildings and communities.