In these exceptional times, scientists tell us that we have an increasingly limited window to change the way we live. This is primarily due to the alarming rate of the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic changes in the Earth's climate. As the stakes are high for upcoming generations, everyone should make an effort to take action sooner rather than later. A good approach would be to enhance the development of sustainable energy research leading to new ways of harnessing renewable energy sources. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, my experiences of travelling around the world during holidays enriched my realization of my own native country’s gradual development. As I left and returned, I saw the steady evolution of my hometown into the city it is today. From a land of sand-ridden wilderness, my home became a high-tech city with state of the art buildings. However, with endless sun and no solar panels, vast amounts of money but no sustainable or renewable energy planning, a lot can be improved. The continual growth of this modern city could easily also be assisted by the power of nature. I believe we are not appreciating or acknowledging the power of our natural sources. After finishing my high school diploma my grandfather suggested that I study in the United Kingdom due to his experience in the country as a previous Ambassador and LSE graduate. Although I come from a political family I find that the field of science is what truly interests me, therefore I am currently in my 3^rd year studying Mechanical Engineering. This has given me an excellent overview of all aspects of the field and has laid a strong foundation for postgraduate study. While I have performed well across the subject, demonstrating both my ability and my commitment to hard work in everything I undertake, I’ve found that my primary interests lay in expanding the previous work that I have undertaken in the field of Sustainable Energy Development.

Certain renewable energy technologies such as large-scale wind power, solar thermal water heating and geothermal heat pumps are already economically competitive with traditional sources of energy, such as fossil fuels. Even when the cost of power produced by renewables is more than the average utility rates, many companies can still potentially save money by implementing renewable technologies into their utilities. Recently various companies worldwide have proposed establishing a Solar Updraft Tower, although this technology has not yet been fully developed the perfect methodology, projects like this show the range of potential improvements in this sector.

To further explore my interests in the intertwined worlds of energy and economics, I have undertaken work experience in banking and at SABIC, one of the largest petrochemical companies in the world. These trainee positions allowed me to gain experience of the challenges of implementing these theoretical solutions within the industry through gaining a greater awareness of the economic models and practical logistics that currently underpin it.

Having developed these interests within the field, through personal experience and study, I believe that the syllabus at XXX offers the ideal opportunity for their further exploration. The CCC module, in particular, suggests that this method of teaching would offer a unique way of promoting critical thinking and enquiry. As Ghandi said, ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’, and I can aspire successfully towards becoming that changes with the opportunities that XXX routinely offers to its students.

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