Statement of objectives

My name is Santiago Amaya, I am 24 years old, I am a Colombian citizen and I

have lived almost all my life in Colombia, except for 9 months I lived in the
U.S.A. I am a mechanical engineer, graduated from the University of the Andes
(Universidad de los Andes) in Bogota, Colombia.
For me the world is an immense treasure, and the only one we have; and I
think we are exploiting its resources in an uncontrolled way, looking just for our
own benefit. With the technology we have now, there is a real possibility to
start using our resources in a responsible way, and stop fighting for them; this
is the time to achieve a sustainable society, keeping the balance with the world
we live in, and that we have just started to respect and understand.
During my studies at Masdar I want to learn about more efficient ways to
employ and convert energy from one form to another; I want to understand the
physics and mechanics of nanoscale phenomena, because I think that is the
key for high efficiency technologies, and I want to gain a deeper understanding
of energy conversion systems, that will allow me to find the best possible way
to harness energy, in each particular condition or environment.
I see myself working in the design and construction or manufacture of
specialized devices for efficient and clean storage of energy. I want to look for
new and unconventional ways to harness and store energy, ways that can be
implemented in isolated and forgotten places, like some zones of my country
Colombia, where electricity and technology are not present. I want to bring self-
sustainable technologies to places where people live in poverty, so they can
have good opportunities and high quality of life, at the same time that they
interact wisely with their environment. I also wish to participate in the
improvement of present technologies, as long as they are the most adequate
options.
During my studies of mechanical engineering I learnt step by step, the
necessary concepts to understand different kinds of energy conversion
systems, I also studied material science, manufacturing processes and
transport processes. All that, combined with a strong mathematical
background, will allow me to undertake the search for the improvement of our
energetic technologies, the design of new ones, and the construction of a self-
sustainable society.
During my job in the installation of Siemens Gas Turbines for the Oil & Gas
industry, in a somewhat isolated region, I have gain an insight of some of the
problems that my country is facing regarding energetic affairs. Such as, the
immense dependence on fossil fuels, the high costs of fuel transportation, and
the low percentage of the country that has access to electricity.
I have always been interested in a self-sustainable and efficient way of living,
keeping the balance with the environment, and optimizing the use of our
resources; when I heard about MASDAR, It looked to me like it was the perfect
place for me to pursue my goals, and when I found out that in this city there
was an Institute of science and technology where I could deepen my knowledge
in mechanics, focused on efficient and clean energy and smart use of
resources, I decided to apply to the MSc in Mechanical Engineering . Also, as
Masdar city is currently been constructed, there is a high potential of applying
new technologies or technics of many areas of knowledge (material science,
infrastructure, computation and control, electronics, etc.), and I want to be part
of that process, and gain life changing experience in the area of expertise I
want to dedicate my life to (self-sustainability).
At the moment I possess full working rights in Australia (Visa 476-Recognised
Skilled Graduate), and I plan to travel to this country on the 30 th of March 2016
to start a career there. If I am accepted into Masdar Institute, even though
working and living in Australia is a great opportunity, I will choose to go to
Masdar without thinking it twice, because I think it is a privilege and the way to
attain my goals.