Project Oasis
Project Oasis - Winners of Zayed Sustainability Prize 2022
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is a global award in the UAE, celebrating impactful and innovative sustainability solutions inspired by the legacy of Sheikh Zayed.
What is project Oasis?
Project Oasis is a student-led initiative in engineering. They aim to produce 6 kilowatts of energy and 1,000 liters of water every day with zero infrastructure for every machine that is built.
Ultimately, the school plans on mass producing these machines to significantly reduce global water shortages and provide clean water and energy in impoverished areas; all while being carbon neutral in operations.
The solution will continue to deliver benefits to students at the school for the next 50 years. Project Oasis aims to collect electricity and water from the air, simultaneously. The system accomplishes this using organic Rankine cycle and condenser technology.”
The Team
The project was assisted by Dr. Bob Roach and created by our Physics students Merrick Richers (Canada), Joseph von Weizsäcker (Germany), Felipe Pinho ( Brazil ), George Ishaq (Palestine), Ekaterina Vragova (Russia), Emmanuel Eliphase (Tanzania), Maharjan Raj (Nepal), Valerian Feigin (Israel), Artem Knyazev (Kazakhstan), Newton Khunvongsa (Laos), Basel Naamneh (Palestine), Sambhav Man Tuladhar (Nepal), and Deiv Mico (Albania).
Actions from the Project Oasis Team
📣 Outreach to Local Schools
We gave talks to local junior-high and high-school students about the project, its goals, and the Zayed Sustainability Prize. Two student groups also visited EMIS for on-campus briefings, where we discussed the global need for water and off-grid solutions.
🌍 Engagement with the Diplomatic Corps
We hosted representatives from several African countries, including Tanzania, Cameroon, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Uganda. They expressed a strong interest in piloting the device in their countries. As we are already in contact with Zayed Sustainability Prize finalists in some of these regions, partnering with their schools for trials is a natural next step.
More actions
🧠 Learning About Patents
A local patent firm has volunteered to brief our students on intellectual property and patent filing. The first session took place during the school year, with a follow-up planned for the fall. These workshops help students understand the business and legal side of innovation.
Overall recent work report
Although the Project Oasis team includes around 15 students from grades 10–12, busy schedules mean that not everyone is always available at the same time. As the school year ends, the 12th graders leave campus for their next chapter, the 11th graders step up, and the 10th graders move into leadership roles. Several students volunteered to remain on campus over the summer to continue advancing the project. When the new school year begins, incoming 10th graders will join the team, learning from those who have already gained experience and helping to develop future Project Oasis devices. Project updates are shared through the EMIS website and a dedicated Project Oasis website launching in the fall, which will also help raise awareness and support. The team maintains a daily log in Google Docs and stays connected through active WhatsApp groups.
Be an environmental leader
Our students use their time at EMIS to develop their perspectives and beliefs, learn skills and experiment with activism to assume their own environmental leadership identity. The ‘Green Team’ is an extracurricular club, part of the CAS program (creativity, activity and service) that is one of the most active and hands-on CAS options. The club is guided by student leaders, who facilitate a wider group of students to engage in real-life projects and initiatives both in school and beyond in the wider community.
Be an environmental leader
Our students use their time at EMIS to develop their perspectives and beliefs, learn skills and experiment with activism to assume their own environmental leadership identity. The ‘Green Team’ is an extracurricular club, part of the CAS program (creativity, activity and service) that is one of the most active and hands-on CAS options. The club is guided by student leaders, who facilitate a wider group of students to engage in real-life projects and initiatives both in school and beyond in the wider community.
Overall recent work report
Although the Project Oasis team includes around 15 students from grades 10–12, busy schedules mean that not everyone is always available at the same time. As the school year ends, the 12th graders leave campus for their next chapter, the 11th graders step up, and the 10th graders move into leadership roles. Several students volunteered to remain on campus over the summer to continue advancing the project. When the new school year begins, incoming 10th graders will join the team, learning from those who have already gained experience and helping to develop future Project Oasis devices. Project updates are shared through the EMIS website and a dedicated Project Oasis website launching in the fall, which will also help raise awareness and support. The team maintains a daily log in Google Docs and stays connected through active WhatsApp groups.
Global Impact - EMIS at COP27
Fahd El Khamlichi, Class of 2023 from Morocco, represented EMIS and Project Oasis at COP27 this year! COP27 is the world’s biggest annual climate conference. As Project Oasis is the 2022 winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, they got the opportunity to spread awareness of climate change and solutions at the conference.
