News Desk
DUBAI: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai has emerged as one of the standout institutions at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Middle East and North Africa Awards 2025. The awards celebrate excellence in building-services engineering across the region and recognize projects and institutions that push boundaries in sustainability and innovation. MAHE Dubai took home two major honours: Winner of the Student Design Competition and Winner of the Sustainable Initiative – Universities category for its “Classroom to Climate Action” program.
This year’s CIBSE Student Design Competition challenged university teams to explore “Intelligent Buildings”, inviting entrants to design or retrofit buildings that integrate smart HVAC, IoT driven controls, adaptive lighting, predictive maintenance and real time energy optimization. Thirteen teams representing eight universities across the UAE participated.
Dr. Bhakti More, Head of the Centre for ESG at MAHE Dubai and faculty mentor to Regen, said: “The recognition from the CIBSE MENA Awards highlights MAHE Dubai’s integrated approach to education, fostering sustainability, innovation and community engagement through experiential, youth driven initiatives that bridge classroom learning and real-world environmental stewardship.” She added that the students’ success “demonstrates how combining technical rigour with creativity can deliver tangible solutions for intelligent buildings and climate action.”
MAHE Dubai’s winning team, “Regen”, comprised Biji Sara Binu (M.Des Sustainable Design), Marwa K. (B.Arch), Kiran Krishnan (B.Tech EEE) and Khalid Ali (B.Tech EEE). Mentored by Dr. Bhakti More and Dr. Ravishankar Dudhe, with support from alumna Sundara Vadhana and industry mentors, Regen proposed innovative and financially sustainable retrofit approach for a four-star hotel in the UAE to improve energy and water efficiency, inclusivity, and climate resilience. The study also focused on the integration of smart IoT systems and AI-enabled technologies such as ROS and Digital Twin. These systems enable predictive monitoring and control, allowing the building to anticipate performance deviations and take necessary corrective actions for energy and water savings with minimal human intervention.
Beyond the design competition, MAHE Dubai’s “Classroom to Climate Action” initiative won the Sustainable Initiative – Universities award. Judges commended the initiative for empowering students, promoting data capture and analysis, and aligning with a decarbonised future. The Centre for ESG at MAHE Dubai with Manipal Environment Conservation Students Club received a Verified Impact project stamp for its initiative ‘Seeding Sustainability Program’ aligned with Sustainable Impact, ESG’s and SDG’s in the UAE. This innovative program by Water Alliance was delivered by Manipal Academy of Higher Education Dubai’s students across schools in the UAE was selected among the top 20 projects nationwide in MAJRA’s Sustainable Impact Challenge 2025. The recognition comes during the UAE’s Year of Community, highlighting MAHE Dubai’s commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and community engagement through youth-led initiatives.
MAHE Dubai was also highly commended for Digital Innovation of the Year – Universities for its Gen G (Generation Green) and Manzil Al Mazra’a/Farmhouse app, which harnesses IoT sensors and data analytics to monitor water use, soil health and energy consumption in a campus community garden.
As the Gulf’s first Indian multidisciplinary university, established in 2000, MAHE Dubai combines rigorous academics with handson learning across all disciplines to equip graduates who are not only jobready but lifeready, blending theoretical depth with practical relevance so that they can contribute meaningfully to the UAE’s progress and a more sustainable future.
