With cars one of the factors responsible in causing carbon dioxide (CO2), the EU has continued to set mandatory reduction targets for vehicle manufacturers in order for them to reduce their footprint. As stricter laws are set to be imposed from 2020, postgraduate researcher Nassir Ibrahim is focusing on ensuring car makers across the globe make the right decisions.
Meeting global emission and fuel economy legislation
Car manufacturers will face more stringent laws in the near future, leading to concerns over selling vehicles, paying possible penalties and investing in new technology. With such important decisions to be made, Nassir’s research feels timely. “I am designing algorithms to find out what is the best decision to be made in these situations,” he explains. “The research I’m doing focuses on the manufacturers and whether they should sell the car and face a possible penalty or avoid such potential pitfalls.”
Presenting research – Steve Jobs-style
Nassir will be showcasing some of his work at the upcoming RESFEST on Wednesday 3 July. The event sees PhD students from across the University demonstrate their work through presentations, posters and soapboxes. Nassir chose the latter option. “I want to put the RESFEST audience into the decision makers’ shoes, just to show how hard it is when it comes to selling cars under this legislation,” he explains.
He says he opted for the soapbox style in order to fine-tune his message without any aids. “Steve Jobs never had slides – he sold you his vision by engaging with you,” Nassir says. “If you want to know if your research is coming across well, you need to stand up on your own terms. I want to expose my ideas and get my message across clearly without the support of slides.”
Practical knowledge and real-world experience
RESFEST brings together postgraduate researchers from multiple faculties, a factor Nassir highly endorses. “Cross-collaboration is so important,” he stresses. “It’s not about stealing each other’s contribution to knowledge, it’s about learning from one another. RESFEST brings all researchers together.”
After studying his undergraduate and Master’s here, Nassir was more than happy to return to study his PhD. “What attracts to me to the University is the applied learning and practical knowledge,” he says. “When I went into industry, what they are doing reflects what I learnt here. My lecturers have both the practical and academic experience needed.”