Seven Things To Know About ASHRAE’s New Global Training Center For Building Excellence In Dubai
From eSociety, August 2017
By Mary Kate McGowan, Associate Editor, News
1. What is it?
The ASHRAE Global Training Center for Building Excellence is a hub from which regularly scheduled ASHRAE training can be provided in the Middle East and surrounding countries. An office located in the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will organize training at the center, nearby hotels and on site for nearby ASHRAE chapters and companies.
2. Why was the center created?
The ASHRAE Global Training Center was created to better engage ASHRAE members in the Middle East and Africa. The customized training will better equip ASHRAE members and nonmembers from consulting firms, suppliers and government ministries and agencies to serve their communities’ needs with knowledge specific to the region. This will help empower ASHRAE members in the Middle East and Africa to continue producing and sharing technical guidance with colleagues and other ASHRAE members around the world. The center’s coordinator, Ayah Said, is promoting and logistically coordinating the training opportunities.
3. Why Dubai, UAE?
Dubai is easily accessible to more than 10,600 ASHRAE members who live in the Region-at-Large and Region XIII, which includes the Indian Subcontinent, Turkey, and Eastern Asia. A coastal city off the Persian Gulf, Dubai is a leading global city and the country’s most populous city, and a leading financial and business hub in the Middle East. The city is known for its iconic skyscrapers and high-rise buildings–testaments to ASHRAE technology. About 480 ASHRAE members live in the UAE, which is part of the Gulf Region, which has nearly 1,500 members in eight chapters.
4. Who is the training for?
Training is for practicing professionals, whether they be ASHRAE members, employees of government ministries and agencies in the Middle East and Africa, or national and multinational companies operating in the region.
5. Are the courses the same as are taught in the U.S.?
While the topics are the same, the content has been customized to make the courses pertinent to the region’s climate and cultural characteristics. Instructors are from the region, enabling more effective interaction with attendees.
6. What training will be offered?
The first training, HVAC Design Essentials, begins Sept. 10. The course equips professionals with the fundamentals and technical aspects of HVAC design, practical skills and knowledge to design and maintain HVAC systems. Attendees will gain in-depth knowledge and understanding and will receive real-world examples of HVAC systems based on the renovated ASHRAE Headquarters building and on buildings in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Other scheduled courses in 2017 include Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems: Design & Applications; Air-to-Air Heat Recovery Fundamentals & Application; Standard 90.1: HVAC/Mechanical Design and Appendix G; and others. All courses are eligible for Professional Development Hours, and credits correspond to the hours of instruction.
7. Are all courses instructor-led?
ASHRAE is currently focused on instructor-led courses. However, Ayah Said can make web-based eLearning classes available to companies, ministries and ASHRAE members in the region. If interested, contact Said by email.
The center will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 19.
To learn more about the Global Training Center and the complete list of available courses, visit the center’s website, or contact Said at globaltrainingcenter@ashrae.org.