International maritime trade, energy production, and the manufacture and global circulation of new materials urgently require creative technological solutions to enable environmentally sustainable commerce. PIRE for Water and Commerce, hosted at Duke University will educate young US scientists and engineers in an international context to provide these solutions. The PIRE brings together three US universities, five international academic institutions in Turkey, Singapore and France, and associated international companies with a substantial U.S. presence to educate students in the technology and international dimensions of water resources and their connection to a global movement of goods, materials, and energy.
Educational objectives of our PIRE include educating students to:
- participate in careers and leadership in projects executed by international teams;
- perform innovative research with leading foreign collaborators to develop new technologies and methods that enable the sustainability of water resources;
- carry out life cycle assessments of the consequences of various energy/ technology mixes;
- develop awareness of global issues and sustainability; and
increase the number and diversity of students entering careers in science and engineering.
Student opportunities include first-hand experience through travel and research with our three international research teams (IRTs) that engage our industrial partners to address PIRE research themes in the following areas:
- Technologies to avoid and remediate risks associated with production and transport of energy-related commodities;
- Methods for advanced environmental detection and analysis to diagnose and monitor contamination resulting from production, shipping or pipeline transport of fossil and biofuels; and
- Life cycle comparisons of energy supply scenarios.