AUS Students Win Inaugural Women Innovator Challenge with Sustainable Data Centre Cooling Solution

Three American University of Sharjah engineering students have developed an innovative water recovery system for data centre cooling, winning the inaugural Women Innovator Challenge organised by AUS's College of Engineering.

As artificial intelligence and digital services accelerate the expansion of data centres globally, the imperative to balance cooling requirements with water conservation has become increasingly urgent. Three engineering students from the American University of Sharjah have developed a compelling response to this challenge through AquaServe, a proposal that secured victory at the institution’s inaugural Women Innovator Challenge.

Organised by the AUS College of Engineering’s Women in Engineering (WiE) Society, the challenge invited female-led student teams to devise engineering solutions addressing water scarcity and sustainable water management within the United Arab Emirates context. The competition attracted 26 submissions, with 13 teams comprising 46 students from seven institutions advancing to the final stage.

The winning AquaServe team—comprising AUS students Amritha Rajeev, Raisa Syed and Sham Al-Tabba’—has proposed a system that circulates warm water from data centre servers through columns where microscopic air bubbles extract heat energy. The water vapour is subsequently condensed and reintroduced into the system for recycling, thereby substantially reducing water losses throughout the cooling process. The team presented comprehensive design specifications, detailed calculations and a computer simulation demonstrating the viability of their approach.

Sham Al-Tabba’, a mechanical engineering student, reflected on the experience: “Participating in the Women Innovator Challenge gave us the opportunity to apply our engineering knowledge to a pressing sustainability challenge and develop a solution with practical relevance to the UAE. Winning the challenge was especially rewarding given the quality of the solutions presented by teams from across the participating universities.”

The final presentations followed a rigorous format, with each team delivering a three-minute presentation followed by a three-minute question-and-answer session. The judging panel comprised Dana Al-Muqbel, Process Engineer at Worley; Hind Ahmed Mohamed Almutawa Almteiri, Senior Manager, IPPs and Production Planning at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; and Dr. Serter Atabay, Professor of Civil Engineering at AUS. Evaluations considered teams’ problem comprehension, proposal originality and feasibility, and potential real-world impact.

AquaSecure from Al Ain University secured second place, whilst HydroGuard from Heriot-Watt University Dubai claimed third position. The American University of Sharjah demonstrated particular strength, with four teams reaching the final: AquaServe, Liquid Assets, The Hydro Initiative and HydroHer, representing 14 AUS students collectively.

Dr. Vian Ahmed, Professor of Industrial Engineering at AUS and Chair of the WiE Society, expressed satisfaction with the outcomes: “The challenge began with water management in the UAE, yet AquaServe speaks to a question faced by data centres elsewhere. Giving young women the opportunity to develop ideas, present them and have them questioned by experts is exactly what we want the WiE Society to encourage.”

Formally established in February 2026, the WiE Society supports women in engineering through mentorship, leadership development, research opportunities and industry connections. Future initiatives for 2026–2027 include an Industry Circles programme connecting students with alumni and women industry leaders, support for the Engineering Shadow Program, and workshops addressing leadership and practical skills development.

Source: WAM