By Braden McMillan
Hassan Murad is making waves in the clean technology sector. Recently named one of Forbes Magazine's top five to watch in artificial intelligence (AI), the Simon Fraser University Surrey alumnus is also demonstrating the value of post-secondary opportunities in the sustainable technology field.
Murad is the co-creator of Oscar - an AI-powered visual sorting system that automatically identifies recycling from trash and instructs users on how to sustainably dispose of their waste.
Oscar was developed by Murad and his partner Vivek Vyas after the two innovators graduated from SFU's Mechatronic Systems Engineering program in Surrey. The program was hugely inspirational as they gained experience working on projects that were helping change the world. Additional mentorship and support from SFU's VentureLabs helped their newly-minted company, Intuitive AI, to thrive.
SFU's new Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program offered this fall at the Surrey campus will help others like Murad develop their passion and become clean tech innovators.
"We need innovators and engineers who are always thinking about the after-effects and what comes next when creating sustainable solutions and addressing challenges like climate change," he says. "The new Sustainable Energy Engineering program at SFU is exactly what is needed for the next generation of students to integrate sustainable practices and concepts right from the very start of their careers."
