OVERVIEW 

Amina is pursuing a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at University College Cork (UCC) under the supervision of Dr. Barry Hayes. Her research, titled “HVDC and Hybrid DC/AC Technologies for Reconfigurable Energy Islands (HVDC4ISLANDS),” focuses on enhancing the operational and economic aspects of energy islands while introducing expandability to HVDC and hybrid DC/AC systems. 

As part of this groundbreaking project, she is contributing to Work Package 6 (WP6), which aims to go beyond the current state of the art by simulating and evaluating the potential technical, economic, and environmental benefits of HVDC4ISLANDS over traditional offshore renewable energy integration methods. By addressing key challenges in renewable energy transmission, her research supports the development of scalable, sustainable solutions that align with Europe’s energy transition goals. 

BACKGROUND

Amina holds a second-class honours degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore. Her undergraduate studies culminated in a final year project titled “Digital Feeder Protection Relay and its Modeling based on IEC 61850,” which earned a top grade. This project allowed her to develop a deep understanding of modern power system protection and standards-based modeling. It also strengthened her ability to design and implement solutions aligned with international standards, laying a strong foundation for her current research endeavors.

Professionally, she worked as a Lab Engineer at the Energy and Power Systems Lab at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) for almost a year. In this role, she designed and conducted experiments in power system stability and electromechanical systems. She taught undergraduate electrical engineering students, supervised semester projects, supported research students with experimental setups, and managed lab equipment and inventory.

Additionally, Amina gained valuable industry experience through internships at leading organizations. At Nestle Pakistan Ltd., she proposed energy-efficient solutions to reduce pneumatic air consumption by transitioning to PLC-based proximity sensors and solenoid-operated valves. At Pak Elektron Limited (PEL), she acquired hands-on exposure to grid station protection systems and the design and production of transformers.