1. A computer accessible memory medium that stores program instructions for model predictive control and optimization of a nonlinear process, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to implement: a parametric universal nonlinear dynamic approximator for predictive optimization or control of a nonlinear process, comprising: a dynamic parameterized model, operable to model the nonlinear process, wherein the dynamic parameterized model receives one or more parameters that are not inputs or outputs of the nonlinear process, and wherein the one or more parameters are outputs of an explicit mapping to a parameter space; and a nonlinear approximator, operable to explicitly model dependencies of the one or more parameters of the dynamic parameterized model upon operating conditions of the nonlinear process; wherein the parametric universal nonlinear dynamic approximator is operable to predict process outputs necessary for predictive control and optimization of the nonlinear process, wherein actual measurements of at least one of the process outputs do not exist, by: operating the nonlinear approximator to: receive one or more process operating conditions, including one or more process inputs; and generate values for the one or more parameters of the dynamic parameterized model based on the process operating conditions; and provide the values for the one or more parameters to the dynamic parameterized model; and operating the dynamic parameterized model to: receive the values of the one or more parameters from the nonlinear approximator; receive the one or more process inputs; generate one or more predicted process outputs based on the received values of the one or more parameters and the received one or more process inputs; and store the one or more predicted process outputs.