We have received invitations from the Energy Academy several times and some of our students have been taking these lectures with great enthusiasm. Time to get a better idea of what the Energy Academy entails. We had a conversation with Hein Dieben, from the Energy Coalition.

Hein, what is the main purpose of the New Energy Coalition?

The main purpose is clear and simple: we want to accelerate the energy transition. The means we use to reach this are education, scientific and applied research, business development and innovation.

 

What kind of students should definitely attend the lectures?

First thing that comes to mind is: motivated students. What we offer is extracurricular, which means that you have to put in some additional work next to your study. I started in April and I notice that the vast majority is a group of students who is motivated to take an extra step next to their study. They can obtain the Energy Academy Certificate or Declaration of Participation if they participate in 10 Energy Learning Activities. This certificate is an achievement what could give them an extra step ahead when looking for a job. I notice that a lot of students are motivated to obtain this certificate.

 

Next to that, the energy transition is something that entails all disciplines. That is what we like to show with the Energy Academy Programme as well. Not only the technological or economical aspects, but also politics, psychology and art are vital in this transition. The way I see it, is that the energy transition can be linked to every discipline. So we hope to see students from all disciplines throughout the year.

 

Is there a demand for international students in the energy sector in the Netherlands?

The demand for well-trained personnel for the energy transition is enormous. So international students certainly have a good chance to make an impact in the Netherlands. I have to admit that the language barrier can make it more difficult to get to the right place, but the necessity to speak Dutch is slowly disappearing. We have a few international colleagues at the New Energy Coalition as well. I believe that the point of view they bring from a different country can play a crucial role.

 

What has been the best lecture of 2020 in your opinion and why?

Though choice. Personally, I really enjoyed the lecture ‘Local Energy Systems’ by Wouter van der Galiën. The topic interested me already, but the way he elaborated on this topic made it even better. Even for someone who is not involved in energy could follow this lecture and get interested. It think it might be underestimated what the impact of local energy systems could be. Next to that, it is also something you could apply anywhere on the planet. To fill a top 3, I would recommend ‘A Global Introduction’ by Joan MacNaughton or ‘Energy Trillemma in Asia’ by Ken Koyama.

The lectures from last semester will be online soon, so everyone is able to enjoy all of our past lectures.