Call for Contributions – academic article, expert article, poster
The energy sector is undergoing a rapid transformation, yet the shortage of skilled professionals, outdated expertise, and the urgency of the energy transition present significant challenges. Sustainable energy education plays a crucial role in addressing these issues, ensuring that the workforce is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for a future-proof energy system.
We invite researchers, educators, industry professionals and policy makers to contribute to discussions on innovative approaches, best practices, and strategies for advancing sustainable energy education. Join us in shaping the next generation of energy experts!
The conference has four tracks with contributions related to:
Including topics related to professional development and empowering careers in the energy sector.
- support energy careers,
- transfer between lower and higher VET education,
- women in STEM,
- youth motivations,
- lifelong learning,
- continuous professional development,
- workforce development,
- traineeships,
- entrepreneurship education,
- support SMEs,
- career counselling,
- internship programmes,
- employability,
- workplace learning,
- retraining of professionals,
- professional doctorate programmes,
- etcetera...
Including topics related to learning and educational technology that support energy education.
- good practices (including content, teaching practices, challenges, and courses),
- hybrid learning environments (including workplace learning, community-based learning and learning labs),
- international collaboration (including challenges, summer schools and mobility programmes),
- responsive curricula (including skills gap analysis, shared responsibility between education and industry),
- designing educational tools for energy education (including resources, materials, and games),
- innovative educational technology (including AI, VR, and Robotics),
- global learning, community engagement and outreach, large-scale learning (including e-learning and MOOC's),
- business models for energy education, university spin-offs, student incubators,
- regenerative and inclusive education,
- education accreditation, quality and assessment,
- teacher professionalisation (including train-the-trainer, international exchange, and mobility),
- policy and advocacy skills for promoting energy education,
- etcetera...
Topics may relate to collaborations and innovative ways to support energy education in the region.
- Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE's),
- Living labs,
- collaborations with municipalities and regional governments,
- community development and engagement,
- open innovation,
- stakeholder and value networks,
- HUBS in sustainable energy,
- USP, PPS, VET/SME connections,
- effective collaborations & partnerships,
- governance,
- funding,
- financing models,
- financial tools,
- etcetera...
Topics may include skills needed for the labour market in the energy sector and ways to educate these skills.
- Technical skills:
- Energy planning, efficiency, storage, distribution
- E-mobility (including electric vehicles and charging stations)
- Sustainable energy skills (including renewable energy generation)
- Understanding complex (energy) systems
- Energy economics
- Digital skills:
- Cybersecurity for energy systems
- Data analytics and big data management
- Internet of Things (IoT) for smart grids
- Blockchain technology for energy transactions
- Machine learning for predictive maintenance
- Digital twin technology for energy infrastructure
- Soft skills:
- Conflict resolution for energy projects
- Empathy for diverse perspectives
- Teamwork in multidisciplinary energy teams
- Adaptability to changing energy technologies
- Cultural awareness for diverse users
- Time management for energy projects
- Critical thinking for energy strategies
- Entrepreneurial skills:
- Business model innovation for sustainable energy
- Venture capital and funding strategies
- Market analysis and opportunity identification
- Scaling and growth strategies for energy startups
- Leadership and team management in energy initiatives
- Networking and partnership development in the energy sector
- Research & design skills:
- Collaborative and inclusive design skills
- Researching renewable energy technologies
- Biomimicry and nature-based design for energy solutions
- Evaluating the impact of new solutions and policies
- Developing and testing sustainable energy prototypes
- Conducting life cycle assessments
- Developing community-based energy projects
- Researching energy behaviour and consumption patterns
- Professional development skills:
- Continuously updating energy knowledge
- Adapting to new energy technologies
- Collaborating and innovating with energy sector experts
- Learning from energy industry developments
- Participating in energy-related workshops and training
- Applying new energy research findings
- Adopt a boundary-crossing approach
