Programme

Transitioning energy systems, from fossil-based sources to a zero-carbon system, is a sustainability challenge that is high on the agenda of (regional, national and international) policy makers, companies, knowledge institutes and NGOs. More than ever there is an urgent need for professionals that are able to navigate the complexity of this challenge and that can facilitate initiatives contributing to the energy transition. This summer school helps participants to develop ‘green skills’ (knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes) essential for developing and supporting a sustainable and resource-efficient society.  

Programme highlights

• The summer school’s premise is that the energy transition has a systemic nature, implying that a sectoral approach or merely technical innovation are not sufficient. It requires a co-evolution of infrastructure and technology, cultural meaning and beliefs about problems and solutions, changes in rules and institutions and reshuffling of actors and their power relations.  
• The summer school underlines the importance of an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, integrating knowledge across academic disciplines and with non-academic stakeholders to address the sustainability challenge ahead. The summer school therefore offers an attractive and varied programme with lectures, interactive sessions and site visits.  
• To bring taught concepts and theories to life and to explore the actual implementation and its challenges, the programme will use the unique Antwerp region ecosystem (including the city, neighbourhoods, port, industry, research hubs, …). The summer school offers unique opportunities to network with policy makers, companies, NGOs and academics. 
• To prepare for the participant’s future as a change agent in the energy transition, this summer school focuses on problem-based learning, activating teaching methods, and a group project where participants collaborate in a collective and inter- and transdisciplinary setting to develop a problem definition and solution scenarios for a specific challenge in the energy transition.  
• The summer school focuses on energy transitions in Western welfare states and regions, without losing sight of the immer current global dimensions. This summer school explicitly aims to train participants aiming to engage in the energy transition in a Western European or broader: a ‘Global North’ context, also particularly welcoming non-EU students that aim to work in the Global North. The international setting of the summer school, the international participants group and the international perspectives brought in during the workshops are a distinct advantage of this summer school.