The Energiewende makes experts and executives in the energy sector face new tasks: Supply, economic efficiency, access opportunities, and environmental and climate compatibility have to be ensured. To manage these tasks, experts of various disciplines cooperate closely. Additional qualifications may help them shape the rapidly developing occupational sector. Topics, such as alternative drive concepts, future electricity supply and energy storage systems, as well as competent handling of ongoing societal discourse, are covered by the contact studies program “Technology Assessment and Energiewende” that will start at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in February 2015.
The parallel-to-the-job training course of six months’ duration will focus among others on the framework conditions of the Energiewende, which extend beyond specialized knowledge of economics and engineering. The KIT Center for Open and Distance Learning offers the program together with the Institute for Technology Assessment (ITAS) of KIT. “Technology assessment is based on an interdisciplinary approach: The participants in the program will learn to study this development from all sides and, thus, better understand its complexity and be enabled to analyze potential influencing factors,” says Professor Michael Decker, Deputy Head of ITAS and scientific coordinator of the contact studies program.
The course is designed for experts and executives in the energy sector and related branches as well as for representatives of politics, administration, and associations. It also addresses environmental organizations, consulting enterprises, as well as interested journalists.
The participants will learn to competently participate in societal discourse about the energy turnaround and to explain their own position. Apart from profound knowledge of objectives and perspectives of technology assessment, the program is designed to teach methods, such as the scenario approach and sustainability assessment. Based on the topics “Development of alternative drive concepts” and “Future electricity supply”, technical opportunities and challenges as well as potential courses of development in the future will be highlighted. A simulation game focuses on the process of advising politics by science. It is aimed at reflecting the perspective of potential stakeholders and specifically analyzing problems in interdisciplinary groups.
The course is based on a studies letter containing the contents to be conveyed to the participants as well as exercises and model solutions. Via a learning platform (Moodle), exchange of information among the participants is ensured. Online meetings will provide the students with additional knowledge. The simulation game will be introduced by a tutor via the learning platform. Two events of two days’ duration each will require compulsory attendance of the participants and are aimed at imparting a real technology assessment process relating to energy storage systems. In the course of the program, the participants will be supported by qualified tutors. After successful participation, a university certificate will be issued. The Contact Studies program will start on February 2, 2015 and end on July 31, 2015. The dates of compulsory attendance in Karlsruhe are April 10/11 and May 08/09, 2015. The costs amount to EUR 1950.
For further information on the contents, didactic concept, admission requirements, and registration, click: www.weiterbildung-energie.de
The program was conceived under the KIC InnoEnergy project for innovation, the establishment of startups, and education covering sustainable energy sources. KIC InnoEnergy is funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (eit).
If you have questions concerning the program, please contact:
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
HoC │ Fernstudienzentrum (FSZ)
Linda Eggerichs
Phone: +49 (0) 721 608-48200
E-mail: wwb ∂does-not-exist.kit edu
Internet: www.weiterbildung-energie.de
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