idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Project managers face a multitude of complex challenges, particularly in energy planning and energy management. At Europa-Universität Flensburg students can prepare for future challenges through practical projects in the master’s program in Sustainable Energy with a specialization in Development. Through empathy-based learning they gain a better understanding of users’ needs.
Lecturers have for a long time utilized approaches such as problem-based learning and community-engaged learning. This provides students with the opportunity to work on real-world energy planning and energy management problems in towns or village communities, for example. The goal is for them to apply the theory that they have learned to real-world settings. As part of these projects, energy plans, investment recommendations, or feasibility studies are typically developed for rural communities.
“However, we noticed that while our students developed great solutions, they were sometimes unable to fully involve the local people in the process,” explains Prof. Dr. Bernd Möller, program director of the Development specialization in the master’s program in Sustainable Energy. During the seminars, technically and economically optimal solutions emerged, but the local communities increasingly became the subject of research. This created a certain distance. “We realized that to create a solution that engages people in local communities and incorporates their specific concerns, hardships, and needs, we need a learning approach based on mutual understanding,” says Prof. Dr. Bernd Möller.
Empathy-based learning as a path to better understanding
The approach chosen by the lecturers is commonly used in the training of nursing and healthcare professionals and is known as empathy-based learning. As part of a three-step process, students first reflect on their own energy use. In the second step, they engage in conversations with local residents as part of their on-site project. The goal is to identify the residents’ needs, challenges, and concerns. This gives students a deeper insight into what energy users need and which issues act as barriers.
In the third step, proposed technical solutions are then evaluated based on these needs and barriers and adjusted accordingly. This results in energy plans that are not only technically sound but also engage local residents with greater empathy. This can sustainably improve acceptance of the energy transition.
Project in Ireland offers room to experiment
In the Irish region of Erris in County Mayo, the 14 students in the master’s program had the opportunity to put local energy planning to the test. Thanks to the new approach, the solutions developed were better tailored to the needs of the local community. In various workshops, the community had the opportunity to voice their needs and concerns. Based on the perspectives shared, the plan was then revised. This led, among other things, to a plan to reopen the local swimming pool in a significantly more energy-efficient and thus more cost-effective manner.
An important step toward shaping a just energy transition
“In our project, I learned that a good balance is needed between the perspectives coming from the local community and the considerations of technical experts,” explains a student in the master’s program in Sustainable Energy with a specialization in Development, thereby describing an important aspect of the education of those who will help shape the energy transition in the future. “We need ambassadors for sustainable energy systems who not only have the technical and economic knowledge to help shape the energy transition, but also the social skills to bring people and communities along with them. This is a key factor in making a just energy transition possible,” says Prof. Dr. Bernd Möller.
https://www.uni-flensburg.de?id=40081&L=2 Information on the Sustainable Energy master’s program
https://www.uni-flensburg.de/sedev/news-details/news/global-energy-students-brin... Insights into the project in Erris, Ireland
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