Data-driven education for clean energy

Project details

The main objective of the project is to develop and launch new Intensive International Education Programs (IIEP). The subject matter of IIEP is interdisciplinary in nature, combining computer science and electrical power engineering. Part of the IIEP is based on computer science curricula (concerning IT tools), but with a strong emphasis on applications in electrical power engineering; the other part is IIEP originally from the discipline of electrical power engineering, but with increased use of the above mentioned IT tools. Within IIEP, the knowledge transferred from the very basics is based on electrical power systems based on renewable energy as a key direction of business development. When creating new IIEPs, they will be built immediately in an interdisciplinary manner, rather than within individual disciplines, in order to synergistically increase the quality of the knowledge transferred for practical application.

A part of the developed IIEPs will be possible to conduct remotely, which will enable reaching a larger group of recipients and reduce the environmental costs of conducting IIEPs (including no CO2 equivalent costs related to travel). The proposed IIEP programs are a response to Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda, i.e., increasing the share of clean energy in the energy mix. Such a change is associated with the need for a greater number of employees trained in technical fields, including the operation of clean energy systems, to enter the market. The interdisciplinary nature of the IIEPs, with an emphasis on practical applications in the use of renewable energy sources, aims to increase the number of trained specialists in this field on the international market. At the same time, the developed IIEPs will be partially available to WUST students from the moment they are launched (remote IIEPs), and later on they may be included in the standard curriculum. This will therefore also increase the number of specialists on the domestic market. The project participants will be international students (first and second cycle), doctoral students, and employees of foreign universities. The recruitment of international participants will take place online, with initial interest declared from universities in Europe and around the world. In addition, individual IIEPs are also planned at the university student level, with the aim of introducing them to the process of conducting interdisciplinary classes that combine computer science and electrical power engineering, thereby increasing the long-term impact of IIEP in achieving Goal 7 of Agenda 2030.

The project consists of four tasks. The first task is to prepare for the launch of new IIEPs by developing their content and carrying out the necessary administrative and infrastructural activities. The next task is to promote IIEPs and recruit participants, which will be done via an online platform, but also through short trips to partners in order to attract participants. The next task is to conduct IIEP, some of them remotely and some on-site (IIEP, where remote learning is not possible due to the laboratory equipment used). This task includes purchase of equipment necessary to conduct courses: 11 modern laptop computers (10 for course participants and 1 for the teacher) and 11 IoT workstations (10 for course participants and 1 for the teacher, each workstation consists of multiple IoT devices). The final task is to validate the participants' achievements by evaluating the knowledge they have acquired during the IIEP, along with awarding microcredentials for completing the IIEP. Due to the planned three or two editions of the IIEP, the tasks of recruitment, conducting the IIEP, and validation will take place on a cyclical basis.

The intended group is international students, PhD candidates and academic teachers. The recruitment requirements use European Qualification Framework. Six courses are intended for students that are during attaining their VI level of EQF, one course is intended for participants on the VIII level of EQF.

The total budget awarded to the project is 1 178 393,42 PLN.