Imperial College London showcases the future of sustainable energy

Energy Futures Lab celebrated 10 years of their MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures with a panel discussion and showcase of Imperial energy research.

October 2007 saw the first set of students enrolled on Energy Futures Lab’s MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures. From the beginning this unique course has aimed to provide a multidisciplinary view of the energy sector and develop the next generation of energy leaders.

This year the course saw the tenth cohort finish and to mark the occasion Energy Futures Lab organised a special evening to demonstrate the course’s successes and the breadth of energy research being done at Imperial College London.

The evening kicked off in the Great Hall with a showcase of over 20 different energy research groups from a wide range of departments at Imperial College London. “There is such a diverse range of energy research going on at the College that it can be difficult to try and get that across in a single event but I think we achieved that,” says Professor Tim Green, Director of Energy Futures Lab, “I was delighted to see the number of people from almost every department who got involved and wanted to talk about their research with our guests.”

The main attraction on the evening was a panel discussion. Chaired by Professor Graham Hughes, Energy Futures Lab’s Director of Education, the question to be answered was “How are we building a sustainable energy future?”

Drawing on the 400+ graduates of the MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures, the panellists were Andy Hadland of Arenko, Peny Panagiotakopoulou of National Grid Ventures, Iván Pineda of WindEurope, and Elena Giannakopoulou of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The talk proved so popular that the audience on the evening far exceeded the capacity of the original venue so the talk was streamed to a second lecture theatre for the overflow.

At the event the panel announced a new scholarship funded by alumni of the MSc to support students who wish to do the course, starting with the 2018/19 academic year.

“When we started putting together the event I was really excited. Our graduates have gone on to do some many great things and it was going to be a fantastic opportunity to show off their achievements,” says Victoria Ebo, Alumni Network Manager at Energy Futures Lab, “I think in the end it went even better than I could have hoped.”

After the talk the conversation continued in the Great Hall over drinks, nibbles and a cake to help everyone celebrate. “I was delighted to be asked to be a part of the event,” says And Hadland “Doing the MSc was definitely a defining moment in my career. I have made so many friends and had so many opportunities, it was great to be back and look forward to ten more years.”