Energy Researcher’s Learning Week in the Netherlands
What opportunities can RUN European University (RUN-EU), formed by ten higher education institutions, offer researchers? Our doctoral researcher Ona Vassallo dived into RUN-EU’s operations, research, and innovations in the Netherlands at an event organized by RUN-EU partner institution NHL Stenden as part of Innovation Meets Regions event. Read more about Ona’s week in this article!
In February, I, together with the Sustainable Energy Systems research group, traveled to the Netherlands to get to know more about RUN-EU and its opportunities. During three working days we focused on research and innovation, heard student presentations, and had meetings with international research colleagues.
In my dissertation, I study the energy consumption of buildings and communities in a changing climate
Developing Sustainable Energy Systems with International Partners
At the RUN-EU event, I particularly participated in the Student Colloquium, where I was able to dive into the research results and topics of doctoral researchers from various fields.
In my dissertation, I study the energy consumption of buildings and communities in a changing climate, how the energy transition will impact end users, and what future energy systems might look like. I work in HAMK’s Sustainable Energy Systems research group, which consists of twelve experts studying energy-related phenomena both at the building level and in larger energy systems and networks.
Our research group had a specific goal for the week. Last year, HAMK’s energy team leader, Principal Research Scientist Kaisa Kontu, established the Smart and Sustainable Energy Systems SaSES research group together with our international partners. This event was, therefore, the first time we could innovate together with our international colleagues.
Crossing Disciplinnary Boundaries
During the three days, researchers met in a multidisciplinary environment. The first day began with an introductory lunch, where, as part of an introduction bingo, all participating researchers and students were asked about their home country, research group, and recent updates from their own research front.
There were many researchers from fields like circular economy, water, and material technology. In addition to Häme University of Applied Sciences, energy researchers from Howest University of Applied Sciences in Belgium and Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences in Austria took part in the meetings.
We heard about energy research being conducted in Belgium and Austria, and our colleagues learned about the energy research carried out by HAMK. HAMK’s energy team also included doctoral students, among whom I had the opportunity to present my research plan to an international audience.
Towards More Equal, Safer, and Environmentally Friendly Energy
On the third day, a creative workshop was organised with the aim of advancing project ideation and planning. Our international RUN-EU research group participated in the workshop as a unified team, and from there emerged a clear line of action and goals for our next projects.
The sustainability of energy systems is not just a trendy term but a metric for how we can make energy more equal, safer, and environmentally friendly
We found common topics and were able to distill the main theme from our broad research to advance together. We recognized that, for us, the sustainability of energy systems is not just a trendy term but a metric for how we can make energy more equal, safer, and environmentally friendly. So, it’s worth keeping an eye on HAMK’s energy team in the future!
HAMK also had members from other research groups at the event, and in the evenings, over food and drinks, we discussed the future of projects and potential collaboration opportunities. It was noted that HAMK’s research is truly multidisciplinary, and that future polyphonic research requires combining different research perspectives. Thus, research ideas were also generated internally within HAMK.
The event allowed the development of creative innovation collaboration in a manner quite unlike what is experienced in normal work
All in all, I can say that the RUN-EU work trip was very productive for HAMK’s energy team. We gained a unique perspective on international energy research, as well as a broad understanding of different research themes. The event allowed the development of creative innovation collaboration in a manner quite unlike what is experienced in normal work.
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RUN European University
We are part of RUN European University, which brings together ten European higher education institutions from nine countries committed to a common vision.
