Developing advocacy spirit among young engineers in the field of renewable energy

In an effort to inspire a just transition to a sustainable energy source, Balkan Green Foundation, with the support of the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS) is implementing the 'Solar Collab' project. This project aims to mobilize young people from the Municipality of Pristina to promote an advocacy mindset for renewable energy, in order to help preserve our environment.

One of the key activities of the project, which took place last week at the Technical Faculty of the University of Prishtina, was the training 'Basics of solar energy'. In this training, around 20 students from the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as Mechanical Engineering, participated to increase their capacities in the field of solar energy, focusing especially on the installation process of photovoltaic panels.

One of the participants, Arnisa Sejdiu, a student at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, described the training as an excellent opportunity to deepen her knowledge in this field. "With the development of solar energy in Kosovo and the lack of opportunities to learn about this topic during studies, the training was exactly what I was looking for. The practical part was special and linked brilliantly with the theory. Because this topic is broad and the need of students to gain this knowledge is large, such trainings should be frequent in order to allow us to enter the depth of the renewable energy world". Vait Gashi, also student, initiated the impression that qualified trainers have in passing on knowledge to other generations. "I chose to participate in the training to expand knowledge in this field. I was impressed by the qualified trainer who had deep experience in our field and a high professional standard as an engineer. I believe that this training will be useful for me in the future, especially because some points that are often overlooked were addressed.”

This activity aims to strengthen the links between the public sector and the labor market. Successful participants will have the opportunity to be involved in practical work at the well-known company Elen, a leading company in the field of solar energy in Kosovo. This provides an important opportunity for students to accelerate their development and continue their learning journey in the field of renewable energy.

During the month of May, a similar training will be organized for a specific group that aims to include students of electrotechnical High Schools in Pristina. What makes this training special is that it will be led by students from the University of Prishtina, that will share their knowledge gained during previous trainings.