Energy Summer School: Navigating the Energy Transition in an Insecure World

Following the success of its first edition in 2023, the Energy Science Center (ESC) and the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) at ETH Zurich will jointly host the second Energy Summer School in 2025.

The Energy Summer School on “Navigating the Energy Transition in an Insecure World” will take place from 31 August to 5 September 2025 in the Congressi Stefano Franscini (CSF) on Monte Verità, Ascona, in Switzerland.

Who can participate?

Are you a late master's student, doctoral candidate, or early postdoctoral researcher passionate about shaping the future of energy? This Summer School is tailored for you! Join a group of like-minded individuals interested in energy transitions and their technical, societal, and geopolitical dimensions in an increasingly complex and insecure global context. Since the nature of the topic is highly interdisciplinary, the Summer School addresses researchers from the engineering, natural as well as social sciences around the world.

What are the Topics?

You will explore four key topics:

• Energy Security: What are the emerging threats to energy security in an increasingly interconnected world? How can we safeguard the continuity of energy supply while decarbonizing the energy system?
• Technological Innovation: How can cutting-edge technologies be leveraged to enhance energy resilience and sustainability?
• (Geo)political Dynamics: What role do geopolitical relations and tensions and global governance play in shaping energy policies?
• Societal Resilience: How can societies and communities build resilience to energy disruptions and transition toward more sustainable and equitable energy systems?

Why attend?

Through engaging lectures, case studies, poster sessions, and collaborative discussions, you will get a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between technology, society, and the environment in energy transitions. The diverse perspectives from a distinguished panel of experts, researchers, and practitioners will foster interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, and innovative problem-solving skills.

Who are the Lecturers?

• external page Prof. Itay Fischhendler, Professor at the Departement of Geography, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• external page Tobias Griesshaber, Head of Portfolio Management & Investment Controlling, Energy Infrastructure Partners AG, Switzerland
  
• external page Prof. Bri-Mathias Hodge, Professor of Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Systems, and Associate Director and Fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), University of Colorado Boulder, USA
• external page Kaja Hollstein, Head of Operations Services, Swissgrid AG, Switzerland
  
• Prof. Gabriela Hug, Professor of Electric Power Systems, Head of Power Systems and High Voltage Lab, and Head of Energy Science Center (ESC), ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Dr. Christian Schaffner, Executive Director of the Energy Science Center (ESC), ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Prof. Tobias Schmidt, Professor of Energy and Technology Policy, and Head of ISTP, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• external page Prof. Kavita Surana, Professor of Data Ecosystems and Environmental Accountability, Leader of the Institute for Data, Energy, and Sustainability, and holder of the BMK Endowed Professorship for Data-Driven Knowledge Generation: Climate Action, WU Vienna, Austria
• ... and more to be announced!

Expenses and Grants

The registration fee is 380 CHF and the estimated costs for full board accommodation, excursion, and teaching materials are approximately 1'000 CHF.

Participants have to pay for their own travel costs.

We provide a low number of grants. The grants are intended to encourage and support candidates with limited economic support and with limited opportunities to participate in international academic events. The grant will cover the Summer School registration fee (380 CHF). Candidates coming from low or middle income countries (see external page list of World Bank) are especially encouraged to apply for a grant. In the grant review process, only applications of candidates who have been accepted to participate in the Summer School will be reviewed.

ECTS

The Energy Summer School: Navigating the Energy Transition in an Insecure World is an ETH Zurich course which corresponds to 2 ECTS (ECTS: European Credit Transfer System; 1 ECTS credit equals approx. 25-30 hours of work). After successful participation in the Summer School, the organisers will issue a confirmation of successful participation. However, the crediting of ECTS is subject to the home university.

Organisation and Sponsoring

The school is jointly organised by the Energy Science Center (ESC) and the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) of ETH Zurich.

The ESC and the ISTP are both interdepartmental scientific units of ETH Zurich that promote a sustainable energy system that is responsive to the central challenges of the energy transition. The ESC and ISTP both offer a platform for nourishing the exchange of information between the engineering sciences, the social sciences, policy-makers and other members of society. Moreover, they both foster productive transdisciplinary research collaborations.  

Organising Committee

• Prof. Dr. Gabriela Hug (ESC, ETH Zurich)
• Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt (ISTP, ETH Zurich)
  
• Dr. Christian Schaffner (ESC, ETH Zurich)
• Dr. Adriana Marcucci (ESC, ETH Zurich)
• Corina Oertli (ESC, ETH Zurich)