Here you can find an interview that we conducted with Anna about her minor in Energy!
Questions | Your answer |
Which minor did you do? | Energy Transition from Multidisciplinary Perspectives |
What made you choose this minor? | I chose this Minor because I wanted to explore how different disciplines approached sustainability and environmental policy-making, and I believe it to be crucial that policy makers are as multidisciplinary as possible to stay grounded. Thus, I looked at this Minor as an opportunity to gain broader perspectives on how energy systems interact with society, governance and the environment. |
What were the subjects you had in your minor? | I had a total of four subjects in my minor, and both blocks followed a very similar structure. Each block had one “theoretical” course and one “practical” one. In the first block we had Multidisciplinary Energy Essentials (10 ECTS) and Energy Case Study (5 ECTS). MEE had three lectures a week, with each week allocated to a different discipline, which meant it was quite intensive, but short. ECS was more “chill”, it was practical and you were paired up in groups of three and had to write a paper on a specific discipline. You had one supervisor from that specific discipline, and it was really nice, because you could get many insights from how things are done in the energy research of that discipline. In the second block we had Solving Energy Challenges (5 ECTS) and Energy Research Project (10 ECTS). In this second block, SEE was the “theoretical” course, but it was more of a “how do we solve these issues in real life” course. It built heavily on the knowledge of MEE, so it felt like a slightly more practical continuation of MEE. Regarding ERP, this was definitely the hardest subject of them all. You were presented with real life companies that brought real life issues and you had to write a 15000 word paper on how to solve the issues of their company in a group of 5. It included a pitch from the companies themselves, and at the end of the course you had to deliver a presentation for them explaining your analysis, which was quite exciting but nerve-wracking. |
What was your hardest experience during the minor course? | I would say that the group projects were the hardest part, as you had to agree and organise several people, with different schedules and approaches to their student life. Overall it was okay, but I think it is an experience that (depending on how you get paired up) will teach you a lot about how to be assertive and establish limits in group settings. Despite being the hardest experience, I think I learnt a lot and it has definitely made me grow up. |
What was the best experience during the minor course? | I think my best experience during the minor course was the way in which I started seeing everything in a different light. We didn’t just talk about what was the energy transition, but also why it was necessary, how to get it, why the status quo had to be challenged. So, for me it was impossible to look at windmills the same way, because now I was thinking about the different components, how much cost each windmill, at what distance they had to be one from another, how much energy they produced…So it was a bit shocking to see myself going so much down the rabbit hole…But so fun! I think I learnt a lot and discovered many things I am interested in, particularly spatial sciences and environmental law. |
Did the course meet your expectations? Yes, why/ No, why not | Yes. There were certain challenging parts, especially the frustration that accompanied the group projects, but I overall learnt so much and worked so hard for it, it felt quite rewarding. |
Which other minor did you consider? | I wanted to do the Minor Law and Governance, as I am really interested in European Law, but they sadly took away the Minor :( |
Do you think that your minor will be useful for your future career? Yes, why / No, why not | I think so! Energy policy and sustainability have become central issues in IR, both at grassroots and international level, which is why I think energy transition knowledge could be useful. However, innovation within energy transition has a dynamic and fast-paced character, which is why I think many things will change in a few years, so I am unsure if the theoretical knowledge will continue to be as useful, but the practical skills I learnt will definitely help me. I became a much more assertive person, and it helped me grow a lot, being surrounded by so many people from different fields after such a long time within the IR bubble. |
What would you say to future IRIO students who consider this minor? | I would highly recommend future IR students to do this minor if they realize they’re interested in sustainability, energy policy or environmental governance. Within the minor we engaged with many technical aspects that can be a bit of a challenge but were really insightful. |
Ratings: Rate from 1 to 10 | |
Was the minor doable? (1 very hard <-->10 very easy) | It was definitely doable, but challenging in regard to time management. I’d give it a 4. |
Was the workload less/the same/or more than the IRIO programme? (1 much less workload <--> a lot more workload) | I think the workload is definitely more than other minors, but overall I’d say around a 7 in workload. |
How much would you recommend doing this minor? (1 not at all <--> 10 100% yes) | I would recommend this minor an 8. I think for students that like the topic, it will be really enjoyable, but it might become a bit tedious for those that do not like energy transition. |
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