EGPD's Initiative
Europe is transitioning towards cleaner energy resources to establish a sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy system. Geothermal is critical for this transition since it provides a flexible baseload renewable source of energy. The challenges of sustainable geothermal operations require an interdisciplinary approach. Combining geoscientific and engineering solutions is essential for innovation at operational sites. Therefore, it is necessary to train the next generation of geothermal experts in order to develop and exploit the geothermal projects of tomorrow.
The European Geothermal PhD Days (EGPD) is a two-day training program organised by PhD students of different universities every year. The first European Geothermal PhD-day (EGPD2010) was held at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ - German Research Centre for Geosciences - on February 12, 2010, as an initiative of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) joint program in geothermal energy. After 13 versions of the EGPD, more than 180 PhD students working on geothermal energy have participated. In total, participants working in 20 different European countries, and various scientific disciplines, have attended the two-day PhD-training program.
EGPD is a way to efficiently spread scientific knowledge related to geothermal energy by making an event that attracts young specialists. It emulates youth in geosciences and provides a framework to make connections in a qualitative way. It provides a dedicated and informal occasion for the PhD students to exchange with their pair and to develop their network.
