Media Centre

09.02.09: Radio 4's Quentin Cooper Hosts Sustainable Energy Webinars Giving Career Advice to Young Scientists and Engineers

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is launching a new series of evening webinars offering young scientists, who want to be part of the Government's drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, the chance to explore career and training options.  The webinars, hosted by BBC Radio 4 presenter Quentin Cooper, will underline the importance in taking a 'whole systems' interdisciplinary approach to meeting the target – ie considering the energy system as a whole and tackling the issue from a number of perspectives: engineering, technological, environmental, social and economic – and introduce some of the many possible and varied career paths scientists could follow.

The series, sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UKERC, part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, runs from 9 – 13th March. It will begin with three Big Picture presentations:

• Climate Change Science and Politics (Mr Roger Street, Oxford University). What do we know and not know about climate change? How is climate science underpinning international climate negotiations? What is the latest political situation?
• Energy in a Nutshell (Dr Christian Jardine, Oxford University): What are the big energy issues and challenges? How might society rise to meet these challenges and what role will science play?
• Creating and Using Science and Knowledge: The UK perspective (Dr Jeff Hardy, UKERC). Why is a whole systems and interdisciplinary approach needed and what is this? What energy-related science is the UK investing in? Who is creating it and how is it funded and coordinated? How does this science get used in policy-making and developing new technologies?

Two further sessions are based around the themes of the car, responsible for a significant proportion of energy demand, and marine energy which will make an important contribution to the UK's energy supply in the future.

Experts Dr Jillian Anable and Mr Henry Jeffrey will present captivating narratives setting out the complete picture from a whole systems perspective.

Dr Anable will be explaining how and why the car plays such a dominant role in our society today, the big challenges policy-makers face in regulating car manufacturers, the many factors that contribute to transport CO2 emissions and the many policy options that could improve technology and reduce the transport sector's demand for oil. 

Mr Henry Jeffrey of Edinburgh University will introduce students to the dynamic policy context for marine energy and issues relating to the deployment of different types of marine technology in order to achieve ambitious Government targets for offshore wind and tidal energy. 

Students will gain an insight into the interesting career profiles of distinguished players in the field including Oxford University's Emeritus Fellow Dr Brenda Boardman (tbc), Mr Stephen Tindale Head of Public Affairs for RWE Innogy (previously Executive Director of Greenpeace UK) and Mr Dave Thomas, First Secretary for Energy and the Environment from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK Embassy in Washington, USA).

And finally, students will be given the chance to speak to Quentin Cooper to discuss career aspirations and reflect on what they've learned from the webinar series. A panel of three to five students will be selected from those registering for these webinars. Student opinion collected during the webinar series will later be communicated to relevant organisations by UKERC.

Event organiser and UKERC Meeting Place Manager Sarah Keay-Bright said: "A whole systems approach to understanding the UK's energy system is critical to delivering emissions cuts of 80% plus.  Whatever career path young scientists may choose, their role is likely to contribute to achieving these cuts or be impacted in some way by future massive changes to our energy system."

Notes:

1. To register for the webinars:

Monday 9th March 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 10th March 5:30-6:30pm
Driving Passion

Wednesday 11th March 7:30-8:30pm
Marine Energy: A sustainable solution?

Thursday 12th March 7:30-9:00pm
Career Profiles in Sustainable Energy

Friday 13th March 7:30-9:00pm
The Student Experience

2. This webinar series is organised by the UKERC Meeting Place and is sponsored by UKERC and the ESRC. The ESRC Festival of Social Science is part of the National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW) which runs from 6-15 March 2009. With the UKERC Meeting Place being based in Oxford, the webinar series is also part of the Oxfordshire Science Festival another NSEW initiative. NSEW is coordinated by the British Science Association in partnership with the Engineering and Technology Board and is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

3. For further information about the UKERC webinar series and to access career resources and a poster for display that have been compiled to support this event, please follow this weblink

4. The webinars are free to attend. Participants only need access to a computer with speakers (or use headphones) to participate. Participant interaction will be through a chat/question box, interactive icons and polls and not through audio, so use of the telephone or a mic is not required. Participants must register in advance by March 2nd. Following registration, further information will be sent regarding how to access the webinars.