Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. As humans we have come to rely on many energy flows for our civilized existence, however, we have been consuming energy in unsustainable ways and one of the effects of this is climate change which is the biggest threat to human existence. If we really want to address climate change, we need to transition to options that are cleaner, sustainable and more efficient like Renewable Energy. My mission is to participate in further lowering the cost of renewable energy technologies, help governments and the private sector enhance their role in creating renewable energy markets and ecosystems. The time to act is now that is why I decided to do the Master in Renewable Energy Systems at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in order to equip myself to be able to play a role in tackling what is arguably the greatest challenge that mankind has to solve.

I consider it essential to look for alternative forms of energy based on clean technologies to contribute to the Energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. The crude oil price, the war around it, and the exploration of sensitive areas such as the Amazon Forrest, lead me to think about a Master program in Renewable Energy and how we can think about other ways to produce electricity through alternative sources, seeking to mitigate CO2 emissions which would impact the world in a positive way.

As a Petroleum Engineer, I have been working for almost 4 years in the planning, drilling, completion, and reconditioning of oil & gas wells in Colombia, but due to the global crisis that affected the oil industry in 2015, I had the opportunity to travel to Australia, where I received my certificate in Project Management and could see how solar energy is integrated and is wide used in residential areas. As mentioned before, with a background in the energy sector I would like to expand my knowledge in the field of renewable energies and be part of the energy transition, facing the new challenges to come and helping to develop the new technologies which will allow us to use more clean energies in today’s life.

I chose TU Wien because it is a well-known University not just in Austria but Worldwide. The Master program In Renewable Energy Systems offers me the greatest opportunity to change my career path from oil industry to the field of renewable energies with its international approach. I am a highly motivated young professional who firmly believes this generation can change by using new technologies for our own benefit, allowing following generations to enjoy our unique planet.

I have been active in the field of sustainable investments for the past 15 years. Besides social and governance related topics, environmental and especially energy-related issues play an important role when analyzing potential investments.
Especially in the last years, renewable energies are getting more diverse and more important. The dependence on subsidies is decreasing and efficiency of different technologies is increasing. From my perspective, we are at an inflection point for energy sourcing in Europe.
As I have an economic background, my aim is to acquire also technical knowledge in the field of renewable energies. I would like to better understand the challenges ahead and to help find solutions for those challenges.
I have chosen this Master’s Program, because TU Wien is a well-established university and this MSc program has already a long-standing history. I also like the international background of the program - on the one hand students from all over the world, on the other hand country modules to study international best practice examples.
I am convinced this Master’s Program will enable me to play an active part in shaping our future energy sourcing. This is also the foundation for contributing to a world that is still worth living in for our children as well.

I decided to do a Master in renewable energy, because it is the key to solve many of the current social problems worldwide. For this reason I enrolled to The MSc “Renewable Energy Systems” at TU Wien, and after almost a year here, I can say it is an excellent program that focuses in 3 very important areas: the technical aspect, the policies and social impacts and the economical aspect of renewable energies. This makes it a very complete program with professors that are already experts in these technologies and have years of experience working directly with them, giving an opportunity for networking and mentoring but also learning about the real challenges and difficulties that you will face in the path towards decarbonization in the energy sector. Since this program is international it also allows you to meet people from all places of the world that are united by the same passion and interest to make a change in the way energy is produced, delivered but also in the way it is used. It is a great opportunity to meet people who are already working and share experience and ideas. I recommend this program to anyone who is interested in starting a career in renewable energy.

The course covers a wide variety of different technologies and offers a good mix of lecturers from academia, practitioners and project operators. As the lectures are highly condensed in time and content and only enrolled part-time it is still possible to full-time work in my profession. Right from the beginning of the Master Program I was able to use the knowledge gained in my daily work life. Especially the case studies that we needed to elaborate in the second term of the course provided me a better insight into the interaction of different energy technologies.

I can recommend this Master Program to people that are highly interested in future challenges and possibilities in relation to the transformation of our energy system.

Personally, this program enabled me to build upon my existing renewable energy knowledge base as well as get further in-depth knowledge in this area. Professionally this program allowed me to interact with experts in this sector and learn about career opportunities + trends. Moreover, I can know say that I am proficient in Renewable Energy Systems when making job applications - my profile has become more attractive to prospective Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development employers upon completion on of this programme.

My decision to enroll in the Renewable Energy Systems MSc Program with CEC TU Wien was triggered by a combination of factors: a goal of shifting my 25-year career in IT Systems towards sustainable development projects, and to contribute to mitigating the effects of anthropogenic climate change effects and human population increase, at a time when these topics are more consequential than ever.
This Program seemed to me the perfect investment and educational opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about Renewable Energy Systems, while still working full-time and having an active family life.
In my opinion, what makes this Program particularly attractive and useful is that it offers a diversity of perspectives, covering the Renewable Energy Systems in an analytical, multifaceted, and comprehensive manner, through extensive readings, intensive lectures and very interesting field trips, in the company of some of the best experts in these areas.
At the end of it, I would not consider myself an expert in any of the studied areas, but I am confident I have gained extremely valuable knowledge, and have built a solid foundation, to pragmatically help me getting involved with sustainable development projects, in the near future.

My motivation to participate in the MSc program "Renewable Energy Systems” was to combine the technical know-how of the course with my economic and financial background in order to gain a holistic understanding of projects in the field of Renewable Energies.
The combination of preparatory work, lectures, tests, homeworks and master´s thesis over a time span of two years guarantees that not only sustainable topics are dealt with, but that also the acquired knowledge will hopefully be sustainable. With a good portion of enthusiasm and a little assistance and understanding of the employer and the family, the course can be finished beside family and job without great sacrifice.
The whole CEC-team responsible for the course gave the students a great assistance wherever possible. Almost having finished the course I can now say that my expectations were perfectly met. The course provided me with a deep insight in the various technologies related to renewable energy topics and in the interactions between technologic, legal and economic REN-aspects.
In addition, I enlarged my network and specially gained a whole “master-class” of new friends, which is priceless.