A training course on Sustainable Energy Concepts organized by the Centre for Community Service & Continuing Education at Sultan Qaboos University, in association with the Research Council (TRC) and GFZ Helmhotz Centre Potsdam (German Research Centre for Geosciences) commenced at Sultan Qaboos University on 2 September. Dr. Zahran Al Salti, Director of the Centre for Community Service & Continuing Education at SQU, said that this free training course is targeting graduates from engineering and geosciences disciplines to provide latest updates on sustainable energy and related fields to enhance their employability and soft skills. Around 30 registered participants from across Oman is attending the five-day training course led by experts from Germany and Oman.

The GFZ is Germany’s national research center for the solid Earth Sciences. Its mission is to deepen the knowledge of the dynamics of the solid Earth, and to develop solutions for grand challenges facing society. These challenges include anticipating the hazards arising from the Earth’s dynamic systems and mitigating the associated risks to society; securing our habitat under the pressure of global change; and supplying energy and mineral resources for a rapidly growing population in a sustainable manner and without harming the environment. Scientists at GFZ investigate the structure and history of the Earth, its properties, and the dynamics of its interior and surface, and we use our fundamental understanding to develop solutions needed to maintain planet Earth as a safe and supportive habitat.

TRC and GFZ have entered on a long term partnership to build capacity building in sustainable energy and related fields. Dr. Al Salti said that the one or two top performing participants would get a chance to associate with long-term research partnership between TRC and GFZ to promote sustainable energy initiatives in Oman. The training course is jointly led by experts from GFZ, TRC and SQU.