Romy Sommer and Prof. Dr. Johannes Gulden maintain cooperation with Finland, initiate research and save the world in the simulation game.

Stralsund -- Why do you travel to Finland in the middle of February, where the winter, at minus 15 degrees, is much colder than here? And what on earth does the HOST want there? Quite simply: In Stralsund there was no semester, and at the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) in Kotka there were still lectures, to which the colleagues of the Institute for Regenerative Energy Systems (IRES) wanted to contribute with their content. In addition, it is always exciting to find out which current topics are on the minds of other universities. There were many questions: What strategies do other countries have for expanding renewable energies and hydrogen technology? What moves and interests the students in this regard? How is university teaching organized elsewhere? What options are there for expanding existing partnerships, which in turn can increase the diversity in your own degree programs? - A regular exchange with partner universities makes it easy to think outside the box, say the representatives of the Institute for Regenerative Energy Systems (IRES). "We have been working together with the XAMK in Kotka for many years, which was already under the direction of Prof. Dr. Luschtinetz existed and is renewed in annual mutual visits and guest lectures," reports Romy Sommer. At the invitation of Merja Mäkelä from the Department of Construction and Energy Engineering, IRES was able to enrich the range of courses at XAMK with lectures on the topics of hydrogen, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy and solar cooling, present current research projects and report on the development of the ThaiGer H2 prototype racing car . “Cooperations like this are important for us and HOST because they enable direct contact with local students, we can present the university, present our courses to potential exchange students and find out more about study opportunities abroad, which we want to make our students aware of ", says Prof. Dr. Johannes Gulden, head of the IRES.

A highlight: The colleagues from IRES tested an Energy Transition Game with the students in Kotka, in which energy companies from six countries have the task of generating profits from the purchase and operation of power plants in a fictitious world. The winner is whoever has achieved the highest relative enterprise value. Together, however, a certain limit of greenhouse gas emissions must not be exceeded.

“The students work in groups as energy suppliers in each country and have different roles in their companies. There are different starting positions - starting with companies with a large number of power plants from industrialized nations with a high energy requirement to suppliers with few power plants from developing countries with a lower requirement. In addition, the power plant parks initially included a large number of fossil power plants,” explains Romy Sommer.

It is played every five years, then a balance is drawn up and discussed, negotiated and decided in the climate council. “The need to shut down fossil power plants so that the emission limit is not exceeded led to very interesting discussions and considerations among the Finnish students. In the end they actually managed to save the world, but it was close,” says Romy Sommer.

Incidentally, the simulation game was won by a company in a developing country. "The discussion is important and the realization that we have to act together, that it's actually 5 past 12," she adds. The simulation game Krafla comes from environmental consultant Tilman Langner. It will also be used in the Spring School, the international intensive program on renewable energies, which will take place this year from April 11th to 22nd at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences after an online warm-up on March 29th and 30th. XAMK participants will be there again this year.

"It was also exciting for us to see how teaching is organized there," says Prof. Gulden. At the XAMK, for example, online teaching is offered to students from a pool of courses from different universities, which they can book and have credited.

“The blended learning approach is also more strongly pursued in Kotka, the combination of presence and e-learning. The entire course structure is much more modular,” says Johannes Gulden.

In addition, there was an opportunity to exchange ideas with a research team in the field of energy technology, to present ongoing projects, to discuss new ideas and intersections, such as on the topics of heating networks and hydrogen.

"We aimed to lay the foundation for possible future research cooperation projects," explains Johannes Gulden. "Especially when it comes to renewable energies, there are such different international strategies, levels of development and perspectives that are worth looking at for inspiration," adds Romy Sommer. explains Johannes Gulden. "Especially when it comes to renewable energies, there are such different international strategies, levels of development and perspectives that are worth looking at for inspiration," adds Romy Sommer. explains Johannes Gulden. "Especially when it comes to renewable energies, there are such different international strategies, levels of development and perspectives that are worth looking at for inspiration," adds Romy Sommer. Last but not least, the visit to Finland as well as the recent exchange with Groningen is a building block to find cooperation partners for the funding options of the Blended Intensive Program (BIP) in order to be able to jointly generate funds for the benefit of the student participants of the Spring School.

Stralsund University of Applied Sciences: Renewable Energies and Hydrogen in the Finnish Winter