Applying for postgraduate programmes abroad or opportunities beyond my own country can be a daunting process, from navigating the application process, meeting entry requirements, finding course programmes that align with your goals, meeting application deadlines, to securing funding. The extensive application process, which requires several long essays and documentations, submitting standardised test scores such as the GRE, and paying an application fee when you are unsure if you will be accepted or not, can be discouraging to many applicants looking to gain international exposure in top schools within their field. The EIT InnoEnergy Master’s School application process made it possible for me to apply to KTH Royal Institute of Technology, one of my dream schools, through a smooth and application-fee free process.

In addition, my course curriculum demonstrated that I could broaden my knowledge beyond technical aspects by studying microeconomics and environomics which would help me understand how resourceful I can be in building my country’s power industry while learning about two different countries’ cultures and energy markets. If you ask me three years ago, this was not my intention when I decided to travel outside of Africa to learn about sustainable energy systems because I never knew I could harness a lot of information in one programme. It provided me with the opportunity to break free from my familiar environment and experience the world by communicating with people from various cultures and gaining critical ideas that can be applied in my home country.

The incorporation of different cultural perspectives within the classroom can be a fascinating experience ranging from understanding specific technical experiences your course mate had in places like Taiwan, to more high-level energy policy discussions from my professors in Spain. Through my studies, I am learning how interconnected the world is based on economic interdependencies, and how cultural exchange embraces changes and appreciates the beauty in diversity, all while allowing me to pursue my dreams of becoming an energy policy analyst and living life on my own terms.

Finally, I encourage anyone interested in sustainable energy systems to take a similar mile-long leap of faith and explore the world through the enormous opportunities that European innovation technology provides. And with EIT InnoEnergy, you will be at the centre of this!

 

by Eziagbor Osele, EIT InnoEnergy Master School student