Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Case A. One Japanese doctorate student researched high temperature behaviour
of silicate materials- with an obvious relevance to scaling and corrosion in geother-
mal energy systems. On graduation this student took on a position at a Japanese
National Laboratory working specifically on geothermal energy geochemistry, and
will also be involved in the new Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute established
after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
The student had been interested in the problems of environment and energy since
junior high school, and the ELTP was one of the factors considered during her Ph.D
course. The ELTP featured in the job interview and the ELTP qualification added to
the candidate's attractiveness to potential employers. In terms of specific benefits to
the current job, the knowledge gained on economic and social problems and solu-
tions to environmental problems has proved useful as a general foundation highly
relevant to the role of national laboratories, whose objective is to translate basic
research into useful technology for society. The general strengthening of communi-
cation and explaining skills was also cited as useful.
Case B. This student graduated and returned to her native country China, and is
now working for a financial services company. During more than 2 years participating
in the ELTP, she comments that the knowledge from the ELTP influenced her choice
of future career, which evolved from an initial assumption of continuing research,
to a strengthened motivation to contribute to society by providing professional en-
vironmental solutions and working for environment-related industrial development.
She notes that the knowledge learned from the ELTP (particularly interdisciplin-
ary environment-related knowledge and research investigation approaches) are very
helpful for the current job, since they allow her to enlarge the current range of busi-
ness and provide more professional advice to customers. Personal skills were also
greatly improved on communication with people from different backgrounds and
nationalities. While most customers are Chinese, they are from different professions
so the company can get closer to customers and solve more financial problems if
well equipped with communication skills.
Case C. This student graduated from the ELTP and moved to a research posi-
tion with an energy company. His current job is R&D on renewable energy from
biomass, waste heat recovery etc.; technologies that can, in addition to economic
benefits also contribute to energy security and to reducing environmental impact by
improving conversion of fossil fuel and/or saving energy and resources. The cur-
rent research focus had evolved from university research on fuel cells through the
broadening of knowledge about energy and resources in the ELTP. The student cites
the ELTP as informing his view of the future through learning about environmental
issues and, in the job interview, was able to convey enthusiasm for environmental
issues in his own words thanks to this experience. In particular, such experience
increased attractiveness to the company because corporate responsibility for the
environment has become important, and this company was thus looking for new
staff with environmental knowledge. Another reason cited was because we are in
a period when diversity and breadth is important. The ELTP, which has academic
fields that integrate science, engineering and the humanities, enabled students to
