Based on enrollment numbers and the direction students are taking, what is your opinion on the availability of talent being one of the main challenges faced by the industry?

While the industry often quotes the availability of talent as a challenge, we have not yet experienced a decrease in enrollment numbers at our university. In fact, our faculty continues to attract a significant number of candidates each year. We have been proactive in building relationships with students from the middle school stage to attract the best talent to our faculty. Additionally, our central location has been advantageous in attracting a large number of students, including around 300 international students who receive their classes in English. Our power engineering field is the largest, comprising approximately 40% of our 1700 students.

What is the nature of the relationship between WUT and companies in the energy sector?

We have a close cooperation with the industry, particularly in the research arena. We actively seek information from the industry on what they require from our graduates and collaborate with several companies that offer internship programs to our students. We engage in discussions with the industry to gain knowledge and advice on how to better prepare our graduates for the job market. In fact, in 2020 alone, we had approximately 24 meetings with industry partners to ensure our curriculum aligns with their needs.

Can you provide more details on how industry needs are changing and how WUT is adapting to these changes?

We train our students to work within the current industry while also preparing them for the future of the energy sector. Our focus is on providing them with a strong foundation of basic knowledge in technical sciences, and the industry can then further train them in specific fields. For example, our sustainable power engineering courses now include the study of not just conventional and nuclear energy, but also renewable energy. In recent years, we have observed a shift in the number of students opting for sustainable power engineering over conventional power engineering, reflecting the changing needs of the industry.

What are the key challenges experienced in the power engineering field of study?

As a research university, we have faced challenges in shifting our focus to delivering high-quality research projects in the energy transition and energy generation space. This has required significant effort in developing international collaborations within the research field, including through our cooperation with the EU. We actively participate in EU-funded research projects such as Horizon 2020, the largest EU Research and Innovation program. Our collaborations with other universities in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, and Sweden on various research topics have been instrumental in overcoming these challenges.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the educational system. How is WUT handling it, and what are the anticipated long-term impacts?

COVID-19 has indeed presented challenges to the educational system, including our university. We have had to adapt to remote classes and anticipate potential difficulties in implementing mandatory internships. However, we are hopeful that the situation will normalize in the coming months. While this period has been challenging for the academic community, it has also forced us to acquire new skills, such as conducting remote classes, which can be utilized in the introduction of new teaching techniques in the future. It has also led to an extension of our curriculum offer, particularly for foreign students, showcasing our resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.