Powering the Energy Transition: A Tale of Two Hemispheres | Part IV: Skills and Development in Business Education

On August 29, the GBSN for Energy Transition Impact Community held it’s fourth part in their virtual series, Powering the Energy Transition: A Tale of Two Hemispheres Part IV: Skills and Development in Business Education. This virtual series was designed to convene perspectives through the lens of the global north and global south, while exploring key elements of the energy transition journey. We invited both practitioners and academia from around the world, and was joined by over 40 participants.

We’d like to give a special thanks to our Impact Community Leads, Lwazi Ngubevana, Director at the African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC), Wits Business School, Sarah Craig, Programme Manager Energy Transition, Rotterdam School of Management, Gregory Bean, Director, Guitterez Energy Management Institution from Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, Dr. Yashar Ghiassi-Farrokhfal, Associate Professor at the Department of Technology and Operations Management at Rotterdam School of Management, and Maurice Radebe, Head and Director of Wits Business School, as well as our four panelists, Kelly Collins, Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, Mpho Mookapele, and Diana E. Páez. Thank you for your thought provoking dialogue and for enlightening us with your shared combination of expertise, passion and engaging conversation.

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  Kelly Collins

  Senior Director of Graduate & Alumni Career Services
  C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston
  USA
  
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  Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim

  Associate Professor of Operations Management & Chair at UN PRME Chapter Africa
  American University in Cairo
  Egypt
  
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  Mpho Mookapele

  Chief Executive Officer
  Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA)
  South Africa
  
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  Diana E. Páez

  Senior Director, Energy & Mobility
  William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan
  USA
  

Watch the Recording

Session Synopsis

“Powering the Energy Transition Part IV: Skills and Development in Business Education” featured guest speakers Kelly Collins, Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, Mpho Mookapele, and Diana E. Páez and was moderated by Sarah Craig.

Co-hosted by University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business, Wits Business School, and Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, The discussion explored the key elements of the energy transition journey through the global north and global south lens.

In Part IV: Skills and Development in Business Education, experts from academia and industry will explore the critical talent needs of a sustainable and low carbon energy economy, as well as the role of business schools in supporting a transitioning workforce. 

Sarah Craig moderated an interactive dialogue with the four speakers, addressing questions like:

• What new roles are emerging and where are the greatest gaps in availability of talent to fill these new roles? 
• Among the lessons learned from successful programmes is the importance of comprehensive workforce mapping to foresee what type of skills and workers will be needed and where.  Do we have this comprehensive mapping complete and therefore designing education based on this? Or are knowledge institutions creating new education for what they believe the needs of companies, government and citizens are?
• What specific knowledge and skills enable individuals trained in traditional disciplines like finance, marketing, and strategy, to be better prepared for careers in this sector? 
• What is the current state of the leadership pipeline for the energy sector, at both local and multinational levels? 
• How do we support bold yet fair leaders to take a stance and move their organizations through decarbonization to support the transition?

GBSN for Energy Transition Impact Community

The goal of the GBSN for Energy Transition impact community is to advance knowledge on the business-related challenges and opportunities of the transition to a global sustainable energy system in line with the energy-related themes of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include topics like:

• Energy Access
• Energy Security
• Air Pollution
• Adverse Effects and Ancillary Risks
• Energy Efficiency
• Financing

Next Steps for the Community

Join the GBSN for Energy Transition Impact Community as we convene practitioners and academia from the global north and global south as we eplore the complex interplay of policy frameworks, economic realities, and social considerations that shape the transition to sustainable energy sources. Join us for this session as we bridge the gap between regulatory frameworks and the global quest for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.