ERASMUS MUNDUS, the European Commission’s programme of excellence for higher education, funds the international degree programme “European Wind Energy Master” (EWEM) at the University of Oldenburg. The Master’s programme – a co-operation project with Delft University of Technology (Delft, Netherlands), the Technical University of Denmark (Copenhagen, Denmark) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim, Norway) – will launch in the winter semester of 2012/13.
Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Professor Dr Johanna Wanka, expressed her delight at the success of Lower Saxony’s universities in the call for proposals under the “Joint Master’s Courses” programme strand of the European co-operation and mobility programme Erasmus Mundus: “Of a total of eleven projects involving German participation, four are from universities in Lower Saxony, which thus impressively demonstrate their international expertise. The Minister particularly commends the commitment of the University of Oldenburg, which is involved as the German partner in the ‘European Wind Energy Master’ degree programme: “The Master’s programme in wind energy, coordinated by Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, adds a European dimension to the close cooperation between Lower Saxony and the Netherlands in the field of wind energy. Thanks to the expertise of the University of Oldenburg, even more intensive cross-border wind energy research can be carried out in future, which is of paramount importance in the north-west region.” The University of Oldenburg’s application for the ERASMUS MUNDUS degree programme was coordinated by ForWind, the centre for wind energy research at the Universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen. EWEM was selected as one of 30 projects. A total of 177 projects from the member states of the European Union had applied for the programme of excellence. The aim of the programme is to improve the quality of higher education through scholarships and co-operation between European and non-European universities.
“The University of Oldenburg is delighted with this success. The decision in favour of Oldenburg underlines the location’s appeal to students from all over the world,” emphasised University President Prof. Dr Babette Simon. She added that wind energy research in Oldenburg has a long and successful tradition. The new degree programme will further consolidate the university’s position in the field of wind energy.
The Master’s programme is structured over four semesters and covers the key areas of wind physics, wind turbine motor design, electrical wind energy systems and offshore wind energy technology. All students complete the introductory semester at the Technical University of Denmark. Thereafter, depending on their chosen specialisations, they study at two partner universities. The wind physics module takes place in Oldenburg and Copenhagen. “In the field of wind physics, students learn how wind energy can be harnessed as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible – depending on the different locations of the wind turbines and the resulting wind conditions,” explains Prof. Dr Martin Kühn, Endowed Professor of Wind Energy Systems, who is the academic director of the degree programme in Oldenburg. Students can then write their final Master’s thesis at the university, at a research institute or within industry.
“The booming wind energy sector urgently needs highly qualified and specialised engineers and researchers who have already gained international experience during their studies,” explained Kühn. With funding from the ERASMUS MUNDUS programme, it is possible to train these specialists to the highest international standard.