”It was a great honour to represent Dalarna University and the European Solar Engineering School at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, and it was an experience I will always cherish,” states David.
Camilla Melander from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs together with David D'Souza. Photo: Per E Karlsson, Government Offices
David is 24 and chose the Solar Energy Programme at Dalarna University because it is the only programme to combine the study of photovoltaics and solar thermal energy. The programme also has strong connections with industry, and studies combine with practical work.
“I liked the fact that admission into this programme was open to people with many diverse educational backgrounds. Our class had people from virtually every continent, which made for some very interesting and informative discussions and debates both inside and outside the classroom,” explains David.
Experienced Instructors
The Master’s Programme is taught by instructors that have a great deal of interest from research and industrial development of solar energy engineering.
“It is their experience and their dedication that I like most about Dalarna University. This holds especially true for the fantastic Programme Director Marie-Désirée Kroner, who works tirelessly to ensure that our programme maintains the highest standard. The university facilities are also quite brilliant, with the online learning platforms Fronter and Learn,” David further states.
Clean Drinking Water
Hundreds of students from over 40 countries have graduated since 1999 from the University’s Solar Energy Programme and currently work with the development of future energy solutions throughout the world. At present, David is working on his Master’s Thesis at Plataforma Solar de Almeria in Spain. This is Europe’s largest solar energy research centre for concentrated solar energy engineering and one of the world’s largest.
“My project is about using solar heat to clean and produce new drinking water,” explains David.
Photo: David D'Souza
When asked about what he sees as developments in the future of solar energy, David replies, “I believe great change needs to take place in the mindsets of people and governments, away from traditional views of energy systems and instead striving towards achieving a more harmonious and integrated energy ecosystem where energy supply and demand are treated as two sides of the same coin. Only then will be able to make optimal use of the potential of renewable energy, including solar energy, and move towards a more sustainable future.”
David plans to continue his research into solar thermal energy in water purification but is unsure as of yet whether it will be in the capacity of PhD student, junior researcher or industrial professional.
If you are interested in the Master’s Programme in Solar Energy at Dalarna University, see: http://www.du.se/solar2year and http://www.du.se/solar1year.
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