Education | Climate Centre

The University of Twente has been at the forefront of providing educational opportunities for students to develop knowledge and skills that can help address the climate crisis.

The university has steadily increased the availability of educational activities, including study programmes, courses, educational events, and much more. Through its educational programmes, UT aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools necessary to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. From studying the science behind climate change to exploring renewable energy sources, students have access to a diverse range of courses that cover various aspects of climate change.

UT's educational programmes also provide students with hands-on experience, allowing them to put their knowledge into practice through research and community-based projects. This approach not only provides students with a deeper understanding of climate change but also prepares them for careers in fields related to sustainability and the environment. The university's commitment to addressing the climate crisis through education is reflected in its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. UT encourages students from different fields to work together, fostering a holistic approach to finding solutions to climate change.

Climate Centre Education Highlights

Within the University of Twente Climate Centre, we focus on empowering students to contribute effectively towards the climate crisis via a Geo-Techno-Social approach. While at the University of Twente, you can find numerous courses and programs related to sustainability in general. Below we highlight climate-themed educational options that should be particularly attractive to climate-motivated students.

University College Twente (ATLAS)

University College Twente (ATLAS) offers a 3-year Bachelor's programme that helps students tackle societal challenges, including the climate crisis. The multi-disciplinary program allows students to pursue their interests and become multi-skilled problem-solvers.

The climate challenge is prominent in several of the challenges provided for students, allowing them to gain a deep understanding of the issue and develop innovative solutions. Students can further focus on the climate challenge through their choice of thesis topics. The programme's focus on practical learning ensures that students gain hands-on experience and are well-prepared for careers in sustainability and the environment.

Interested students can either follow the full bachelor program or (as of September 1, 2023) select to follow one semester as part of their current bachelor program.

Master of Spatial Engineering

Are you passionate about contributing to solutions that can help create more sustainable and resilient societies in the face of the climate crisis?

Enrol in a two-year Master's programme to address societal challenges caused by the climate crisis. This English-taught programme combines technical and socio-economic knowledge with spatial data analysis and modelling.

Gain the skills to structure and redefine problems beyond obvious frames and design innovative solutions for wicked problems. The program's practical approach provides hands-on experience, making you well-prepared for careers in sustainability and environmental management. Join a community of like-minded individuals and make a difference today.

Master of Environmental and Energy Management (MEEM)

Today’s grand challenges – especially climate change, but also resource depletion, urbanisation, ecological and socio-economic stress – call for professionals able to organise, manage and lead socio-technical change. This combined focus - on thinking and doing - is at the heart of this Master's. The social science-oriented programme will provide you with knowledge, skills and competencies in various social science disciplines, such as Management, Public Administration, Governance and Law. This will prepare you to lead and manage socio-technical change processes in the industrial, environmental, energy and water domains.

Minor - Adapting to Climate Change (Spatial Engineering)

This minor Spatial Engineering (15EC) has a challenge-based approach and will result in an actionable challenge description for climate adaptation making use of the core knowledge areas of spatial engineering. There are 2 components in the minor:

A course on one of the core knowledge areas of the Spatial Engineering to give a student foundational knowledge. You will be guided to deepen your knowledge in one of the 3 core knowledge areas: 1) Spatial Information Science, 2) Technical Engineering, or 3) Spatial Planning and Governance.
A challenge to guide the integration of knowledge and develop self-directed, life-long learning skills. It is an introduction to the learning environment of the master’s programme in Spatial Engineering. For example, climate adaptation for the city of Valencia, Spain, which is dealing with heat waves, drought, and flooding has been chosen in recent years. As a group (covering all three tracks) students worked on setting criteria for evaluating the listed adaptation measures on feasibility and impact.

Climate and Energy Transition

The key to addressing the climate crisis is the Energy Transition! Transitioning away from fossil fuels to more sustainable sources is the key topic addressed by many programmes at UT. From research-based programmes focused on developing new technologies to more practice-oriented programmes designed to provide students with hands-on experience, UT offers a variety of options for those interested in tackling this important issue. Below are just a few of the energy transition-related offerings at UT that are important for addressing many of the climate challenges we face.

Energy Transition Perspectives Minor

This minor is offered for students with a technical profile and covers the basic scientific knowledge of the Energy Transition from the perspectives of the UT’s five faculties. Each faculty provides the basic knowledge and main aspects of the energy transition from the perspective of their scientific domain in a block of two weeks. The module is highly recommended for students who are considering master programmes in Sustainable Energy Technologies, Electrical Engineering or Embedded Systems. Besides technical aspects, this minor dives into many other perspectives such as the geopolitical, ethical, and sociological aspects of the Energy Transition.

Energy Storage Course

While renewable energy production is key to the energy transition, an equally important and sometimes overlooked aspect of the energy transition is how to store this clean energy source in a way that meets our societal needs. This course provides students with a deeper knowledge of different technologies that are able to address these needs and a look into the key aspects related to implementing these solutions.

Master Sustainable Energy Technology

With an ever-growing global population and the energy demands of industries and consumers rising higher than ever before in history, we are rapidly depleting earth’s non-renewable energy resources (oil, gas and coal), and moving to a problematic change of climate. This rising problem and the accompanying challenges we are facing worldwide have raised the demand for skilled engineers to successfully develop and implement sustainable energy technologies. Do you feel called upon to make a valuable contribution to the sustainable energy transition? If so, the Master’s in Sustainable Energy Technology at the University of Twente (UT) is the right choice for you.

Sustainability at UT

At UT, you can pursue a range of degrees that enable you to make meaningful contributions to environmental change and global sustainability. As a highly-ranked, technical university that prioritizes innovations with societal impact, we strive to empower society through sustainable solutions and innovations. If you want to know more about what UT works on regarding sustainability, please visit this website to explore the various options we offer.