A new interdisciplinary subject on CO2 capture and storage

For the first time, Princeton University (USA) and the University of Bergen are collaborating together on a joint course. The theme is CO₂ capture and storage, and consequently covers everything from Stoltenberg's moon landing to the question of whether we can get rid of CO₂ for centuries by storing it under the seabed.

During the autumn, the course will first review the important ingredients for CO₂ capture, and afterwards, the processes and calculations that must be taken into consideration for storage in geological formations. This means that the course will be interdisciplinary within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, with themes such as chemistry, reservoir physics, geochemistry, and mathematics.

To teach the course, two professors at Princeton, Michael A. Celia and Catherine Peters, will be joined by Jan M. Nordbotten of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Bergen. Thus, approximately two-thirds of the lectures will be held at Princeton and the students in Bergen will participate by video conference. Similarly, the remaining one-third of the lectures will be held in Bergen, with video conferencing to the USA. Therefore, in addition to being an entirely new course, this is also an experiment in the future of teaching methods.

To fit in with the semesters and time zones at both universities, the first lecture will begin as late as the 21st of September and the course will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30pm to 4pm. The course has no mandatory prerequisites, but the course is intended as a master's degree level, and prior knowledge that includes MAT212, for example, will come in handy. Grades will be based on compulsory exercises and the final exam.