Showing off energy research

– The Christie conference allows us to reach the world outside of UiB to inform about our research. Like last year, this year´s programme is both broad and focuses on quality, Vice Dean at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Professor Helge K. Dahle says.

On top of the regular programme for the Christie conference 2012, the individual faculties at the University of Bergen will present the most important of their current research. For the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences this means presenting a wide range of research within energy research and education.

Masters degree in energy

– We have for a long time been good at petroleum research, but may have been less visible to the public in other research areas such as renewable energy, Dahle admits.

But according to Dahle there is a lot going on at the faculty in regards of renewable energy research. He highlights two research centres doing groundbreaking work in its two Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME): the Norwegian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (NORCOWE) and a consortium working for successful subsurface storage of CO2 (SUCCESS).

Also, there is research into geothermal energy, fuel cells, solar energy and biofuels. The faculty has committed itself to this work as part of its strategy and a masters degree in renewable energy has been created starting next semester.

Visible energy

– It is a priority for us to highlight our activities and to evolve in our research. We want to show the public that we are really focusing on this. We are right in the thick of it when it comes to renewable energy here in Bergen, Dahle suggests.

Making their research more visible is important to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the fight for more research funding, and also in the recruitment of students and researchers.

– We need to show that our research is relevant and of high quality, he says.

Scientific mingling

There will be a designated mingling area as part of the Christie conference. Researchers from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences plan to fill their part of this area with presentations of offshore wind research, geothermal energy research, ocean currents research, tidal power energy and energy technology.

Representatives from the faculty will be present to answer questions from participants at the conference and a general audience. There will also be a model home, where the general public can test how to use energy as efficiently as possible.

– The Christie conference gives us the opportunity to show our comprehensive and interdisciplinary focus on energy research and education, Helge K. Dahle says in closing.

Translated from the Norwegian by Sverre Ole Drønen.