International Masters Programme in Energy and Green Hydrogen (IMP-EGH)
The "International Masters Programme in Energy and Green Hydrogen" (IMP-EGH) is a collaborative effort between the Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen, along with their West African partner, the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The program's aim is to prepare students from the 15 ECOWAS states in West Africa for the future topic of "Green Hydrogen."
The inaugural cohort began their training in the winter semester of 2021. The goal is to offer a master's program that adheres to international standards and best practices. As part of the energy research program "Innovationen für die Energiewende" (Innovations for the Energy Transition), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing initial funding of eight million euros for the program until 2025.
Over the course of two years, students will receive comprehensive education at four leading West African universities: Université Felix Houphouet Boigny (Ivory Coast), Université de Lomé (Togo), Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (Senegal), and Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey (Niger).
The Master's program is divided into six different specialization tracks:
- Track 1: Hydrogen production and technology
- Track 2: Photovoltaics
- Track 3: Economics, Policies and Infrastructure
- Track 4: Bioenergy and Biofuels
- Track 5: Georesources
- Track 6: Energy systems analysis
In addition to in-person instruction provided by local educators in West Africa, students will also receive lectures from professors through online tools and on-site teaching visits. Furthermore, there is a semester planned in Germany for the young Africans to gain practical experience and work on their final theses.