Waterloo Engineering launches graduate diploma in green energy

WATERLOO, ON, Jan. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - The University of Waterloo's Faculty of Engineering, Canada's largest engineering school and a leader in green energy research, will launch a graduate diploma in green energy to provide professional development for working engineers through real-time online learning.

The Green Energy Graduate Diploma is the first of its kind to be offered in Canada. Waterloo's extensive network of private sector partners, utilities, government and the non-profit sector, collaborated on the development of the program in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy.

"This diploma provides working engineers with the skills and knowledge to transform our energy future," said Professor Jan Huissoon, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo. "The energy issues facing our society are pressing, and the Green Energy Graduate Diploma equips industry leaders with the necessary background to tackle these issues in cost-effective ways."

Diploma courses will enhance technical knowledge and training in green energy systems such as bioenergy, fuel cells, air pollution and greenhouse gas management, solar and wind energy, and building energy performance. A Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related area of study is required and students must complete the program within two years.

"We face a global challenge in finding new ways to meet energy needs while protecting the planet. Tackling this grand challenge requires engineering and scientific advancement, but also core industry engagement and programs that directly involve working engineers in areas such as bioenergy and smart grids," said Professor Jatin Nathwani, Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy Management at Waterloo. "Waterloo's green energy diploma does this, encouraging engineers and employers to problem solve for sustainable energy solutions while confronting day to day issues."

Drawing on the expertise of more than 90 researchers, the Green Energy Graduate Diploma will be delivered from a state-of-the-art interactive instruction facility called Live-Link. This remote learning environment, enabled through the use of smart boards and multi-point interactive video conferencing, provides an immersive, real-time experience where working students participate with the professor and classmates as if they were in the same location. 

Applications are currently being accepted for Fall 2014. Inquiries regarding the program can be addressed to [email protected].

Further information about the Green Energy Graduate Diploma will be presented at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association's Powering Prosperity Gala on January 23 at 6:30 pm.

About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

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SOURCE: University of Waterloo

Media Contact: Nick Manning ([email protected]), University of Waterloo, 519-888-4451, 226-929-7627, www.uwaterloo.ca/news, @uWaterlooNews