The School for Renewable Energy Science
 | |
| Type | Private/Non-Profit University |
|---|---|
| Active | 2006–2011 |
| Director |
Gudjon Steindorsson (managing) Dr. Björn Gunnarsson (academic) |
| Location | Akureyri, Iceland |
| Affiliations |
University of Akureyri, University of Iceland and other institutions, energy and engineering firms. |
| Website | www.res.is |
RES - The School for Renewable Energy Science (Icelandic: RES - Orkuskólinn) is a private, non-profit, international graduate school located in the city of Akureyri in northern Iceland and shares its facilities with the University of Akureyri.
The school is a higher education institution offering a one-year M.Sc. in various renewable energy technologies, continuing education, and an undergraduate summer school program. All instructions and correspondence are in English.
Established in 2006, the school formally commenced its operations in April, 2007, through a series of Declarations of Cooperation with universities in Iceland, involving the Icelandic Ministry of Education.[1][2][3] and other institutions and energy and engineering firms.
The school is owned and operated by Shareholders, a non-profit company whose shareholders include prominent energy and financial companies in Iceland.
Accreditation
RES graduates its students [4] through its affiliation with the University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri. Both universities are accredited higher education institution in Iceland under the recent Higher Education Act in Iceland, No. 63/2006, for each of its academic subject areas. This accreditation covers RES's subject areas.[5]
Academic program
RES offers an international program of graduate-level study in renewable energy science. All instructions and correspondence are in English.
RES offers a 90 credit M.Sc. degree in renewable energy science with five specializations; geothermal energy, fuel cell systems and technologies, biofuels and bioenergy, hydropower and energy systems and policies.
In the near future the school hopes to add more specializations in areas such as solar power, and wind and wave power.[6]
The graduate programme concludes in an MSc Degree in Renewable Energy Science, awarded in affiliation with Iceland's state universities: University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri.
Each area of specialization at RES consists of a series of intensive 1-3 week modules that carry 2-6 ECTS credits each. Each series of modules includes field trips to sites related to Iceland's energy industry, known for its use of renewable resources.[7] Students take an exam following the completion of each module and a final exam at the end of the trimester.
The final degree requirement is a 30 credit Master's Thesis.
Faculty
Teaching staff of RES are researchers and professors from Iceland, energy experts from engineering and energy consulting firms, and various international experts from research universities in Europe, North and South America and Asia.
In the academic year, 2010–11, 65 international experts are teaching in the M.Sc. Degree Program, 35 from abroad and 30 Icelandic. In addition to the RES professors, 16 research scientists, primarily from Icelandic energy and engineering companies, acted as students' Thesis Advisors during the academic year 2009-10.
Students
During the first year of the M.Sc. Degree Program in Renewable Energy Science, 2008-9, RES graduated 30 candidates from 9 different countries - coming from Poland (16), Slovakia (3), Hungary (3), Slovenia (2), United States (2), Germany (1), Portugal (1), Estonia (1), and Russia (1).
During the second year, 2009–10, RES graduated 35 candidates from 11 countries in February 2010 - from Poland (14), United States (7), Mexico (3), Iceland (2), Slovakia (2), Hungary (2), Chile (1), Kazakhstan (1), Estonia (1), Finland (1), and Slovenia (1).
During the third year of the M.Sc. Degree Program, RES is scheduled to graduate in February 2011 all together 49 candicates from 12 countries - coming from Poland (27), United States (8), Iceland (4), Canada (2), Spain (1), Estonia (1), Slovenia (1), Slovakia (1), Germany (1), Malaysia (1), France/Somalia (1), and Russia (1).
Tuition
Tuition for the M.Sc. programs at RES is 18.800 € for the full one-year program.
Scholarships and grants
Each academic year RES provides a limited number of RES Scholarships to exceptional students which have been accepted to the M.Sc. Degree Program. There are three types of RES Scholarships:
1. RES Scholarship Awards which are earmarked students coming from our partner universities in Europe, North-America and elsewhere. These awards are based on signed cooperation agreements between RES and each foreign partner university. The awards can include half (50%) or full (100%) tuition waivers.
2. RES Scholarship Awards for students applying to RES from non-partner universities or organizations. These awards include half (50%) tuition waivers. In few cases, and then primarily for students from developing countries this award can include full (100%) tuition waivers.
3. RES Scholarship Awards provided by a grant from the Icelandic National Power Company Landsvirkjun. These awards are only awarded to students enrolled in the Hydropower Specialization and include full (100%) tuition waivers for up to five students, each academic year.
None of these awards cover living expenses (accommodation and meals; flights to and from Akureyri, Iceland). Also it may be required that students cover additional costs related their thesis work such as travel costs, if their thesis research is not done in Iceland.
Admission and requirements
Requirement for admission to the M.Sc. Program in Renewable Energy Science at RES is a B.Sc. degree with top grades in engineering or physical/natural sciences (chemistry, physics, geology, biotechnology, and related fields).
Students will have to demonstrate a good understanding of English, both in reading and writing. Applicants must prove their ability to follow a postgraduate course in English. The RES Academic Board evaluates each student's application, transcripts, letters of recommendations, and other supporting documents, and accepts those students for admission that fulfill all requirements for the M.Sc. Degree Program and have the highest grades.
Summer school
RES offers several summer courses for foreign students independently and also in collaboration with study-abroad organizations, such as the School for International Training. These courses combine classroom and field studies for a specialized two-week program and also 6-8 week program.
See also
References
- ↑ "Samstarfsyfirlýsing (Declaration of Cooperation)". Ministry of Education. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ↑ "Samstarfsyfirlýsing (Declaration of Cooperation)". Ministry of Education. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ↑ "Samstarfsyfirlýsing (Declaration of Cooperation)". Ministry of Education. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ↑ "| RES | Graduate School". Res.is. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
- ↑ "Viðurkenning Háskóla". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
- ↑ Archived March 23, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Iceland's Move To Renewable Energy". Chemical and Engineering News. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2007-09-12.