The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s New Zealand Aid Programme has announced 25 scholarships for postgraduate studies in Geothermal Energy Technology at the University of Auckland, with half the awards being prioritised for Indonesia.
The announcement of the new scholarships coincides with New Zealand’s admission to the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology (IPGT) in Melbourne on 14 November. Other members of the IPGT forum are Australia, Iceland, Switzerland and the United States.
Established in 2008, the IPGT encourages government and industry leaders to share information, research results and best practices. It promotes innovative and cost- effective geothermal energy technologies through collaborative and coordinated efforts.
New Zealand has both abundant geothermal resources and leading researchers in that field, putting us in a unique position to offer expert tuition to budding scientists, engineers and researchers.
New Zealand and Indonesia have a long history in geothermal energy cooperation. Engineers from both countries worked together, supported by New Zealand Government funding, to develop Indonesia’s first geothermal energy plant at Kamojang, West Java, in the 1970s. More recently, New Zealand expertise also helped develop Wayan Windu II, a geothermal plant in West Java.
More than 160 Indonesia’s leading engineers and scientists have trained in New Zealand under a geothermal postgraduate programme run by the University of Auckland’s world-leading Geothermal Institute.
Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the University of Auckland, along with the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS), recently agreed to cooperate in developing geothermal energy sources. This will involve the transfer of geothermal knowledge to UGM’s experts. New Zealand continues to offer world-class education opportunities in geothermal science, as well as in many other fields.
New Zealand Aid Programme, Deputy Secretary Amanda Ellis says that the scholarships will help contribute to sustainable economic development in the participating countries.
“New Zealand sees access to clean, reliable and affordable energy as essential for sustainable economic development and is pleased to be supporting this innovative partnership with the University of Auckland’s Geothermal Institute,“ Amanda Ellis said.
In 2015 New Zealand will host (jointly with Australia) the World Geothermal Congress.