Education for sustainable development and creating environmental awareness – this was the topic of the Scientific Seminar of the Priority Research Area Climate and Environmental Protection, Modern Energy (POB6) of the Silesian University of Technology, which took place on 25 January 2023 online.
The conference was opened by Aleksandra Kuzior, PhD, DSc, Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, coordinator of the research sub-area ‘Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Awareness Formation’, Deputy Dean for Cooperation and Development of the Faculty of Organisation and Management at the Silesian University of Technology, President of the Silesian Centre for Business Ethics and Sustainable Development.
Speakers included representatives of the AGH University of Science and Technology, the Silesian University of Technology and Tauron Polska Energia. The University of Gdansk was represented by Sylwia Mrozowska, PhD, DSc, Prof. of the UG, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Development of the University of Gdansk and lead coordinator of Group 5 ‘Social Education’, established to implement the Sectoral Agreement at the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The Vice-Rector’s speech concerned the Sectoral Agreement for the development of offshore wind energy in Poland and the challenges for public education.
“As the University of Gdansk, which is one of the largest universities in Pomerania, we are trying to prepare and build a regional support centre for the energy transition. It is in our area that major changes will take place regarding the energy transition. It is not only the development of a new sector, offshore wind energy, but also a nuclear power plant. We are also preparing to raise awareness of hydrogen” said Sylwia Mrozowska, PhD, DSc, Prof. of the UG.
The UG Vice-Rector also presented the main principles and objectives of the Sectoral Agreement at the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the working groups within it:
“The agreement was signed by two hundred entities: representatives of government, local authorities, business. Our overarching goal is to raise awareness and develop the sector and maximise local content. By networking and sharing practices, we have noticed that among experts, in the scientific community, there is no doubt about the essence of the energy transition and the important challenges involved: why it is needed, what are the barriers and opportunities. However, our audiences often do not have this knowledge. The task we have been given is to communicate effectively and coherently about what will be happening soon,” explained Sylwia Mrozowska, PhD, DSc, Prof. of the UG.