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The Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT-RRCAP) and the Sustainable Energy Youth Network (SEYN), with the support of the Regional Project Energy Security and Climate Change Asia-Pacific of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, are organizing the Youth Energy Academy that will place at the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathum Thani, Thailand, between 28 October and 3 November 2019.

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Why a Youth Energy Academy?

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Communities and cities in Asia are already experiencing the consequences of climate change. Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all needs a faster and more inclusive energy transition. With a growing population, higher energy demand and increasingly harsher climate change impacts, Asia needs to focus more on decentralized renewable energy (DRE) approaches.  DRE provides crosscutting benefits, including providing energy to the many millions of people that still lack access, especially in rural and inaccessible areas such as small islands, while also offering possibilities for community development.

The challenges, the scale of changes required, and the potential benefits of more citizen participation call for different forms of engagement from the individual to collective levels. The Youth Energy Academy explores these opportunities, highlighting the new role of the “prosumer” (producer + consumer), renewable energy community groups and cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and others, from practical perspective.

Young people have a crucial stake in the future. For their energy and creativity, there is great potential in involving young women and men in the energy transition, regardless of their background, educational or professional path. In efforts to address the gender gap in energy issues, we encourage young women to apply.

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Where and when?

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The Academy will take place in the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology, in Pathum Thani, Thailand (40km north of Bangkok), between 28 October and 3 November 2019.

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What’s on?  

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The 7-Day Youth Energy Academy will consist of:

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- Theoretical morning sessions that aim to provide background on the social, technical, policy and financial considerations of decentralized renewable energy approaches, as outlined below:

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Day 1           The Energy Trilemma

Climate Change, Energy Access, and Development

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Day 2           Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE)

Technologies in addressing the Energy Trilemma

Day 3           People Power

The role of individuals & communities in DRE: Examples from Thailand and around the globe

Day 4           DRE on the ground

Field trip to a local DRE project

Day 5           Social Business

The role of social entrepreneurship models for renewable energy

Day 6          Mobilizing resources

Sources of funding for CRE and tips for drafting quality project proposals

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Day 7           From idea to reality

Lessons learned from CRE Project Implementation: drivers & barriers for success   

- Practical Afternoon sessions throughout the week will be dedicated to hands-on workshops where participants can build simple solar energy systems to be shared with nearby communities.

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- Informal evening sessions will provide an additional learning opportunity to learn through interaction in a social and informal atmosphere.

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How? 

The Academy will use participative, non-formal, and empowering methods aiming to boost creativity and inspire action. The cases and examples showed will come from knowledgeable, like-minded people, while also being realistic by illustrating the many challenges that are inherent to all projects.

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The morning sessions will use interactive presentations, group discussions, case studies and a field trip to show a real-life community energy project. Afternoon workshops will give participants the opportunity to build their own solar energy systems using "Do-it-Yourself" (DIY) and "Do-it-Together" (DIT) approaches, appropriate technology and open source available designs, while evenings will create a space for debating and networking with practitioners and experts, working informally in groups, or watching documentary films on relevant topics.

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Who will attend?

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A diverse group of around 20 young male and female participants, from countries in South and Southeast Asia*, who can demonstrate passion and commitment to advance renewable energy, sustainability, community development, entrepreneurship, climate action, or related topics. Participants should be active or planning to take an active role in advancing sustainability in their communities.

Full scholarships will cover the costs of travel, shared on-campus accommodation**, food, materials, and training and activities for selected participants. 

* Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam and Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

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Application Process

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Applications for the 1st Youth Energy Academy have closed with around 800 applicants. 

For more information on the application process please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Selected participants can find out more here.

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