31st Annual Session at UNU-GTP

25 April 2009
The 31st annual session of the UNU-GTP opened on  April 21st, 2009. This year 21 UNU Fellows participate in the six month specialized courses. They come from Albania 1, Algeria 1, China 2, Costa Rica 1, Djibouti 2, El Salvador 1, Iran 1, Kenya 3, Mexico 1, Mongolia 1, Rwanda 2, Tanzania 1, Uganda 2, Yemen 1 and Zambia 1. They will be trained in: Geothermal Utilization 4, Chemistry of Thermal Fluids 4, Reservoir Engineering 6, Geological Exploration 2, Geophysical Exploration 4, and Drilling Engineering 1. In addition there is one short term Fellow from Nicaragua participating in the programme for 3 months in the specialized course Reservoir Engineering.

Individual pictures of the Fellows are posted under Fellows 2009.

During 1979-2008, 402 scientists and engineers from 43 countries have completed the six month courses. This year the UNU-GTP welcomes participants from one new country; Zambia. In many countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, and Central and Eastern Europe, UNU-GTP graduates are among the leading specialists in geothermal research and development. They have been very successful, and have contributed significantly to energy development in their parts of the world.

Eight former UNU Fellows have been working this year on their MSc projects under the cooperation agreement between the UNU-GTP and the University of Iceland. Four former UNU Fellows (from El Salvador 1, Ethiopia 1 and Indonesia 2), who started their MSc studies in September 2008, will complete during the summer of 2009. Five former UNU Fellows (from El Salvador 1, Eritrea 1, Ethiopia 1, Indonesia 1 and the Philippines 1) started their MSc studies in September 2008. In addition two PhD Fellows from Kenya have commenced their studies, one in September 2008 and another in January 2009. All MSc and PhD Fellows receive Fellowships from the UNU-GTP. 16 former UNU Fellows have graduated since the MSc programme was started in cooperation with the University of Iceland in 2000.