Excellent young researchers for the hydrogen economy: New graduate school of BAM and BTU starts

Photo: BAM website.

The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and the Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) are jointly launching a graduate school on hydrogen that is unique in Germany. It trains excellent young academics for the hydrogen industry.

The graduate school "Trustworthy Hydrogen" begins with an orientation week. In a three-year programme, it aims to enable doctoral students to actively shape the development of a hydrogen economy in Germany and Europe as scientists in industry, research or the public sector.

"The move away from fossil fuels and the transformation to climate neutrality have become particularly urgent in recent months. In Germany and Europe, it is now about the concrete implementation of agreed goals. With the launch of our graduate school, we are sending a forward-looking signal: We are training the leaders of tomorrow today so that the sustainable development of a hydrogen economy succeeds and Germany can maintain its leading position in this field in the long term," explains BAM President Prof. Dr Ulrich Panne.

The President of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg Prof. Gesine Grande, who is also a member of the BAM Board of Trustees, says: "With today's official start of our joint graduate school Trustworthy Hydrogen, we have reached a milestone: in our steadily growing scientific cooperation with BAM, in the cross-institutional promotion of highly qualified young professionals and for the safe and sustainable use of hydrogen as a technology of the future. In this way, BTU and BAM are joining forces to contribute to the success of the energy transition, the training of future leaders of a sustainable hydrogen economy and the creation of an excellent research cluster."

Hydrogen is a key element for the transformation of the economy and society towards climate neutrality. The transformation of the energy system to a hydrogen economy will require a large number of highly qualified specialists in the coming years. Up to now, there has been a lack of suitable qualification programmes.

The "Trustworthy Hydrogen" graduate school of BAM and BTU closes this gap. Both institutions, which have been cooperating in research and teaching for many years, are leaders in Germany in research on modern hydrogen technologies. BAM has bundled its extensive activities in the field in the H2Safety@BAM competence centre. At the BTU, numerous disciplines are conducting interdisciplinary research into the production and use of green hydrogen.

The seven doctoral students in the new graduate school not only have access to the outstanding hydrogen expertise of BAM and BTU and a unique research infrastructure at both locations. They also benefit from a large network of national and international partners in industry, science and politics.
The graduate school provides them with comprehensive knowledge of the entire value chain and the framework conditions and safety standards required for the market implementation of hydrogen. Soft skills in fields such as science communication and policy advice round off the programme.
The qualification starts with labwalks, lectures by hydrogen experts from BAM and BTU, and a tour of BAM's twelve square kilometre test and trial site in Brandenburg, where new hydrogen technologies are tested for their safety, as part of an orientation week.

This article was first published on 16 January by BAM.