On Oct.17th, 2024, our European coordinator Prof. Alain THOREL attended the Annual Workshop of the Association of heat treatment and surface treatment (A3TS) and delivered an invited talk entitled “Hydrogen, materials and education: international differences in a world under pressure”.

International geopolitical tensions are creating intense constraints on the mineral resources needed for the energy transition. The implementation of hydrogen technologies must imperatively take this into account, and must also anticipate the resulting training needs. In Prof. Thorel shared in the speech his analysis of the needs for materials in the current international context and the implications for hydrogen-related teaching, with a focus on the comparison between the curricula of Western and Chinese universities. Also, he cited cooperation initiatives, such as the ICARE (China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy) that, beyond geopolitical differences, make it possible to envisage synergies that take advantage of the best of different cultures to meet the environmental challenge.

A3TS, which stands for Association of heat treatment and surface treatment, is a trade association bringing together industry players with an interest in heat treatment, coating and surface technologies.