On July 2, the opening ceremony of the Global Summer School “2026 Discover at HUST - Green Energy for a Zero-Carbon Future Summer School” was held in Lecture Hall S311 of the Clean Energy Building. More than 40 Chinese and international students from the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, the University of Padova, Politecnico di Torino and the National Technical University of Athens attended the ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Luo Xiaobing, Chinese Dean of ICARE, extended a sincere welcome to overseas experts and young students from all countries who had traveled a long way to attend.He noted that this year’s summer school centers on green and zero-carbon development, integrating specialized lectures, corporate field visits and cultural experiences.He encouraged young participants from all nations to engage in active exchanges and build long-term collaborative ties, and wished all attendees a rewarding and fruitful learning experience.
Professor Fabrizio Dughiero, Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering, UNIPD and Professor Massimo Santarelli from the Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino delivered speeches in succession. They respectively introduced the disciplinary strengths and international cooperation strategies of their respective institutions, and reviewed the long-standing friendly collaborative ties with the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy (ICARE). Both speakers highly recognized ICARE’s role as a pivotal platform for cultivating global renewable energy talents. They expressed the hope to deepen long-term inter-university cooperation in scientific research and joint talent training through this summer school.
Nikolaos David Katsimichas from the National Technical University of Athens delivered a speech as the student representative, expressing gratitude to ICARE for offering this high-level international exchange opportunity. Drawing on the ancient civilizational links between China and Greece as well as the fruitful cooperation at the Port of Piraeus, he pointed out that energy transition calls for global collaboration. He looked forward to deepening exchanges between the two countries with renewable energy serving as a new bond. All participants will learn from one another, forge lasting friendships, and jointly advance green and sustainable development.
Following the opening ceremony, Professor Fabrizio Dughiero delivered the first keynote academic presentation entitled Net Energy Intelligence: Can AI Save More Energy Than It Consumes? He shared in-depth insights on cutting-edge areas including synergy between artificial intelligence and energy systems as well as intelligent energy conservation, kicking off the series of academic activities for this summer school.
This “2026 Discover at HUST - Green Energy for a Zero-Carbon Future Summer School” brings together top-tier faculty in the energy sector from multiple countries. It features diversified teaching modules including cutting-edge lectures, academic seminars, research practice, corporate site visits and cultural exchange activities. The program further facilitates talent exchange and research collaboration between Chinese and European universities in clean energy and carbon neutrality, fostering young innovative talents with global vision for the development of the worldwide green and low-carbon industry.
