Between 23 and 25 May 2026, the University of Pavia hosted the Polish-Italian intensive school entitled "Powering a Just and Sustainable Future: The Energy Transition in Practice - Sustainability, Just Transition, Clean Energy and Nuclear Innovation." The event was organised by Professor Katarzyna Gromek-Broc from the University of Pavia in cooperation with dr Marcin Kraśniewski from the Department of Energy Transition at the University of Economics in Katowice. The project was financed through an internal grant awarded by the University of Pavia.
The intensive school brought together students from the University of Economics in Katowice and the University of Pavia. The programme gathered several dozen participants representing various academic disciplines, including law, economics, political science and European studies. Among the Polish participants were Mateusz Cieślik, Michał Presz and Bartosz Bieniek.
The University of Pavia is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. Founded in the 14th century, the university has long been associated with distinguished scholars, including Alessandro Volta, one of the pioneers of electricity research. For many years, the institution has actively developed international academic cooperation and mobility programmes for students and researchers. For more than two years, the University of Pavia has cooperated closely with the Department of Energy Transition at the University of Economics in Katowice through joint research projects, conferences and educational initiatives devoted to energy transition and energy security. Currently, dr Marcin Kraśniewski is carrying out a visiting scholar programme at the University of Pavia.
The intensive school was designed as an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented educational initiative. The organisers placed particular emphasis on active student participation, negotiation simulations and discussions concerning global challenges related to the energy transition. As highlighted in the programme assumptions, the school aimed to create a space for direct interaction between students and international experts while enabling participants to develop practical skills through the “learning by doing” approach.
The programme included specialised modules devoted to energy transition from global, European and international perspectives. Participants analysed issues related to just transition, clean energy, nuclear energy, cybersecurity of critical energy infrastructure and international climate cooperation. Particular interest was generated by the lecture delivered by dr Marcin Kraśniewski on financing the global energy transition, climate finance mechanisms and the challenges of just transition in Poland.
An important element of the programme consisted of negotiation simulations and debates supervised by Professor Katarzyna Gromek-Broc, dr Marcin Kraśniewski and Elnaz Nahavandi from the University of Pavia. Students assumed the roles of different stakeholders in the energy sector, including governments, regulators, energy companies, NGOs and international institutions. One of the main simulations focused on negotiations concerning the Energy Efficiency Directive and renewable energy policies.
The school also featured lectures and seminars delivered by international experts specialising in energy transition, energy justice and climate policy. The programme additionally included presentations of student projects originally developed during the Energy Week events organised in Katowice in 2024 and 2025.
The organisers also prepared networking and integration activities, which enabled students from Poland and Italy to exchange experiences and build international academic relationships. Each participant received a certificate confirming successful participation in the intensive school.
The organisers have already announced the next edition of the Polish-Italian intensive school “Powering a Just and Sustainable Future: The Energy Transition in Practice – Sustainability, Just Transition, Clean Energy and Nuclear Innovation,” which will take place in Katowice in October 2026.
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