By Yunus Center AIT
30 June 2023 – AIT officially launched the WePOWER SAR 100, a technical training and leadership development program for women in the power and energy sector in the South Asian Region (SAR). SAR100 is part of the South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity (SARIC) initiative’s Large Systems Training Program spearheaded by the World Bank, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through Palladium International. Participants will be selected competitively from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
SAR100 aims to equip mid-career women engineering professionals for leadership roles in the emerging energy integration and energy space. It is an 8-month program, comprising ten 3-week teaching modules, each with a supervised practicum, and a capstone seminar at the AIT campus in Bangkok, at the end of which successful participants will receive a 15 credit equivalent professional credential from the Energy Development: Systems, Management & Technology (EDSMAT) program at AIT.
Introducing the program, Dr. Faiz Shah, SAR100 program lead, said: “This is a collaborative regional effort that will upgrade much-needed skill sets and build gender diversity in energy services, a key sector in sustainable development. This program has been designed in close consultation with all SAR representatives on the Regional Working Group, and draws on leading faculty resources from Australia, North America and Thailand, apart from national experts for India and Pakistan. AIT is honored to be chosen to anchor the program and host the Regional Knowledge Hub and we look forward to welcoming 100 women energy leaders to AIT.”
SAR100 is an example of how AIT’s knowledge infrastructure can seamlessly integrate multi-modal learning platforms and assemble resources for curated programs like SAR100. Dr. Jai Govind Singh, academic lead adds: “There is much anticipation, as the first SAR100 module begins on 10 July, 2023. The Sustainable Energy Transition academic program faculty are excited to be working with leading experts from the World Bank, University of Melbourne, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and AIT’s energy sector network in SAR countries. This program is a demonstration of how hybrid education models can multiply access and ensure quality of learning outcomes.”
The SAR100 Regional Knowledge Hub will evolve into a shared asset as the WePOWER program grows. The SAR100 curriculum is designed to build technical capacity of participants for managing operations of regionally integrated power systems with high renewable energy penetration, and to understand the role of power markets in the regional integration as well as scaling-up of renewable energy. SAR 100 is particularly focused on leadership skills that build gender awareness and mitigate unconscious bias.
Prof. P. Abdul Salam, Dean of AIT’s School of Environment, Resources, and Development, recognizes SAR100 as an endorsement of AIT’s mandate of regional development by making quality learning accessible to larger numbers of aspiring professionals, particularly women. “It is common for women to step back from their profession in order to take on family responsibilities. This pilot program will show how it is possible for women professionals to remain engaged with their careers even as they tend to their care-giving role.”, he said.
The SAR100 program emerged from discussions during the WePOWER regional meeting in Bangkok, in December 2022, hosted by the World Bank. The SAR100 program team works with national training partners, particularly, Bhutan Power Corporation, Bangladesh Power Management Institute, National Power Training Institute ( India), State Electric Company (Maldives), Nepal Electricity Authority, WAPDA Staff College (Pakistan), and Ceylon Electricity Board (Sri Lanka).
