A key focus of the TEA-LP is building our southern network of energy expertise. Our vision is to have a community of energy experts that can rely on each other for resources, knowledge, ideas and skills in the sustainable energy and energy education space. This means having southern voices both empowered and relied upon with context-specific information relevant to the challenges and landscapes of the Global South, instead of relying on Global North partners who are often much further removed from local contexts.

Just as mycelium sends information and nutrients across the forest floor resulting in richer, healthier ecosystems, we hope for a network that generates vibrant and meaningful connections and developments that drive energy access. We know that rich networks can be incredibly impactful as webs of resilience and drivers of innovation in the context of climate change, and we plan to continue cultivating this ecosystem.

Our Network Lead, Jiska de Groot shares:
“The power of our TEA-LP network lies in its ability to bring together experts from across multiple continents, with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. This diversity is what both makes us special and makes our work so important. A well-connected group of people work towards the common goal of universal energy access can drive innovation in the sector, and foster collaboration across borders. I feel that networks that connect both the Global South and Global North are particularly crucial, as the combination of local contextual knowledge, technological knowledge, and broader perspectives  are at the core of the solutions we need . We aim to help facilitate connections between different stakeholders but with a key imperative to do justice to the expertise our Southern partners bring to the table, as without this knowledge, delivery of energy access will fail. By bringing together varied expertise and lived experiences of our partners, fostering long-term connections and, dare I say, friendships, we hope our network will create a lasting impact on the sector!”

Networking comes in many forms, and we focus on several streams here at the TEA-LP.

In-person events:
While we are sensitive to our emissions and avoid any unnecessary travel, there is still immense value in meeting in person. For example, sending partners to industry-relevant conferences and events. This year we sent partners to the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF 2024) in Lagos, Nigeria and to the Sustainable Energy Education Conference (SEED) in Valencia, Spain. These events provided opportunities to present research, host and participate in workshops, and network with energy professionals, particularly those within the TEA-LP.

As Nofri Yenita Dahlan from UiTM described, “Attending the SEED conference as a TEA-LP partner was highly beneficial for networking with other TEA-LP partners. It provided an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues, share experiences, and exchange valuable insights on sustainable energy education. The interactions during the conference facilitated the formation of new collaborations and strengthened existing partnerships, ultimately enhancing our collective efforts towards advancing sustainable energy education.” 

Another example was sending two of our star Future Female Leaders in Energy graduates to attend Enlit Africa – an event which provided them with incredible networking opportunities. As attendee Simangele Plaatjies confirmed: “One of the most important components of the ENLIT Africa 2024 event was the ability to make new relationships with industry experts, thinking leaders, and other energy professionals. The networking sessions enabled me to engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and form partnerships that have the potential to encourage collaboration and innovation not only limited to the solar energy sector.”

We plan to continue putting out calls for exciting conferences and events where TEA-LP members have the opportunities to expand their network and forge new relationships. We strongly encourage our partners to seize these opportunities.

Workshops
We host various workshops relevant to our partner universities. The Course Uptake Workshop (CUW) in Nairobi last year was a key event that provided a chance for partners to connect with TEA-LP team members and each other while gaining valuable knowledge about curriculum development and localisation such that the learning experiences are as relevant as possible to respective regions. This can help to ensure that Masters’ graduates are equipped to make positive changes to the clean energy sectors within their own regions upon successful graduation.

Since the CUW, additional continued professional development and clean energy education workshops have continued to enhance curriculum development and add value for our partners. The recent Mini-Grids Training Workshop (MGTW) in Kigali has further deepened partner expertise with the introduction of various software relevant to the design and development of mini grids. The MGTW brought together 42 university partners (most of whom had attended the CUW in Nairobi last year) from 22 institutions across 16 countries, allowing the diverse TEA-LP academic network to strengthen while allowing individuals to deepen their existing relationships.

Through carefully curated group work exercises, MGTW participants from various backgrounds could collaborate and work together on challenging problems that reflect real-world issues in many developing regions around the world.

LinkedIn community 
The TEA-LP LinkedIn community has grown by 315% in the last three months! It is a great platform to share content, put calls out for various opportunities, help connect professionals for meaningful collaboration and celebrate partner achievements. We have seen remarkable growth in both our follower size and interactions and advise our partners to engage with us on the platform so that we can leverage your work and collective impact. We are always open to sharing posts and stories that align with our vision, so please reach out if there is something you would like to amplify across our network.

Collaboration 
The TEA-LP has amazing partnerships with a variety of organisations who not only impart knowledge, open the way to various opportunities but also provide access to incredible resources and software. You can read more about the recent software made available to our partners delivering the Mini-grids planning and design course which was trained on at the MGTW workshop. Leveraging partnerships can open doors for immense professional growth. You can also explore some of our incredible partnerships here. We are always open to new collaborations with a focus on the work of TEA-LP and connecting with and to our partners.

How to build and expand your own network 
•Make sure you keep your personal LinkedIn page up to date and engage with industry partners and other professionals
•Respond to calls for opportunities, you never know who you will meet!
•Be proactive and ENGAGE – have conversations, follow up with people you have met, share your knowledge and information so that other share with you, and as Professor Emeka Oguzie so eloquently shared, “key into every opportunity for networking, as a strategy to access knowledge, expertise and facilities without boundaries…most of the experience and expertise I have achieved have come through networks…”
•Be open to collaboration