Executive MBA Energy Transition

Dawei Yu has a very clear idea of why he is taking Executive MBA Energy Transition, which is starting in September of this year. The 39-year-old engineer from Singapore, who is currently working as project engineering manager for Shell in Indonesia, notes that the oil industry is faced “with a painful transition that will affect us all deeply. I hope the MBA will help me to take stock of my own career, to find new paths for myself, but also to contribute something to the world.”

Dawei has no doubts about the necessity of the energy transition. “I believe that as humans we have a shared identity and common future. We have one home that we share in common: planet Earth. I have this dream that I can contribute to making this world at least a slightly better place.”

He notes that in East Asia there are a lot of coastal regions that will be impacted by climate change. At the same time, there is still a lot of poverty in many countries. “Affordability is a major issue here. We need to balance this with the environment. There is not one panacea for this.

One thing that Dawei expects to get from the MBA is a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of various new technologies. “For example, there is a lot of talk now about hydrogen. But will hydrogen fuel cells be a good solution in the transport sector? There is still a lot of uncertainty around this.”

Dawei believes Europe is a front-runner in low-carbon energy technologies, and he thinks he will be able to learn from the exchanges with experts and colleagues within the industry that the MBA will offer him. “The University of Groningen has a good reputation and the Netherlands is highly advanced in many technologies.”

He notes that the corona pandemic has increased the urgency for the energy industry to change. “A lot of people in the oil industry are losing their jobs. You can be a process engineer in the refining business one day and the next day find that your skills are suddenly obsolete.”

That is another reason why Dawei is taking the MBA: to diversify his skills and gain a broader perspective on the rapid changes that are taking place. “I have no immediate ambition to change my career path, but I want to be prepared for the future.”