Being part of Green Talents 2019 was a privilege! As a PhD student in Energy Efficiency who already decided to work with the sustainability and climate change agenda, I couldn’t have had a better experience. I consider myself lucky enough to be the first Green Talents awardee representing Morocco in this International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development. My participation in the Green Talents Science Forum 2019 allowed me to enrich and develop new skills, to debate about solutions related to energy efficiency and sustainability, learn more about resource, climate and energy challenges and their relationship to economy and society, in addition to discovering innovative green ideas in the field. From Saarbrücken to Berlin, we learnt more about sustainability topics by getting to know people, initiatives, projects and organisations that are tackling the challenge of our generation.

Being affected by the German experience in terms of sustainability science, innovation, and technology, I was always curious to discover the key of the German research experience, a chance that BMBF provides to me, while visiting some of the hot spots of sustainability science in Germany, which makes this programme so special and fruitful. I appreciate having the opportunity to get exclusive access to the country’s research landscape, to develop new knowledge, techniques and applications about solutions in solving the most important issues in providing future sustainable cities and products, as well as to discover the impact of risk and vulnerability research on sustainable development and climate change, therefore, to learn more about sustainability projects on-site and search for possibilities for co-operation with German experts and facilities.
 
Many German research institutions we visited are already working in sustainability, proposing new ways of working and even new opportunities of collaboration. This is especially inspiring for young people, since many of them are no longer interested in just making money, but rather working on socio-environmental research projects that respect the environment and protect our planet.

Travelling alone to the experts meeting and having 3 meetings in two days in three different cities was a unique and amazing experience. I would also like to highlight that the Networking Conference was an unprecedented personal experience, allowing me and the participants to engage in dynamics that required foreign language knowledge while networking with a very diverse group gathering new Green Talents and the Green Talents alumni with incredible cultural richness and backgrounds. Spending two weeks starting from Saarbrücken to Berlin in this programme gathering experts and worldwide young researchers was an outstanding opportunity to share experiences and skills with each other and to open different channels for cooperation at best way.

I would like to thank the BMBF for giving me this opportunity to be part of this wonderful and fruitful programme. Bringing together people from different sides of bilingualism – research and clinical – was an inspiring decision which, in my opinion, paid off volumes. Special thanks to the Green Talents team for their hard work and their excellent management of what has turned out to be a successful and highly stimulating programme that involves enormous amounts of time and energy.

By Karima EL AZHARY,
PhD Student in Energy Efficiency
Mohamadia School of Engineers, Material, Energy and Acoustic Team, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco