Aspiring energy leaders look for the 'big spark' at WEC Turkey youth workshop

Twenty-five aspiring energy leaders from nine countries and four world regions attended a workshop organised by WEC Turkey's Youth Programme held on 18-20 May 2012 in Ankara.

At the workshop, delegates learnt about energy policymaking through dialogues focusing on specific topics.  They discussed the impacts of the recent Middle East developments and the financial and eurozone crises on the sector, in addition to Caspian energy resource, renewable energy, and nuclear power. Select delegates moderated the discussions, and participants prepared and shared briefing documents on their own countries' energy policies..

Hilal Pataci, an organiser, said the workshop provided an opportunity for today's energy leaders to "share their knowledge and experience" with future ones. Arafat Safi, a delegate from Afghanistan, added that such workshops for young people are valuable because they "greatly help their future plans and specially their contribution to the energy sector," he wrote in the workshop booklet.  They can also help set off the "big spark" for new ideas. 

Ori Chandler, WEC Manager of Member Services who provides support for the WEC's national member committees, applauds members for their youth engagement efforts and encourages more committees to take part.

"Young people want to start shaping solutions to future energy challenges; they want to be a part of WEC's global energy dialogue. There is clearly a space for engagement," she said.   "The youth of today will be tomorrow's leaders - and we have a responsibility to engage with them now," Chandler said.  "It's an excellent way to identify young talent."

WEC Turkey's Youth Programme is one of the WEC's national and regional working groups helping young energy professionals to build on their career potential.  The working groups are an outcome of the WEC's Future Energy Leaders initiative, an international network of exceptional, young professionals from energy-related sectors who are selected to actively take part in the WEC's World Energy Congress and to network with colleagues around the world. 

"What's really interesting about [the Turkish workshop] is the breadth of international participation." Delegates came from Turkey, Italy, Canada, Pakistan, Romania, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Georgia - with the last three currently outside the current WEC network. "The Turkish workshop is a great example of young, cross-cultural collaboration."
The workshop was organised by Hilal Pataci, Cagri Cengiz, Alev Soysal, and Muzaffer Sagban, members of WEC Turkey's Youth Programme, under the endorsement of Süreyya Yücel Özden, WEC Turkey Chair, and the Chairs of the Romanian and Italian Member Committees.