Environmental impact, energy crises, global monetary speculation fiasco, loss of businesses and jobs – policy changes and renewal are on the global agenda. Never was it more important than today to not only think about reshaping the future, but to actually want to design tomorrow, to make the very most of resources, instead of wasting them, and to more carefully and economically optimize processes, making use of the available means and energies.

Many had already bet on the future and are profiting from their decision today. The related fields are booming and, with the pressure to put an end to the crisis, the outlook is better and better. The numbers speak for themselves: Today, and for the future, Germany needs an additional 200,000 engineers. This represents top career prospects – and the booming renewable energy branch offers particular opportunities. Germany is not only a world leader in this area: 250,000 people are currently active in this field; in ten years that number is expected to double and, by 2020, to triple. In order to cover this need, the respective courses of study are required.

Therefore, the Technische Universität (TU) Berlin, starting in the winter semester 2009, is offering a master’s course of studies in “renewable energy” for engineers. The course is free of charge and part of the conventional studies curriculum. The program’s key focus areas are solar energy (photovoltaics), wind energy and biomass. The prerequisite is a completed bachelor’s degree in energy and process technology. Word has gotten out about the excellent future prospects in this field and the course has attracted a great deal of interest. No wonder: these days, the “green” industrial sector provides work for over 80,000 in the wind power area alone, almost 40,000 in photovoltaics, and over 30,000 in the biomass sector.