News & Events

On 22 February 2022, the Energy Transition (Energiewende) exhibition in the O'Brien Centre for Science was officially opened by UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact Professor Orla Feely; German Ambassador to Ireland Cord Meier-Klodt; and Professor Andrew Keane, Director of the UCD Energy Institute.

Left to right: Ms Lynn Goedecke (GIZ, German Development Agency), Ms Caitriona Devery (UCD Earth Institute), His Excellency Ambassador Cord Meier-Clodt (German Ambassador to Ireland), Prof. Tasman Crowe (Director, UCD Earth Institute), Prof. Orla Feely (UCD VP for Research, Innovation and Impact), Fatima Butt (UCD Student Ambassador), Assoc. Prof. Siofra Pierse (Head of School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics), Niamh Lehane (UCD Student Ambassador), and  Prof. Andrew Keane (Director, UCD Energy Institute).

This state-of-the art exhibition, organised by the German Federal Foreign Office and hosted at UCD by the UCD Energy Institute and the UCD Earth Institute, explores topics including renewable energy, mobility and transport, and a “just transition” in an accessible and engaging way.

His Excellency Ambassador Cord Meier-Clodt (German Ambassador to Ireland) officially opens the Energy in Transition exhibition with Prof. Orla Feely (UCD VP for Research, Innovation and Impact).

At a reception attended by researchers, energy industry professionals and members of the diplomatic community, Professor Feely spoke about how Ireland and the world need to learn from Germany and their energy transition.  Professor Feely also noted how the Energy Transition exhibition connects with UCD’s strategic goal of creating a sustainable global society and provides inspiration for multidisciplinary teaching and research at UCD.

His Excellency Ambassador Cord Meier-Clodt (German Ambassador to Ireland) and UCD guests view the Energy in Transition exhibition.

German Ambassador to Ireland Cord Meier-Klodt spoke about how the exhibition marked his first visit to UCD and the first step of friendship with UCD.  Meier-Klodt also noted the timeliness of the exhibition, that the “just transition” to self-sustaining energy is the most important and urgent challenge we face today.  It requires, he said, broad international consensus and actions, in which Ireland and Germany could play strong roles.

The exhibition ran from 22 February to 14 March 2022 and was visited by groups from across UCD and beyond. It was used for undergraduate teaching and as a catalyst for research meetings; a number of classes from our neighbours in St Kilian’s German/Irish School in Clonskeagh visited to find out more about climate change and energy; and the UCD Sustainable Energy Community hosted a meeting in conjunction with the exhibition for Sustainable Energy Community groups in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area.