Establishing an African Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACEESD): A Centre of Excellence for Eastern and Southern Africa

Modern energy access acts as a catalyst for development. It connects economic growth with social equity and environmental sustainability which are important Millennium Development Goals. However, the vast majority of sub-Saharan Africans lack access to affordable clean energy and critical energy services. The sub-region also lacks the critical mass of highly skilled professionals, with specialized knowledge in engineering and technology (especially in power systems and in electrical engineering) that is required to generate the innovations needed to boost productivity in the energy sector. This presents a significant challenge which requires sustained efforts to train highly skilled energy professionals, policy makers and practitioners, who will apply research towards the development of renewable energy technologies and solutions for the critical/priority sectors of the economy in the subregion. The Africa Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACEESD) in the College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda is being established to address this critical challenge. The Centre is being established under the World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project (ACE II) supported by national governments within the region. The implementation of the ACEESD is expected to result in building capacity of the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology to undertake interdisciplinary research and training in smart and micro-grid energy technologies tailored to serve remote and/or rural areas using renewable sources, power systems and energy management and trade policy, train 40 PhD and 120 MSc energy experts and improve research and teaching environment.