All over the world, the demand for energy is increasing strongly. However, it is disputed which energy is to be used and how it is to be produced. This is the subject of the Colloquium Fundamentale in the 2008 summer semester, which will be headed “Illumination or Blackout? Energy Supply in the Future”. The lecture series will be opened by Dr. Peter Fritz from the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH on Thursday, May 8, 18 hrs, at the Engesser Hörsaal (Engesser lecture hall, building No. 10.81, Otto-Ammann-Platz 1, 1st floor).
Fritz is member of the Executive Board of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. He heads the Scientific Executive Division 2 and is the spokesman of the KIT Energy Center. He will speak about “Energy Supply in a Globalized World. The Contribution of KIT Research”. The ZAK | Zentrum für Angewandte Kulturwissenschaft und Studium Generale der Universität Karlsruhe (TH) (Center for Applied Cultural Sciences and General Studies of the Universität Karlsruhe) organizes the Colloquium Fundamentale. In this semester, it will cooperate with the new KIT Energy Center. The colloquium will take place on thursdays at the Engesser lecture hall, usually every 14 days, from 18 to 19.30 hrs.
It is the opinion of experts that an energy mix only may satisfy the energy needs in particular in the threshold countries of China and India. At the same time, certain questions remain to be answered for each energy carrier: How long will the available uranium resources be sufficient to operate nuclear power plants? Will it be technically feasible to decisively reduce the emissions of coal-fired power plants all over the world? How high is the potential of renewable wind and water, geothermal, and biomass energies? The Colloquium Fundamentale is aimed at providing information and discussing these questions.
Other Dates
May 29 - Energy: Resources, Needs, and Innovations
Professor Martin Faulstich, Holder of the Chair of Resources and Energy Technology, Technical University of Munich, Member of the Expert Council for Environmental Issues
June 12 - Debate: Nuclear Power versus Regenerative Energies
Dr. Joachim U. Knebel, Head of the Nuclear Safety Research Program, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, KIT Energy Center
Professor Hans Müller-Steinhagen, Director of the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center, and of the Institute of Thermodynamics and Heat Technology, University of Stuttgart
June 26 - Use of Alternative Energies like Biomass and Geothermal Energy
Dr. Karl Friedrich Ziegahn, Head of the Efficient Energy Conversion Program, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, KIT Spokesman for Renewable Energies, President of the German Society for Environmental Simulation e.V.
Dr. Ernst Huenges, Head of the Geothermal Energy Program, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam
July 3 - Blackmail and Dependence? Energy as a Factor in Foreign Affairs
July 10 - Podium Discussion: Energy Policy in the Future
Renowned representatives from science, politics, and industry
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the merger of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, member of the Helmholtz Association, and the Universität Karlsruhe. This merger will give rise to an institution of internationally excellent research and teaching in natural and engineering sciences. In total, the KIT has 8000 employees and an annual budget of 700 million Euros. The KIT focuses on the knowledge triangle of research – teaching – innovation.
The Karlsruhe institution is a leading European energy research center and plays a visible role in nanosciences worldwide. KIT sets new standards in teaching and promotion of young scientists and attracts top scientists from all over the world. Moreover, KIT is a leading cooperation partner of industry.
ele, April 30, 2008
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