Phase zero, or the basis for achieving energy convergence, is:
• on the one hand, the education of new generations who will be able to build a sustainable society of the future,
• and on the other hand, the necessity of cultural change at the level of each individual, that is, facing the real world and all that it entails in terms of complexity and risk.
Societal needs are changing under the influence of various factors such as climate change, the digitalization of society, or the implementation of renewable energy that will ensure sustainable and efficient energy systems in the future. The result is a change in the social and industrial paradigm, i.e., the creation of the Convergence Society and Industry 4.0, which are profoundly changing attitudes and ways of doing business through new models and technologies. Digital society, smartization of territories, the introduction of new technologies, and globalization impose a new set of knowledge and skills and entirely new competencies of the future workforce.
A rapidly changing society requires additional knowledge and an individual's handling of the real world
Education
Accepting the cyclical nature of all things, the interdependence of phenomena, and the awareness of continuing education is a necessity
Phase zero
Continuous repetitive processes require an awareness of the cyclical nature
Natural phenomena occur over time and recur periodically. This notion of the world dates back to the ancient Greeks, but it seems that today's modern world has lost this consciousness. Today, we perceive nature timelessly in an eternal stationary state. At the same time, we consider the notion of progress linear, valuing everything through continuous growth, which is the foundation of the success of today's modern society.
Coexistence with nature
"For true coexistence with nature, it is necessary to accept the cyclical life of nature, where the processes take place but periodically return to the initial value. The symbol of Uroboros, a snake that eats its own tail, thus forming a circle that the Greeks took over from the Egyptians, is equal to the symbol that usually represents the life cycle, which is one of the most important concepts of the near future, primarily in combination with energy, food, and waste."
To change the view of the life cycle of a product or service, two new elements that seem to be key to energy and environmental policies must be introduced: the concept of time and the concept of quality. For example, energy production needs not only the cost of the necessary inputs for the creation of that energy but also the impact of energy on the environment, i.e., pollution, in the time interval in which pollution occurs.
The university is becoming the main protagonist of achieving energy convergence.
Experts in various fields are needed to create a Convergence Society (link). The critical question is which technologies will be dominant, which will be the models of work and ultimately which jobs and competencies will be sought after and monetized. In such a challenging environment, universities have the crucial task to continuously and systematically educate and direct talents to meet the current and future needs of the world of work.
What is the role of university
It is a drastic shift in the understanding of phenomena in our environment. It requires from each individual a holistic, responsible, and sustainable approach that includes our impact on nature. Nature must become part of our world that we understand and care about.
The responsibility of each of us - a new paradigm of learning
The story does not stop with the change of consciousness, i.e., the new correlation of the individual with nature, and the acquisition of new knowledge in a challenging, constantly changing environment.
For an individual to remain competitive in the long run, we need to constantly improve and change. This implies the responsibility of each of us for our own development and independent management of our careers. Universities support this, but the fulfillment of such a large mission cannot depend on individual faculties. It is necessary to connect universities into a platform based on a new learning paradigm and lifelong learning. As part of our platform, universities define programs for advanced students. They ultimately link them to real-world problems in communities where they can demonstrate acquired knowledge.
