Nine UWC Adriatic students concluded the academic year with an exceptional opportunity to engage directly with one of the defining challenges of our time: the transition towards a more sustainable energy future.
Through a two-week internship organised in partnership with Ecubes, a company specialising in clean energy technologies, the students explored the role of innovation, strategic thinking and international collaboration in shaping the energy systems of tomorrow. The experience culminated in a closing event on June 5 entitled Imagining Futures of Renewables, during which students presented the outcomes of their work to representatives of Ecubes and members of the UWC Adriatic community.
This internship is part of a growing programme of science-focused opportunities developed for students with a strong interest in science and technology before returning home for the summer. Since 2024, these initiatives have been promoted by UWC Adriatic’s Scientific Outreach Coordinator and Chemistry teacher, Dimitrina Trendafilova, and this year involved 39 students overall across different organisations in Trieste and beyond: ICTP, SISSA, INFN, Sincrotrone Elettra, BioMa the University of Trieste, the Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Fondazione Golinelli and Ecubes.
During the programme with Ecubes, students worked alongside professionals in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, learning about renewable energy systems, the potential of hydrogen technologies and the complex economic, social and geopolitical factors that influence the global energy transition. Through discussions, site visits and collaborative projects, they were challenged to move beyond theory and engage with real-world questions that require both scientific understanding and creative problem-solving.
The experience also encouraged students to examine energy challenges through the lens of their own countries and communities. Drawing on scenario planning and future-thinking methodologies, they explored how technological developments, international cooperation and social change might shape different pathways towards sustainability.
During the closing event, Deputy Head Academic Joanne De Koning underlined the educational value of the partnership: «At UWC Adriatic we believe that education must go beyond the classroom. Partnerships like the one with Ecubes allow our students to engage with real-world challenges in meaningful ways, combining knowledge with imagination, responsibility and action.»
Maria Chiara Billi, Educational Projects Manager at UWC Adriatic, also reflected on the significance of the collaboration. Recalling how the partnership began with the students’ participation in the Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic Conference in 2024, she emphasised that young people do not need to wait for an undefined future moment to contribute meaningfully. «Young people can already ask serious questions. They can already bring original perspectives and enter conversations about the future with intelligence, curiosity and responsibility» she said.
For many participants, the internship provided a rare opportunity not only to deepen their scientific understanding but also to develop professional skills and confidence. Students highlighted the value of working with industry experts, visiting research and industrial facilities, and contributing their own ideas within a professional environment that treated them as genuine collaborators and for this the College is genuinely grateful to Aleksander Gerbec, Ecubes CEO and the students’ mentor Steven Libbrecht, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer.
As one student reflected, the internship was «eye-opening because it offered the chance to visit different sites, meet professionals in the field and learn how to ask meaningful questions in a professional setting». Another participant described the experience as «a powerful reminder that real change is possible, and that working alongside a company such as Ecubes can strengthen the motivation to keep contributing as a UWC student».
By connecting scientific inquiry with real-world application, the internship offered students a powerful reminder that education is not only about understanding the world as it is, but also about imagining what it could become – and developing the skills needed to help shape it.
