Inception of the College of Energy and Environment

A Timely Response to Prepare for Tomorrow's Energy Challenge

“To truly transform our economy, protect our security and save our planet from the ravages of climate change,” stated President Obama in February 2009, “we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy.”

The speech was delivered to audience all over the world, yet Dr. Prakash Ambegaonkar, Founder and CEO of Bridging Nations Foundation in D.C., might be the most excited to hear America’s new economic orientation.

Dr. Prakash, better known as Dr. P, established Bridging Nations in 2002. The organization focuses on the relations between China, India and the U.S. All of the three states are significant players in the global energy future: China and India have been leading energy consumption growth, while America remains the world’s largest polluter.

Dr. Prakash Ambegaonkar

Just at the time when President Obama announced his commitment to clean energy, Dr. P came up with an ambitious idea: a graduate program in Energy Technology and Policy. “The emergence of energy-centric economy has changed the paradigm of international relations,” Dr. P stated. “Through an education program that focuses on clean technology and green jobs, Bridging Nations will be able to inspire technology and policy innovations.”

An Inter-disciplinary Program

In the summer of 2009, Bridging Nations started contacting potential professors. The progress was remarkable. Within four months, the organization recruited an impressive faculty team, which is composed of energy experts all over the world. These include Dr. Eric Martinot, Senior Research Director at Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo, Professor Vijay Nilekani, Executive Technical Director at the Nuclear Energy Institute in D.C., and Dr. Wolfgang Kroger, Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. In 2010, Dr. P’s education initiative became licensed under the name of Bridging Nations College of Energy and Environment.

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Born and raised in India, Dr. P received his PhD in the U.S. This combination of different backgrounds has had a considerable influence upon the College he is trying to start. “In India, about 200 million people enroll in high school every year; among them, only 14 million move on to college; and eventually, only 5 million people graduate.” This concern about access to education has driven Dr. P to ensure that the College of Energy and Environment will be an affordable learning experience. “Education is a birthright, and we will make it as accessible as the air we breathe.”

It's Time for Student Recruitment

Trained to be an engineer, Dr. P is also a strong believer in technology innovations. Hence the graduate program will not only offer courses on policy-making, but will also include courses on engineering. This multidisciplinary approach has impressed the College’s faculty members, especially Dr. Martinot, who emphasized to Dr. P that there are few institutions as comprehensive as the College of Energy and Environment. Dr. P himself is also full of confidence, as Bridging Nations is moving in full speed toward recruiting students.