The Agorá event was preceded by an intense 2-day Speech Training where the ENTECH graduates received inputs on story-telling and presentation techniques, and had the chance to practice and support each other in creating an inspiring and personal 5-minute talk. These talks were fuelled by the insights and skills developed over their 2-year Open Space Studio Journey, as well as the experiences they had over the 2 years of their MSc ENTECH programme, having studied in 2 different universities and lived in 2, sometimes 3, different countries/cultures.

As the day of the Agorá started and all participants gathered around the meeting room for their morning coffee, there was a joyful mix of feelings in the air. The graduates were ready to share their ideas, what they’ve learned, what they want and can contribute to the world and their vision of the future in Sustainable Energy. Throughout the morning, graduates and guests got together in small groups, where each graduate gave an inspiring 5-minutes talk, followed by short dialogues on the ideas generated and captured from each presentation. During lunch break, all participants got the chance to network and walk around a marketplace, where graduates could share their posters showcasing a summary of their experiences, research and passion. It was a great atmosphere and a sharing of possibilities.

Supported by all the insights generated during the morning speeches and dialogues, the afternoon was all about having co-creative dialogues that created a common understanding amongst all participants. The focus laid on what it means to be ego or eco driven as an individual and as a society, today, and where we should collectively put our attention to respond to this challenge and progress towards an ecological and sustainable reality in Energy.

As the day came to an end, a real sense of appreciation emerged from all people, who were listened to, that could freely and honestly contribute with their ideas and build upon those of others. It was an event inspired by the energy, passion and knowledge of all people in the room, where companies could experience the graduates in a different way and perhaps meet already a future employee.

“The Open Space Studio Agorá is a very special format. It leaves room and time for a very personal exchange with the graduates. I was really inspired by the passion they showed in our co-creation session. For me as an industry guest this proved again that it’s not only technical expertise that matters to make an impact, but this kind of mindset to move towards a sustainable future.” – Natalie Habibov, Talent Development Specialist, Human Resources, Europe Operations, Schneider Electric GmbH, Germany

“It was really wonderful and exciting to participate in “Agorá Open Space Studio 2018” event organized by InnoEnergy. Graduates presented creative and innovative topics. It was a great chance for me to introduce KSB as an ethical and futuristic employer, and to explore the career prospects for the graduates. Group discussions were literally amazing, we talked about social, political, cultural and economic factors linked to renewable and clean energy. We got a chance to challenge our predefined mindset and explore constructive and new ways of doing things. We learnt, how ego could serve eco by disrupting the way of doing things. We also concluded that we should focus on similarities to promote diversity and synergize our efforts to make this world a safer place for the next generation.” – Nouman Aziz, Human Resources, Global Talent Management, KSB SE & Co. KGaA, Germany

Any questions about Open Space Studio and Agorá, please contact Claudia Depenthal