Education and transferring Kopernikus knowledge

How long will it take until today‘s research becomes study material? Too long for the energy transition. The Kopernikus projects don't want to wait. Their declared aim is ultimately to push ahead with the energy transition. However, this is a highly complex task involving many different disciplines and stakeholders. Getting it right is a bit like asking strangers to completely rebuild a train whilst travelling at full speed and lay new tracks for it but without stopping. After all, the reliability of supply must be always guaranteed.

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How does it affect the teaching materials? The train in question - the energy system - is in motion, but must change without coming to a standstill or derailing. This is why science and industry collaborate very closely at Kopernikus in order to keep the path from theory to practice short and at the same time to test how well the theory works in practice. Yet, the knowledge generated by research is initially only available to those who are involved. Rightly so, since the obtained results are new, volatile and need to be reviewed thoroughly. However, this is not enough for the Kopernikus projects, which is why capacity building plays a major role in the final project phase in the context of transfer. To ensure that in the near future, when the energy system gradually changes tracks, future specialists already know what they are dealing with, the Kopernikus project P2X is in charge of designing educational materials and programmes. Of course, knowledge from the sister projects is also incorporated in many places.

P2X Summer School: Looking back and ahead to 2026

Following previous runs in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the P2X Summer School 2025 took place for the fourth time. The multi-day intensive workshop provided participants with the opportunity to engage deeply with one of the key technologies of the energy transition: Power-to-X.

If you would like to learn more about how participants experienced the P2X Summer School, you can read a retrospective from their perspective here (in German).

The P2X Summer School will continue in 2026: from 17 to 20 September, WWF Germany, supported by DECHEMA e. V., will invite students to Leipzig. Under the title “Power-to-X: The Global Energy Transition and Regional Transformation”, participants will explore how current Power-to-X research connects with practical applications and questions of regional transformation. The programme includes discussions with experts from research, policy as well as practice, workshops, and excursions to industrial sites in Leuna and Bitterfeld.

The summer school is primarily aimed at students aged 18 and over in STEM fields such as chemistry, physics, process engineering, mechanical engineering or environmental engineering. Students from other disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences, may also apply if they have a relevant interest and prior knowledge.

Participation is free of charge; accommodation, meals, and programme activities are covered by the organizers. Participants will be selected by a jury based on their academic suitability and the application materials submitted.

The application deadline is 15 July 2026. Further details on the P2X Summer School 2026 and the application link are available in the German-language event announcement.

P2X Lecture Series: Two successful rounds finished

P2X partner Provadis organised the digital format of the ten-part P2X lecture series, which was offered in both 2024 and 2025, starting in the winter semester each year. The topics of the ten-part series were identical in both rounds, although the content was, of course, updated. In concrete terms, this means that developments in research over the course of a year reached participants almost immediately in this way, allowing them to follow developments directly.

The lecture series has now come to an end. Students who took part and still need or wish to obtain a certificate of attendance can find out directly from Provadis how this works. Any questions regarding this can be sent by email to: P2Xlectureseries@provadis-hochschule.de. PDF files of the respective presentations are also available there on request.

In the tabs below, interested persons will find links to the recordings of the P2X lecture series. The content from round two in the 2025/2026 winter semester is marked with (R2), and that from round one in the 2024/2025 winter semester with (R1). 

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