When it comes to accelerating the green transition, technologies matter—but people matter even more. The most resilient change happens when knowledge is shared, when young professionals are trained in the field, and when communities become co-creators of sustainable solutions.
That is why EnGreen has joined forces with the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) and Technical Solidarity Onlus to support the Field Study Abroad (FSA) program: an immersive initiative where engineering, education, and social impact converge. This collaboration builds on years of trust, shared values, and a mission to improve lives around the world through energy and community empowerment.
Last August, the 23rd edition of the FSA took place in Nepal, confirming once again how collaboration across borders and disciplines can make sustainability not just a goal, but a tangible reality.
From Solar Panels to Lasting Impact
On the technical side, the FSA team engaged directly with schools in Nepal, addressing one of the country’s most pressing challenges: unreliable electricity.
At Shree Subaeneshwor Basic School in Bhaktapur, a brand-new photovoltaic system was installed, featuring solar panels, a hybrid inverter, and battery storage. Thanks to remote monitoring, the system ensures stable power even during frequent national grid shortages.
At Heaven Hill Academy in Besisahar, the FSA team returned one year after installing a similar system. The mission this time was maintenance, implementation of monitoring systems, and the development of manuals for local technicians. These resources will help ensure long-term autonomy and efficiency—a key step in making renewable energy not just accessible, but sustainable.
But the story goes beyond technology. Recognizing that energy transitions are social as much as technical, the FSA engaged students and teachers in hands-on learning.
Activities included:
- Games with miniature PV cells to explain solar power,
- Collective waste management and separation workshops,
- Cultural exchange moments such as meditation classes integrated into the school timetable.
These sessions turned renewable energy from an abstract concept into a lived experience. For the younger generation, sustainability became something tangible, fun, and empowering.
To complement technical and educational work, the FSA conducted a socio-economic study. Through interviews with school principals and surveys with teachers and students, the team explored how access to solar energy is reshaping daily life: from keeping classes running during outages to powering computer labs that unlock digital learning.
The findings highlighted a simple but profound truth: when schools have reliable energy, they can focus on education rather than survival. And when students see technology working in their classrooms, they start to imagine new futures for themselves and their communities.
The partnership also opened academic doors. In collaboration with Kathmandu University, the FSA organized the second annual Seminar on Renewable Energy and Economic Development at the Nepal Technology Innovation Center.
Discussions went beyond solar systems, tackling issues such as:
- Sustainable waste management,
- Community-based renewable energy projects,
- Socio-economic impacts of energy access,
- The potential of satellite imagery and I-tree software for sustainable urban and rural development.
By bridging research with applied fieldwork, the seminar demonstrated how universities and practitioners can work together to move sustainability forward.
The FSA journey concluded with high-level dialogue at the United Nations Kathmandu office. The team met the UN Resident Coordinator and the FAO Country Representative to discuss how inclusive partnerships for sustainable energy research could open opportunities for young researchers.
This exchange underlined a critical dimension: impact at scale requires not just good projects, but evidence-based policymaking. Programs like FSA can serve as incubators of data, case studies, and lessons that inform decisions at national and international level.
Why This Partnership Matters
For EnGreen, the partnership with the Grand Challenges Scholars Program and Technical Solidarity Onlus is more than corporate social responsibility. It is a direct expression of our DNA as a strategic partner for sustainable change.
By working with universities, we connect theory with practice.
By joining forces with non-profits, we strengthen local ownership.
And by investing in young professionals, we build the human capital that the energy transition urgently requires.
This is the EnGreen Attitude: turning sustainability into action, grounded in ethics, collaboration, and innovation. It is the same approach that guides our work with governments, businesses, and communities across Europe and Africa.
The Nepal edition of the FSA may have ended, but its lessons endure. Every installation, every training, every dialogue adds to a shared body of knowledge that proves one essential fact: the future of energy is not only renewable, it is collaborative, inclusive, and deeply human.
EnGreen is proud to stand with partners who share this vision. Together, we are building futures—one field study, one community, one project at a time.
