By Archelyn Sumampong 

The Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies team of Mariano Marcos State University continued to advance their knowledge in the field of energy sustainability through conducting benchmarking activities in four institutions in the United States.

Headed d by Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano Jr., vice president for planning and strategic foresight, and Dr. Bjorn Santos, director of the National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center and concurrent director for sustainability and futures thinking. The visit is a strategic move to enhance MMSU's curriculum in Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies, aligning with the objectives of Republic Act 11393 and to forge partnerships with globally acclaimed institutions like Rutgers University (RU), Columbia University (CU), Yale University (Yale), and the University of Connecticut (UConn). 

The trip commenced at the CU Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy. Dr. Manzano Jr. and Dr. Santos engaged in a critical dialogue with Xiaoyang Shi, a postdoctoral scholar under Prof. Alissa Park. Shi's work in carbon management and Direct Air Capture (DAC) of CO2 provided fresh insights into converting CO2 into synthetic fuels and developing innovative materials for energy applications, offering a glimpse into the future of energy sustainability.

The business trip was carried on to RU to focus on refining the proposed AEGBT curriculum through consultations with experts like Dr. Mark Robson, Dr. Jennifer Senick, and Dr. A. J. Broth. The feedback underscored the importance of including program and policy content while emphasizing energy assurance and resilience. This guidance is necessary to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of MMSU's proposed offerings in the rapidly evolving energy sector.

At the Yale School of the Environment, Dr. Manzano and Dr. Santos observed the university's dedication to green building practices. Yale's approach to sustainable building design and renewable energy integration served as a valuable model for MMSU, showcasing effective strategies to reduce environmental impact through green technology.

The tour concluded at UConn. Led by Dr. Xiao-Dong Zhou, UConn director of the Center for Clean Energy Engineering, the center's advanced research in renewable energy, fuel cell technology, and energy storage solutions provided MMSU with essential knowledge and ideas to shape a forward-thinking curriculum that addresses current and future energy sustainability challenges.

This December, AEGBT also visited Ashikaga University (AU) and Tokyo University in Japan to learn about their renewable energy and green building technologies. The AEGBT project is being supported by the Commission on Higher Education, headed by Chair J. Prospero E. De Vera III, and the Department of Energy, led by Secretary Raphael Lotilla. (JVBT, StratCom)