A Bit About Our Internships at 2GreenEnergy, and a Warm Welcome to Daniel Oyagha

Daniel Oyagha, our newest 2GreenEnergy intern, just finished a Master’s of Science program in a university in Nigeria, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.

Here’s a note I wrote to him in preface to our work together; I thought readers might be interested to know a bit more about our internships, in which folks from all over the world work with me to do research and writing on exciting areas within the cleantech (normally renewable energy) space.  In response to Daniel’s note asking about the size of the program and expressing his curiosity about the lack of a fixed curriculum, I wrote:

You’re my ninth intern in a program we started in 2011.  

I had never thought establishing a fixed curriculum, or even different fixed curricula for different types of people. This has historically been, and I believe it will always be, an extremely informal and fully customized program.

I’m sure you realize that there are people whose interests and backgrounds are extremely varied. You, like many, come from a science background. But I’ve had people who had no interest in or capacity for science, but who are attracted to this subject because of its philosophic and humanitarian aspects. As an example, some people are interested in bringing renewable energy to the developing world as a tool to provide better education and prosperity. There are others who are interested in the political aspects of how it is that the oil companies are so dominant in the United States’ law making processes. There are yet others who focus on economic issues and how the energy sector of world commerce is changing so rapidly at this point.  

It’s also important to note that some of these folks have a far better command of the written English language than others. For obvious reasons, I don’t expect people for whom English is a third or fourth language to be completely proficient in the written language, and to engage in projects that require lengthy and scholarly articles to be written.

I think all these approaches are equally valid. That’s why I always begin by interviewing prospective interns with respect to their particular area of interest and focus. This enables me to establish an ad hoc approach that is tailored to each individual. In fact, I rather like that; I think it’s an important ingredient in creating a positive experience for everyone with whom I engage.

Thanks again for your note. I look forward to working with you.