Photo: Energy Community Secretariat
The ninth Energy Community Summer School, held in Montenegro, included 40 participants from 28 countries.
On July 19, forty young professionals and researchers from 28 countries convened at the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Kotor, Montenegro, to dive deep into the pressing technical, political, and economic issues driving the energy transition, according to the Energy Community Secretariat.
“The energy transition is no longer a distant goal—it’s happening now, shaped by technology, driven by policy, and tested by crises,” Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, said in his welcoming address.
Lorkowski: A successful and just transition depends on bringing together diverse people and perspectives
A successful and just transition depends on bringing together diverse people and perspectives to learn and exchange ideas—just as the secretariat does each year at this summer school, and as it has done for two decades across the Energy Community: building connections, aligning energy rules, and driving the shift to cleaner, more secure energy systems in our region, according to Lorkowski.
The 2025 edition attracted 242 applications from 58 countries. At the end of the selection procedure, 40 participants representing 28 countries were selected: 18 from Energy Community contracting parties, one from an observer country, 18 from EU member states (including seven from the Visegrád Group), and the remainder from Switzerland, South Africa, and the United States.
Among them, 27 hold a master’s degree and 13 have a PhD.
The Summer School reflects the Energy Community’s long-standing commitment to building the next generation of leaders
The program is organized by the Energy Community Secretariat, in collaboration with the International Visegrad Fund, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung – Dialogue Southeast Europe (FES-SOE), and Montenegro’s state-owned companies – power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), and distribution system operator Crnogorski Elektrodistributivni Sistem (CEDIS).
Since its launch in 2016, the initiative has also been supported by Polis University (Tirana), Comenius University (Bratislava), Jagiellonian University (Krakow), Masaryk University (Brno), and REKK (Budapest).
The Summer School reflects the Energy Community’s long-standing commitment to building the next generation of leaders—those who will drive long-term integration, cooperation, and sustainable energy transformation across the region, the secretariat pointed out.
Throughout the week, participants will work closely with leading experts from academia, industry, and policymaking circles to examine real-world approaches to transforming energy systems. Through lectures, case studies, and collaborative discussions, they will explore how innovation, cross-border cooperation, and policy reform can drive decarbonization while supporting economic development and regional stability.
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