Danara Mukasheva, LLP Hay Consulting, Project manager of the RES School Qazaq Green

In the XXI century, energy security has become one of the main global problems. The growing demand for energy, decrease in oil reserves, climate change and a number of other factors have led to search for new energy sources. One of the solutions to these problems is transition to renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar, wind and hydropower.

Energy security education plays an important role in achieving these goals. It helps to raise awareness about the possibilities of using renewable energy and reduce dependence on oil and gas. In addition, training renewable energy can help improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

In Kazakhstan, the topic of energy crisis is especially relevant, since the country is facing problems of electricity shortage, obsolescence of generating capacities of traditional stations and growth of emergency repairs, shortage of balancing capacities and dependence on flows from neighboring states.

Many countries around the world have begun to pay more attention to renewable energy. Instead of traditional courses on design of energy systems, many educational institutions began to develop specialized courses on renewable energy. Such courses include various aspects of use of solar, wind, and hydropower. They teach students how to plan, design and build appropriate renewable energy systems.

Australia has long been aware of the importance of using renewable energy for sustainable development of the country and the fight against climate change. For example, Murdoch University offers a master's degree to those who are interested in pursuing a career in the renewable energy and sustainable energy sector. The Master of Renewable and Sustainable Energy program covers a wide range of topics, including renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency, sustainable development and policy. Students gain a deep understanding of technical, economic and social aspects of renewable energy, as well as practical skills necessary for design, implementation and management of renewable energy projects.

In addition, Murdoch University has access to an open test site where students study renewable energy technologies in practice. The university's electrical engineering and renewable energy program includes employment, where the student scan get 300 hours of real work experience. This experience allows them to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in real situations.

In turn, the Australian National University provides students with a two-year Master of Engineering in Renewable Energy program. The program is based on interdisciplinary engineering orientation of the university and research experience to develop students' skill of solving complex interdisciplinary problems, while simultaneously provide advanced technical knowledge in the field of renewable energy.

The program includes a mandatory set of courses that provide advanced training for engineers, and specialized knowledge in the field of energy resources (including renewable and non-renewable) and renewable energy integration. In addition, students need to take at least two courses on renewable technologies, including the generation of energy from solar and wind resources.

At the Technical University of Denmark, students can study fora Master of Science in Sustainable Energy (MSc). The program covers a wide range of topics, including energy management, energy policy, energy markets, renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency and sustainable development. Students also have the opportunity to specialize in areas such as wind energy, solar energy, energy storage or smart grids.

The program includes both coursework and research project that allows students to apply their knowledge in practice, solving problems in the field of sustainable energy. Graduates of the program are well prepared to embark on a career in the sustainable energy sector, working in areas such as energy planning, energy consulting, project management, and research and development.

It should be noted that education in the field of renewable energy is a relatively new branch. In Kazakhstan, to this day, this direction occupies an insignificant part of the traditional courses of electric power, energy, and engineering. Today there are only four programs that focus on renewable energy.

In Central Asia, the first specialized master's program in the field of renewable energy was the program of Kazakh-German University Strategic Management of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which was developed in cooperation with leading universities in Germany and is supported by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the USAID regional program "Energy of CentralAsia".

Students of this program receive theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the creation and management of renewable energy facilities, as well as in the management of entire range of issues related to the development of "green" energy, including energy conservation and energy efficiency.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU)offers master's degree that includes lectures on the development of solar energy6. After completing this program, graduates will be able to describe the main characteristics of photovoltaic cells, solar thermal power plants and the physical principles of conversion and storage of electrical energy. They will also be able to carry out modeling and calculations of efficiency of solar heat supply systems, energy storage and transmission systems in order to optimize their parameters and operating modes.

Graduates will also be able to apply a scientific and systematic approach to the calculation and design of electronic control units, power electronic units, energy storage devices, solar tracking systems, solar concentrators and power plant components, as well as predict the output power of photovoltaic power plants.

G. Daukeyev Almaty University of Energy and Communications (AUEC) is among the leaders in the field of personnel training in the energy sector in Kazakhstan. One of the programs available to students is a bachelor's degree in modern and innovative renewable energy technologies. This program offers students the knowledge and skills necessary for design of renewable energy facilities, organization of their operation and maintenance. The educational process of the program is supported by a high-quality material and technical base. Within the framework of the program, students have access to the educational and research laboratory "RES and Energy Saving", which is equipped with modern laboratory stands for wind power plants operating in grid and offline mode, solar photovoltaic systems.

In addition, AUEC students study at the Bachelor's degree in Hydropower engineering. Graduates of this program are engaged in development of projects in the field of hydropower, hydroelectric power plants, relay protection and automation of electric power systems, power supply of enterprises. They also carry out technical, economic and environmental analysis of hydroelectric power plants and are engaged in installation, commissioning, operation and repair of technological equipment of hydroelectric power plants. Future specialists solve modern problems in the field of energy, water management and hydropower related to operation and design of parameters and modes of hydropower plants.

The renewable energy sector continues to develop rapidly, and it is already beginning to occupy a significant share in the global energy sector. This growth will inevitably lead to the emergence of new jobs and change in the requirements for existing ones. The Atlas of new Professions and Competencies of Kazakhstan has a number of future professions related to the field of renewable energy, which may become in demand in the near future.

One of these professions is a meteorological power engineer.

Meteorological power engineer is a specialist who will provide solutions to new tasks, such as determining the need for balancing energy capacities due to weather changes, maintaining an ecological balance when installing generating power plants.

The main difference between alternative energy and traditional energy is the uneven generation of alternative energy and decentralization of energy generation points. Energy production from non-traditional sources depends on the time of day, weather conditions and other factors. In order to comply with the global energy balance, it is necessary to quickly enter balancing generation capacities. The amount of balancing energy to be injected is determined by the weather forecast and climatic factors: wind strength and direction, temperature, and more. Therefore, the meteorological power industry will play an important role in the field of renewable energy.

Another promising profession is biomass specialist. Biomass is an organic material that can be used for energy production. It is produced from a variety of sources, including animal and plant waste, as well as some types of vegetation. Use of biomass as an energy source is becoming increasingly popular in light of the problems of climate change and the need to switch to renewable energy.

The profession related to obtaining biomass for energy production is new for Kazakhstan. This profession will require specialists to have knowledge in the field of creating technologies for obtaining energy from biomass, determining the sources of biomass production, adapting biomass technology to new conditions and selecting power plants that are optimal for obtaining energy from the biomass used.

In addition, within the framework of grant funding for 2022-2024, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan is financing 18 projects in the field of energy, eight of which are related to renewable energy. Astana IT University is implementing a project to develop a roadmap for development of renewable energy for Kazakhstan with high spatial, temporal and technical disaggregation using hybrid modeling of the energy system.

Academician Ye. Buketov Karaganda University is implementing two projects aimed at developing new designs of wind power plants. The first project is related to the numerical study of a new design of the blades of a wind power plant with a horizontal axis of rotation. The second is aimed at creating an energy-efficient combined vertical-axial wind power plant using a gearless low-speed electric generator.

On the other hand, K. Satpayev Kazakh National Research University (KazNITU) is implementing a project within the framework of which a new design of a modular wind power plant with a fixed vertical axis is being developed.

KazNU is developing an innovative water electrolyte for high-energy metal-ion batteries. ENU is developing a technology for producing composite ceramics based on oxides and nitrides for alternative energy and new classes of structural materials.

The Academy of Logistics and Transport is developing an experimental energy complex based on a modernized boiler plant using biofuels.

Nazarbayev University is engaged in development and research of technology for obtaining and improving oxide-dispersion hardened steel for use in nuclear power.

Within the framework of program-targeted financing for 2021-2023, the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan is implementing a program in the field of energy aimed at developing technologies for production and storage of hydrogen for development of alternative energy.

In addition, ENU is developing new types of structural materials for nuclear power and protection from ionizing radiation. This work is extremely important because radiation protection plays a key role in the safety of nuclear power plants.

In conclusion, it can be emphasized that the training of qualified personnel for the renewable energy sector is of great importance. This is one of conditions for development of an environmentally sustainable economy and reducing the negative impact on the environment.!.

In Kazakhstan, there are a number of study programs at universities, including KNU (Strategic Management of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency), KazNU ("solar energy"), AUEC ("modern and innovative renewable energy technologies", "hydropower").

Considering the scale of global problems, such as the energy crisis, climate change and environmental protection, vocational education in the field of renewable energy is becoming more relevant and in demand. The Atlas of New Professions and Competencies of Kazakhstan highlights promising professions related to renewable energy that may become in demand in the near future, for example, a meteorological power engineer and a biomass specialist.

Based on the information provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 18 programs are currently being funded in the field of energy and energy conservation, eight of these projects are aimed at developing renewable energy.

Thus, thanks to the training of qualified specialists who can work in the renewable energy sector, Kazakhstan can continue to develop renewable energy and contribute to the achievement of global goals in the field of combating climate change and environmental protection.