At the end of 2022, the Department of Hydrotechnics of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the STU joined the newly established Pan-European Network for Sustainable Hydropower conducted within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology COST Action CA21104 projects called "Pan-European Network for Sustainable Hydropower - PEN@Hydropower". Professor Andrej Šoltész, as a representative of the department, was one of the first to join this network. Currently, this network consists of more than 50 countries, not only from the EU, it has its management group (MG) and 5 working groups (WG's), which ensure the development and status of hydropower from different perspectives. Professor Šoltész is a member of the management group for Slovakia and is also a member of the working group WG 3 for sustainable hydropower in conditions of climate change. The task of this working group is to ensure the necessary interdisciplinary cooperation to facilitate sustainable development in the hydropower sector that takes into account industrial, environmental and social needs in a changing climate.
One of the educational activities of the Pen&Hydropower network is a series of concentrated teaching on the topic of sustainable development of hydropower in the so-called Training Schools. One of them was held on May 7th-11th, 2024 in Thessaloniki, Greece, and among the approved applicants was a student of our faculty, study program Water structures and water management Bc. Roman Tóth. The professional program of the event consisted of lectures, joint professional activities, visits to hydroelectric power plants in northern Greece and ended with joint presentations of the training participants.
"Participating in the training was very rewarding for me. I was most interested in the excursions, we had the opportunity to see, for example, the Hilarion Dam. It was interesting to observe how foreign countries approach water management, planning and designing hydropower plants. In addition to excursions, we also participated in interactive workshops, where together with students from other countries we solved practical tasks, thanks to which we got to know each other better. It was a great opportunity because I could compare my knowledge with that of others and gain new perspectives on the issue. I am very glad that I had this opportunity, which came to me thanks to the field I am studying and my interest in sustainable resources. It will definitely help me in my further studies and in my future career in the field," student Roman Tóth evaluates the participation in the Training School.
I think that Roman's participation in this event enriched his professional interest in the issue of the use of water energy in the European area, and he will translate the acquired knowledge into the study of water structures at our faculty.
Text: prof. Ing. Andrej Šoltész, PhD., photo source: archive of Roman Tóth
