Marsico Nuovo, March 7 2016 – Appennino Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese National Park today hosted the European NECST – Lab4Energy project, attended by Raffaele Liberali, the Region of Basilicata’s Councillor for Development, Employment, Education and Research Policy, Domenico Totaro, President of Appennino Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese National Park, Lucia Nardi, Eni’s Director of Cultural Initiatives, and Riccardo Tarquini, head of European Projects at FEEM. Guests of honour included Lidia Hrncevic, a Professor in the Faculty of Petroleum Geology and Engineering at Zagreb University, and Torkel Thime, Project Manager with the Oil & Gas Archives of Norway.
NECST (A New Energy Culture: Sustainability and Territories) is a strategic partnership funded by the European Commission as part of the Erasmus Plus programme. It is the result of hard work by institutions in Basilicata, and Eni and is aimed at ensuring Basilicata’s involvement in European advanced education programmes offer new opportunities for future generations. G. Peano senior secondary school in Marsico Nuovo was chosen to lead the project in Italy, and will have an opportunity to participate in activities with senior secondary schools in Croatia, Norway and the Netherlands.
The initiative will run for a three year period and, in line with the Europa 2020 strategy and the goals of the 2020 Education and Training Programme, aims to establish a cycle of knowledge and the exchange of best practices between universities, schools and enterprises in the areas of energy and sustainability, in places where energy generation takes place.
The international and technological dimensions are of key importance in the NECST programme, which encourages the development of linguistic and digital skills that are vital for employment. The heart of the project is a cross-media information technology platform known as "Connecting Energy" (www.necst.eu), which has enabled students and professors to exchange diversified multimedia content throughout the year.
After this preliminary phase of training for students and instructors, provided by Eni through partnerships with research institutes, enterprises and universities, NECST – Lab4Energy will be hosted in Italy, where 120 students and professors from three European partner nations will discuss a variety of issues in the world of energy. But the value of NECST – Lab4Energy goes beyond learning specific content, it is an experience intended to promote cultural exchange with people from different backgrounds. The project will be hosted in English, and for the first time, 30 of the 100 international students will be hosted by local families.
The programme for the week includes the preparation and discussion of reports, working in transnational groups to promote interaction, participating in initiatives focused on specific themes of study, and activities intended to stimulate the kids’ curiosity. This includes a photography workshop in which Instagram expert Gianpiero Riva will reveal the secrets of "Smartphone photography" and share the best photographs taken during the NECST project.
At the end of the week there will be a big party to celebrate the end of the project and say goodbye until the next event, when NECST – Lab4Energy visits Croatia.