INTUSER - the Energy Debate Site

Interview with Mr. Robin Saunders, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield

INTUSER: Did you previously take part in FP5 or other similar EC programs?

Robin Saunders : Most of the European projects in which I have been involved were to do with university education, using programmes such as Socrates (for the exchange of students and staff between different countries) and Tempus (assistance for and exchanges with universities in Latvia and Macedonia (FYROM)). I was also a consultant to an Interreg project based in Thessalonike (Greece) concerned with postgraduate education about sustainable energy.

INTUSER: How did you get involved in the INTUSER project?

Robin Saunders: A geothermal energy expert working with me on the above Interreg project was also in contact with Krisztián Edõcs (INTUSER Project Coordinator - interviewer), and proposed my name. So the first I knew about INTUSER was an email message from Krisztián inviting me to join the consortium! But he seemed to be expecting a geothermal expert, which I certainly am not. Fortunately it turned out that the group was actually more in need of someone to lead on Wind Energy and Renewables, so I gladly became the final partner.

INTUSER: What is your main field of activity, and which research field do you most prefer?

Robin Saunders: My main activities have been research on internal combustion engines and teaching energy related aspects of university engineering courses. So I have always been interested in the efficiency of energy usage and possible new sources of energy. Latterly I developed some lectures about Wind Energy and power generation, which provided a platform for a wider interest in renewable energy and environmental aspects. This area is now my preferred field as I reach retirement.

INTUSER: Please introduce briefly your institution.

Robin Saunders:The University of Sheffield is 100 years old, and is one of the UK's leading research-led universities with an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching. Over 20,000 students are enrolled and over 2000 academic and research staff are employed in 70 academic departments. The Engineering Faculty has evolved continuously but can be traced back to the original Sheffield Technical School of 1884. I have worked for many years in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, which covers a very wide range (http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mecheng/) from the latest engineering materials through to high speed aircraft and combustion in aero-engines. Although Renewable Energy is only one of the departmental ingredients, it is nevertheless a popular topic with students.

INTUSER: How could you contribute to the INTUSER project in the future, and what ideas do you have in mind after the Intuser project is completed?

Robin Saunders: I will retire finally from the University of Sheffield at the end of 2004, so it is unlikely that I will continue to be professionally involved in Intuser. I will however retain my interest in energy usage, will keep an eye on the INTUSER website and may stay in contact with current partners. I will be particularly interested to see how the impact of INTUSER develops in the Accession Countries.

INTUSER: Is the INTUSER Project known in Great Britain, who do you think may have heard about it, when and via what media? How could this knowledge be spread further?

Robin Saunders: INTUSER is competing with a very large number of other websites in the general area of Energy Resources, particularly in the USA and UK. It is possible that a more journalistic approach might be more successful in attracting the attention of the general public. Somehow we need to highlight and advertise more strongly the special features of INTUSER which may not be available on other websites, such as the wide range of published material about energy sources and the opportunities for the non-expert public to get involved.

INTUSER: Thank you for accepting our invitation.