USA - Cooperation between University of Maryland (UMCP) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) within Energy Technology

A MoU has been signed by the Presidents of UMCP and NTNU to develop cooperation within the energy area, to support the MOU entered between Department of Energy and Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in May 2004 on bilateral cooperation within the Energy Sec tor. On a strategy meeting at UMCP in October 2005, we made plans for the establishment of a joint research and education program within two selected areas, i.e. * Hydrogen-Fuel Cells * Energy Environment Engineering The latter may include - New study program in Energy Engineering - Combined Heating-Cooling-Power from natural gas - Integrated System Optimization - Refrigerant alternatives (HFC-free) To develop plans for joint research programs we will arrange a Seminar with two workshops for each of t he selcted areas at NTNU (or UMCP) in 2006. Here selected professors and experts from the different areas may meet and plan together the establishment of long term research cooperation, including preparation of applications for joint projects that may att ract US, Norwegian and EU funding. The joint projects within the programme should involve paired doctor students (and maybe also industrial projects), and they shall be carried out with exchange of researchers, doctor students and master students, and b y organizing seminars and workshops with industrial partners to create arenas for product development and innovation. Such regular Seminars and Workshops will also make the cooperation visible and give NTNU or "Team Norway" a "presence" at UMCP. This pr oject is a part of the international strategy of the Thematic Strategic Area "Energy and Petroleum - Resources and Environment" that may be found in the attachment.