(Re)Energize - The Transformation of Power

Owner	IIS keuzevakken
Coordinator	dr. Coyan Tromp
Part of	Instituut voor Interdisciplinaire Studies (algemeen), algemene vakken, year 1

Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

How to secure our energy demands in a sustainable way, now and in the future, is one of the main challenges we are currently facing. Since 2022, UvA’s interfaculty Research Priority Area Energy Transition through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals (ENLENS) has delivered many valuable insights on how to accelerate the shift towards more a sustainable energy regime in Europe. In a series of Future of Energy seminars, a wide range of issues that are implied in this challenge have been addressed, as well as their relation with the Sustainable Development Goals. Jointly, they generate key findings that can help us tackle the multiple challenges the transformation of our energy systems poses for us.

In this course, we invite leading researchers to share their insights on how we can attain sustainable energy production and use as fast as possible. They will address important questions such as: How can we get rid of our fossil fuel dependency and its undesirable side effects? Where do energy and climate policies complement each other, and where do they clash? Can we design cities that are energy neutral? What is the role of legislation in the sustainable energy transition and how does this relate to ethical issues such as energy democracy and energy justice? Together with the guest lecturers, we will examine how to go about making public policy that incorporates scientific, economic, and political realities, but which is also sensitive to relevant moral values and considerations of justice. Taken together, the intersecting perspectives can help us understand how we can try to attain the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objectives

• Describe the multi-disciplinary dimensions of the complex issues that are related to the transformation of the energy system, including aspects related to science & technology, politics and policies, ethics and legislative issues.
• Use a systems perspective to analyse those dimensions and make an illuminating systems map or visualization of the most important actors and factors determining the developments in an energy-related problem field.
• Recognize important technological, governmental, political, psychological, moral and juridical opportunities that can help accelerate the transformation towards a sustainable energy system, and relate it to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identify crucial technological, governmental, political, psychological, moral and juridical barriers for a transformation towards a sustainable energy system.
• Critically reflect on the identified opportunities and barriers, and can bring forward solutions to by-pass or overcome some crucial barrier(s) for at least one of the involved aspects.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Presentation/symposium
• Self-study
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Supervision/feedback meeting

The course starts with a series of ten lectures by experts on energy related topics (see list below).

After that, there will be two more workgroups in which you are able to work on the final group assignment. (See datanose to find out how the lectures and workgroups are spread over time.)

The assignment and workgroups will be introduced in the second hour of the last lecture, which will simultaneously be used to wrap up the lectures series.

Learning activities

Attendance

Additional requirements for this course:

The course consists of a series of lectures, in which you are expected to play an active role (i.e., having done the reading, considered it carefully, and being prepared to engage thoughtfully with the lecturer and your peers). The quality of the course is highly dependent on everyone's active engagement.

 

In addition to the lectures, there are two workgroups scheduled at the end of the course to support the teams in the group assignment and help them prepare for the Oral Examination. For those students who participate in the assessment of the course, attendance is required and will be registered each workgroup. Those participants can only miss one workgroup; with more absences you will be excluded from the assessment and cannot receive a grade for the course. All students must be present and pay a contribution to the final Presentation, which form the basis for the Oral Examination. For those who only want to participate in the course but not take part in the assessment, there are no attendance requirements. They will not participate in the two workgroups and the final presentations at the end of the course.

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade
1 (100%) Tentamen 1

The Assessment in the (Re)Energize - The Transformation of Power course consists of a Multiple Choice Exam in two parts and a Presentation on the basis of which an Oral Examination will take place. The Multiple Choice Exam will weigh 65% in the final grade, the Oral Exam 35%. In the Oral Examination 20% will be attributed to the team presentation and 15% to individual student’s presentations.

In the MC Exams, you will be tested on your knowledge about the compulsory literature of the lectures and the accompanying slides from the presentations that are made available on Canvas. In the Presentation, you will be assessed on one of the topics of the course lectures that you have decided to focus on, as a group. In the additional individual presentations, each member will additionally be assessed on a relevant related subtopic. Below, under the Assignments, both the group and individual assignment of the Presentation / Oral Examination will be further explained.

Assignments

In the last weeks of the course, you will prepare – in a team of 5 or 6 students – a presentation about a chosen topic which represents a critical analysis of various relevant aspects, against the backdrop of  the required energy transition. The topics which can be chosen as central focus of the presentations are topics related to the 9 lectures. In the week before the Exam, you are invited to indicate your preferences with regard to these topics, on the basis of which the group formation will take place. Note: Make sure that all group members will be able to take the Oral Examination at the same date / time (see the reserved dates and times for Presentations in Datanose).

• The presentation needs to contain answers to the following questions:
  • What is/are regarded as the main promising element(s) with regard to the energy transition?
  • To which Sustainable Development Goal(s) is/are this/these element(s) related?
  • Which barriers with regard to realizing (an acceleration towards) the energy transition are identified?
  • Which possible solutions, pathways or interventions, if any, are brought forward that can help overcome or by-pass these barriers?

The group presentation must be based on the compulsory literature and (a selection of) the additional literature of the lecture that pertains to your chosen topic. Make sure to include relevant references to your answers in the Presentation. Also make sure that the presentation does not merely provide answers to the questions (e.g. “SDGs 7 and 9”), but explain your answers and back it up with valid arguments, reasons and justifications.

• A concept or systems map that contains a clear visualization of the problem field surrounding your chosen topic, i.e. with a clear depiction of the most important actors and factors determining the developments in the field. In an accompanying description, you give an explanation of the visualization.
• Besides a joint group presentation, each team member will make an individual contribution about a specific actor or factor that plays an important role in the field under study. You can take the leading questions for the group assignment as reference point for your contribution. But if it makes more sense to take other questions or issues as point of departure for your individual presentation, you are allowed to do so. For instance, your individual contributions could related to disciplinary sub-questions for future interdisciplinary research on your topic that you would like to propose. In principle, you must use the compulsory and additional literature of the lecture(s) that are closely related to your focus topic for your supplementary individual presentation. If you want to address a topic which falls outside the topic list of the lectures, you need to consult with the coordinator / assessor first.
• Do make sure that there is a logical connection between your own, individual presentation and that of the group (and that your name and student number is on the file that you submit in the folder for the individual assignment).

At the end of the course, you will be orally assessed, both as a team and individually, about your knowledge of the chosen topic. The Oral Examination consists of:

• A group presentation (15-20 minutes max.) in which you put forward the results of your investigation on the chosen topic. Each team member pays a substantial contribution in this presentation, i.e. will take responsibility to present the team’s answers to the questions posed in the group assignment. The presentation preferably culminates in a question for further debate or an issue that you think deserves further elaboration, investigation and/or research.
• A presentation by each team member separately about their individual contribution to the topical investigation (5 minutes max. per person).

All in all, the presentation cannot exceed 45 minutes, as sufficient time needs to remain for answering questions of the assessors.

For those of you who are not familiar with giving presentations, a self-tuition is available on Canvas.

Assessment diagram

Assessment Table (Re)Energize - The Transformation of Power

Course element	Deadline	Weight	Minimum Grade	Compen-sable?	Second Chance
Exam	Thursday 12 March & Thursday 16 April 2026	65%	-	Yes	Tuesday 29 June 2026 17.00-19.00
Presentations of worked out assignments & Oral Examinations	Monday 18, Tuesday 19 or Wednesday 20 May 2026	35% of which   20% group grade   15% individual grade	-	Yes, if individual contribution lifts the overall grade above 5.5*	Grade < 5.5 à 2nd chance (for either group or individual students) in consultancy with  examiner
Formative Assignment: Indication of individual contributions to group assignment	Thursday 21 May 2026 23:59	Completed = Pass / Not completed = Fail (NAV)			Tuesday 29 June 2026 17.00-19.00

  * Note: lack of sufficient individual contribution can also diminish the grade to < 5.5! See the explanation of the Formative Assignment about the Group Process.

Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years

Explain the rules for students that are enrolled in the course for the 2^nd/3^rd/etc. time. Is it mandatory to complete all components? If not, who do they contact to get an exemption (and when)?

In case the course structure did not change fundamentally from previous year, the IIS uses the rule that course components that were passed with a sufficient grade ánd meeting the attendance requirements ánd practical exams, can be used for one year. In case students want to finish the course after two years, they need to meet the same requirements as the first year.

Passed component in...	...last year	...2+ years before
Attendance requirements	Stays valid, as long as student contacts xxxx before xx-xx-xx.	No longer valid, have to meet the requirements of point 8.
Mid term exam	Sufficient grade stays valid in case student contacts xxxx before xx-xx-xx.	No longer valid.
Eindtentamen	Sufficient grade stays valid in case student contacts xxxx before xx-xx-xx.	No longer valid.
Paper	Sufficient grade stays valid in case student contacts xxxx before xx-xx-xx.	No longer valid..

Inspection of assessed work

Up to 20 working days after the announcement of the result students have the right of inspection of their work (all forms of assessment). The student can request a copy of his/her work by e-mailing the teacher/course coordinator.

 

Please note: you lose the right of feedback from the examiner when you don’t attend the Collective Assessment Evaluation without good reasons. For more information about the right of inspection, please refer to OER part A FNWI, article 4.9.

 

After the above mentioned 20 working days have expired the entire exam package must be handed over to the IIS Service Desk after which the work will be archived.

Fraud and plagiarism

This course adheres to the general rules on ‘Fraud and Plagiarism` as set by the UvA. Students are expected to have familiarized themselves with these rules.

The terms Fraud or Plagiarism are to be interpreted as the copying of the work of peer-student and/or the copying of (scientific) sources of information, without explicitly referring to its source.

Fraud/plagiarism is forbidden and actively checked by staff. When one is suspected of having committed fraud/plagiarism, the exam committee of beta-gamma and future planet studies will be informed. The highest punishment for fraud/plagiarism involves the student to be disallowed to partake of any exams or examination activities within the future planet studies programme, for the duration of a whole academic year, or may even face dismissal from the programme. More information about Fraud and Plagiarism can be found at: www.uva.nl/plagiaat

Course structure

Additional information

Teaching and Examination Regulations

The IIS elective and honours courses are covered by the examination board and the OER of the Bachelor Beta-gamma. Teaching and Examination Regulations (OER) are published annually and lay down all the rules and guidelines regarding assessment and examination which the IIS pursues. The OER can be found via https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/teaching-and-examination-regulations-and-other-regulations. Students and contractors who follow courses at the IIS can draw appeal to the Board of Appeals Board (COBEX).

 

Social safety and Evaluation Committee

The Evaluation Committee for Elective Education ensures the quality of electives and is committed to providing a safe learning environment. The committee, consisting of students and teachers, meets at least four times a year to provide requested and unsolicited advice on all educational matters related to IIS Elective Education. It utilizes course evaluations and actively seeks contact with students enrolled in IIS Elective Education.

 

The Evaluation Committee is very interested in comments, suggestions, recommendations, and other insights regarding the content, implementation, and offerings of IIS Elective Education. Students can contact them at evaluatiecommissie-keuze-iis@uva.nl.

 

If you experience undesirable behavior or unsafe situations, you can contact the study advisor of your educational program, one of UvA's confidential advisors, the Evaluation Committee, or the coordinators of the IIS Electives Program (via keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl). More information and contact details of confidential advisors can be found at: https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/help-with-undesirable-behaviour

Last year's student feedback

 

 

Strengths from past year ·       Very interesting lectures ·       Nice Group Assignment where you have the freedom to work on your preferred topic.

Notes for improvement from past year ·        Students found the Exam very difficult and felt they were not well prepared for the kind of questions that were asked. To accommodate for that, the Exam is split in two parts and the type of questions that were found difficult has been removed as much as possible. ·       Students wished the Final Assignment could start earlier - which is not possible, as all topics need to be addressed first in the lectures before we can start with the group work.

 

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. Coyan Tromp

Dr. Coyan Tromp is coordinator and examiner of the course.

You can reach her via j.c.tromp@uva.nl