The Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Government of Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy Research.
Under the ground-breaking MoU, top universities and institutes in the UK will join forces with colleagues in Bangladesh to develop research projects on renewable energy, and work relating to energy technologies, systems, services and policies.
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, said: “International collaboration on research is vital to make renewable energy viable for developing countries and help tackle climate change. Through the MoU not only can we offer our world-leading expertise in sustainable energy solutions but we can also learn valuable lessons from countries that are undergoing rapid change.”
Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive Officer of EPSRC, said: “This MOU presents a fantastic opportunity for leading researchers in the UK and Bangladesh to work together to tackle this global issue, and this cooperative approach will enhance the impact of UK energy research.”
Andree Carter, Director of UK Collaborative on Development Sciences, said: “This is a really important milestone for scientific collaboration between the UK and Bangladesh. UK scientists are really looking forward to working with those in Bangladesh to build stronger relationships which can help address low carbon science and engineering challenges. The MoU is an excellent model for future collaborations with Bangladesh and other countries in the world.”
The initiative will help build relationships between UK and Bangladeshi scientists, engineers and policy makers to help Bangladesh achieve a sensible transition to a low carbon economy. Despite its vulnerability to climate change, Bangladesh has experienced strong economic growth over the last decade. As the country continues to develop, the need to implement a robust, technologically suitable energy infrastructure increases. The initiative will help facilitate high quality research and development that will allow such an energy infrastructure to be implemented in the near future.