We return to the introduction of the teams participating in development of the BRICS Youth Energy Outlook 2020. Today we are pleased to help you find out more information about the team from The International New Energy Strategy Research Center, China. The center is represented by 7 lovely researchers 勃予 王 (Bó yǔ wáng), 心怡 张 (Xīn yí zhāng), 嘉宁 杨 (Jiā níng yáng), 瑶 蔚 (Yáo wèi), 云萌 高 (Yún méng gāo) and 倩 詹 (Qiàn zhān). The leader of the team is 佳乐 田 (Jiā lè tián).

The International New Energy Strategy Research Center of the University of International Business and Economics was established in 2008. The purpose of this center is to research and develop new green energy with bio-energy as the core, reduce carbon dioxide and other harmful gas emissions, protect the environment, and make unremitting efforts to build a more livable and peaceful Earth and sustainable economic development in China.

Where and how did you meеt? 

We studied at the same University and participated in the same projects. When we came across the BRICS Youth Energy Outlook-2020, we found out that we have common interest in energy issues. This is the way we met and became team members.

What are your general interests?

We are all interested in academic research and always keep a watchful eye on energy issues as we believe that energy is the lifeblood of a nation. It is very meaningful to study the energy problem deeply.

What projects have you already realized?

We realized a research «Conflicting Grid Interests between Centralization and Distribution in Russia» and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan boosts distributed power generation.

Which rules do you use for distribution of tasks between chambers and for prioritization?

We usually prioritize tasks in terms of time and urgency, and the leader of the team evaluates available resources in order to distribute tasks better.

What contribution to your team experience do you hope to get during your work on the BRICS YEA Outlook-2020?

During our work on the BRICS YEA Outlook-2020 we hope to be able use an international and intercultural team experience and the ability to communicate and coordinate with others to solve problems. In addition, we hope to have a deeper understanding of energy through this study.

How did you know about the BRICS YEA and the BRICS Youth Energy Outlook-2020?

We knew it from the Internet. Quite by chance, we looked through the website of the BRICS YEA and found the topics intriguing. After a heated discussion we finally decided to take part in the development of the BRICS Youth Energy Outlook-2020.

In your opinion why is it beneficial for the youth from the BRICS countries to cooperate?

As an old Chinese saying goes, many hands make light work. The same is true for the BRICS youth cooperation. If the BRICS (YEA) Summit concentrates on the present and on planning for the future, then the key to a bright future for the BRICS cooperation is in the hands of the youth of all countries. As developing countries, the BRICS countries must find a latecomer advantage in their positioning as emerging economies, and young people with dreams and commitment can contribute greatly to innovation and entrepreneurship in their respective countries if they work together positively.

How do you evaluate the role of the BRICS YEA in the achieving global sustainable development?

The BRICS are the world’s leading emerging economies. Especially in the last decade, they have been characterized by rapid economic growth and industrialization. Youth has an important role in the promotion of new ideas, innovation and cooperation.

BRICS YEA Summit was called as the main youth energy event of the year. The BRICS YEA provides a good platform for the BRICS youth to exchange ideas. Thanks to the Agency, youth from the BRICS countries can speak freely and present their own energy achievements, study BRICS energy development issues and provide new energy solutions. More and more people will benefit of the fruit of such discussions and it will provide more opportunities for young people to create a bright and sustainable future.

Under the background of global warming and environmental deterioration, sustainable development has become a very important proposition. For the BRICS, the sustainable development is a question that the youth from every BRICS country must think about. The BRICS countries have similar levels of economic development and similar energy issues, so an in-depth exchange of the views on sustainable development and energy problems in the form of dialogue are very useful. The BRICS YEA will be a bridge and a monument in the history of energy development cooperation.

In your opinion what’s the main principle that makes your teamwork successful?

Within our team, there’s a clear division of labor and role definitions. In addition, we often pacify the conflicts through standards and real-time feedback. We believe it helps a lot.

There are college students from different professional backgrounds in the team. Everyone thinks in a different way, so there will inevitably be contradictions and frictions. A reasonable division of labor according to each person’s interests and expertise and a healthy handling of quarrels are necessary in this case, and we think this is essential on our way to success.  We will continue to adhere to teamwork principles in future tasks and even in exchanges of experience with team members from other countries to seek common ground while reserving differences for the success of BRICS youth cooperation.

In your opinion what challenges the BRICS countries will be facing in the nearest future in the field of energy development? How can the youth face these challenges?

The BRICS countries are likely to face three challenges in the future:

  • The operating mechanism is not stable enough.
  • The foundation of common interests is weak.
  • The development prospects of the member states are uncertain.

The youth should actively engage in entrepreneurship and innovation, providing new ideas for problem solving, as well as strengthening cooperation and interconnectivity to solve challenges together.

Your chosen topic is related to the prospects of distributed generation in BRICS countries. What would you like to place emphasis on during your work?

We would like to stress the risks and make a high-quality scenarios analysis with the cases of leading companies in China in order to comprehensively evaluate the prospects of distributed generation.

We came from China, so we are most familiar with China’s national conditions and the current situation of distributed generation, so it is relatively convenient to carry out an in-depth research. In addition, among the BRICS countries, due to its vast population, China has a more urgent need for distributed generation, but due to the complexity of national conditions and uneven regional development, there are also many problems in the popularization of distributed generation. We hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of the development of distributed generation in China and put forward policy recommendations for its further promotion. We would also like to provide useful reference for other countries to develop distributed generation

In your opinion what is the main consequence of the implementation of distributed generation for the Chinese energy sector?

Distributed generation has many advantages: being clean, local balancing and having high efficiency. It will be a good supplement to large units and grids, which is conducive to the sustainable development of the energy sector and to alleviating the severe shortage of electricity in China.

In terms of the total scale, the proportion of distributed generation in the future power supply will be greatly increased. In order to meet the requirements of a large number of distributed power sources, we believe that the main consequence of the implementation of distributed generation for the Chinese energy sector will be the replacement of power systems in the future. Nowadays, due to the progress of technology, the investment to distributed generation is gradually expanded, but the important factors restricting distributed generation have not been solved. If we want to realize large-scale grid connection, it will bring a series of power grid renovation costs and policy changes, which will bring great changes to China’s energy industry and continue to influence the sustainable development in the Chinese energy sector.

We are glad that our Chinese colleagues have shared their vision of the development of energy sector and youth cooperation in this realm in BRICS countries. We sincerely thank the team from the University of International Business and Economics for such detailed answers for our questions!