Testimonials

"I would strongly recommend attending the Energy Charter Executive Training to anybody who is interested in deepening his or her understanding of global energy issues, energy security, and management of resources. The organisers succeeded in making the training relevant and very practical. The level of the speakers, the set-up, the attendance were all excellent, especially considering this was a pilot, and I hope this programme will become integral part of the Energy Charter's activities. I particularly enjoyed the treaty negotiation simulation as a way to increase interaction among participants and to learn practical skills on how to conduct negotiations. Also, it was a great way to balance presentations, lectures and more interactive activities. The risk with such activities, at least in my experience, is that they are focused too much on promoting the organisation or a specific agenda. In this case, while clearly the Energy Charter's inspiring principles were in the background, the real focus of the exercise was exchanging ideas, learning new skills and creating good contacts with other energy professionals."

"I highly recommend the Executive Training Programme. The training was designed as a rare opportunity to gain insight from both expert practitioners and high-level policy officials. It was quite unique in that high-level officials such as Philip Lowe of DG Energy answered questions, many of which were quite sharp, and we as participants were encouraged to use this opportunity and not hold back. Not many training programmes would be able to attract such an excellent group of lecturers. The organisation of the activities has been superb and everything came together seamlessly. As a head of delegation, the most memorable moment for me was the negotiation simulation. The simulation game was an example of this programme’s hands-on approach; it not only made the training very practical and interactive, but also facilitated networking and camaraderie amongst the participants, which was also a key feature."

"I would definitely recommend the training. It has been very educational and the main reason was that you had the chance not only to meet policy makers but people who are very well aware of the energy policy mechanisms, which enables you to see how they work from within. The training also allows you to see how agreements on energy are concluded, from the negotiating phase to the actual signature of the treaty. From this point of view it has been very educational. The best moment for me was the opportunity to work with other colleagues in my own negotiating team and see how we could actually find our common positions in order to maximise results for our own country and conclude the agreement. I thought it was a lot of fun because you learnt things that don’t only apply to international treaties but in everyday life. I have attended similar trainings and there is one thing that I have noticed which makes this training different from others: this was much more interactive, especially thanks to the session we had on negotiation, instead of the typical top-down approach to teaching."

"I would absolutely recommend the training programme because it offered the opportunity to have the full picture concerning energy issues and challenges. I think it truly added value to the general discussion and helped energy professionals a lot. I think the whole programme was special and I particularly enjoyed the negotiation game because I was head of delegation so I really felt a strong responsibility because I didn’t know if I could do the job, but I enjoyed it a lot because we really were involved in the whole negotiation process. It was a high quality programme because it really offers what you are expecting. Moreover, everything was perfectly organised and every detail was taken into account. I would like to thank the Energy Charter’s team for its excellent work and, of course, for the warm reception given to all participants. My expectations were more than met."

"I would definitely recommend this training programme because I found it very useful since it covered the variety of topics and the speakers were the best in their field. The negotiation game was the best moment, especially when discussing within our delegation for defining the priorities of the country we represented and the ways we could use to convince the other nations. The environment was very friendly and relaxed as we spent a lot of time together. I can’t wait to see the people I met during the programme somewhere else!"

"I recommend the training for the main reason that it was ‘alive’. The negotiation game got participants involved in a very efficient way and made them mature. The whole programme was ‘the best moment’. I enjoyed it from the very beginning until the very last moment. Everything was done excellently, the organisation was very good, but the thing I like the most was the overall lack of tension among people. The atmosphere was friendly. This training was different because it left some room for improvisation, which was very important."

"I would recommend attendance to the training programme as I believe it would be valuable for many young professionals in my organisation. The programme seemed to be very extensive."