ShareFind out what happened at the 2nd Virtual Networking Session at the IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference 2020
The IIR Working Group on Careers in Refrigeration (CaRe), the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences organised a virtual networking event on December 8, 2020.
The virtual event was held during the 14th IIR-Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants and allowed international students to meet leading representatives from industry, academia and international organisations.
The experts included pioneering academics from universities in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe, and experts from three international organisations: UNEP, EPEE and the IIR. Leaders from industry such as Bitzer, Danfoss and Johnson Controls also shared their personal and professional experiences of working in the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump sector.
The event
With over thirty attendees, the event began with a welcome speech from Catarina Marques, president of the IIR CaRe Working Group, followed by an introduction of the experts by Andrea Voigt, Director of EPEE.
The students were then divided into four chat rooms and the experts rotated between each chat room giving them the opportunity to exchange with all the students.
The animated discussions covered how the experts built their careers, the challenges they faced, the chances they were offered and their tips for making the most of the opportunities in the sector.
From technical exchanges to career advice, the virtual networking event offered a rewarding experience to both students and experts, and will certainly be organised again in the future!