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Portrait

Ivan Asiiwme, Technology Officer at Development Bank of Rwanda

Ivan Asiimwe

"This is undoubtedly one of the best programs merging academic experience, professional experience, and research in order to understand the measures we need to take to accelerate the deployment of clean energy."

What has been unexpected during this program?

First and foremost, this it is my first online program experience and I'm so pleasantly surprised by the magnitude of the study areas. It is as comprehensive as an in-person program, and the level of networking possibilities afforded is enormous. There is a wide network of participants from all over the United States and all over the world, and from different backgrounds and discipline areas. I expected that the program would offer knowledge and skill enhancement, but it has also offered unlimited opportunities for diversified networking.

Moreover, there is the opportunity for bankers, engineers, lawyers, investors, policymakers, developers, researchers, and professors to convene in one place. Having all of those people together for an entire year makes this experience comparable to an energy business marketplace where you can trade the skills and resources needed to fuel the clean energy field. We all have something to give, and something to get. When we met at Yale and started introducing ourselves, it felt like the list had everything you needed. You could have built a best practices operations manual just after the first on-campus week. 

How has the program built your knowledge and/or skills of clean energy?

I chose this program to develop my knowledge in energy policy and financing to pair up with my technical expertise for a multidimensional understanding of clean energy. When I came on board at the Development Bank's renewable energy fund project as a technical expert in clean energy system design and deployment, there were some things that I didn’t fully understand. Through FDCE, I have developed an ability to not just read a few pages of an energy investment proposal, but to be able to read and comprehend the whole proposal booklet. 

The program has also helped me come to a realization that the ancillary services leading up to the commissioning of clean energy generation, storage, and distribution projects are large contributors overall in the clean energy transition. For example, when you say "clean energy" you may think of a solar panel, but you don't usually think about how it's constructed, the energy used to manufacture the panel or any of the other moving pieces that contribute to that portion of the clean energy transition. If you're just building systems, you aren't necessarily accounting for those other actors. The course has addressed this, which is essential while we're transitioning traditional energy sources toward a clean energy future.

In what ways do you connect with your classmates through weekly discussions or other tools and what are the benefits of the social aspect of the program?

I was a little conservative at first because I was unsure about how an online system would work, but everything works perfectly. I feel like I could do more online courses after this experience because it is helpful to have all of the content shared on a single online platform. The live sessions are also great. All of the cohort members attend and we all have an opportunity to share feedback on the weekly study content over both audio and video. On top of that, we also have a group chat that is great for messaging and sharing announcements and developments of common energy events. It's also an opportunity for people to keep in touch about different energy summits and conferences.

How has this program helped you with your current career success?

This course has equipped me with a better understanding of not only the technical aspects of clean energy proposals, but also with the financial, social, and environmental consequences of these decisions. Most of the time you just think about the labor required to plug in solar panels, but I am now thinking way beyond that. When I had just started my role here at the Development Bank, I was only looking at the technical reviews, but now I feel more confident in myself and my ability to provide all-around due diligence on projects that are seeking clean energy financing. That is a great milestone to show that I am gaining a lot of knowledge, which I really appreciate.

A concrete example of the benefits of the program came right after I came back from the U.S. I managed to propose a solar clean energy solution to the Development Bank of Rwanda to plug in a renewable energy option. This proposal has already been approved by management and is presently being advanced. We've hired a firm that is going to be doing a feasibility study and calculating the costs - we'll see if we can build a clean energy solution for the bank!

Who would you recommend this program to?

I would recommend this program to anybody who cares about energy and the environment. This program provides 360-degree navigation through the flow of clean energy businesses - it covers policy, technology, finance, and innovation. I recommend this program because it gives you an in-depth understanding of where the clean energy business has come from, and where it is going in the future. It provides a deeper understanding of the energy history and connects it to the potential clean energy future, which is a paramount principle for clean energy transition and deployment. It also reflects on climate change and health. This program really has it all.

Why would you recommend this program?

This is undoubtedly one of the best programs merging academic experience, professional experience, and research in order to understand the measures we need to take to accelerate the deployment of clean energy. It brings together the people who have the money, the people who work in the distribution of the money, the developers, and the experts who can give us the knowledge of their research. To have these people in the same room for a year is groundbreaking for the clean energy transition. It is a huge step that brings together the skills and resources required to evolve in clean energy.

Before FDCE, I had never been a part of the program where everyone really loved what they were doing - the love that everyone has for this program is something else. People are from the Bank of America, working in India on manufacturing, and from Africa like myself. We work on these assignments together and we exchange ideas. It's huge - we cover so many different things and we bridge the gaps.

Want to learn more about the program?

Intrigued?  Want to learn more?  Find detailed information about the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program here or reach out to us at cbey.certificate@yale.edu.