The RENEW IS-Academy is a five year (2009 - 2014) research project investigating energy access and development cooperation in Eastern Africa.
The project adopts three research themes to explore energy access, building on theoretical perspectives in business strategy, decision making, and technological innovation systems. RENEW will culminate in three PhD dissertations and a series of policy briefs targeted towards development cooperation actors.
Our research is practically driven with field work carried out by a team of PhD researchers and a rotating staff of MSc students. Countries of focus include Rwanda, Kenya, and Mozambique, however studies are occasionally undertaken outside of the focus region.
Partners
RENEW is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), and is a joint collaboration including:
IVM - Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam
The project adopts three research themes to explore energy access, building on theoretical perspectives in business strategy, decision making, and technological innovation systems. RENEW will culminate in three PhD dissertations and a series of policy briefs targeted towards development cooperation actors.
Our research is practically driven with field work carried out by a team of PhD researchers and a rotating staff of MSc students. Countries of focus include Rwanda, Kenya, and Mozambique, however studies are occasionally undertaken outside of the focus region.
Partners
RENEW is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), and is a joint collaboration including:
IVM - Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam
ECN - Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, Unit Policy Studies
DME - Environment, Water, Climate and Energy Department of DGIS
DME - Environment, Water, Climate and Energy Department of DGIS
History
The project began in 2009 with pilot studies undertaken by students of IVM's Environment and Resource Management MSc program.
In 2010, three full time PhD researchers joined the project. Five studies were carried out in Rwanda and Kenya, and one policy study focused on energy access in Ghana.
In 2011, each of the RENEW PhD researchers began field data collection activities. Extended stays in Rwanda and Kenya have been complemented by four shorter MSc projects in the same countries. Additional MSc projects were completed in the Netherlands, Mozambique, and Senegal.
This year, research has been conducted in Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Indonesia, and the Netherlands.
