CIGRE UK University Hub: Initiative and Best Practices
CIGRE UK University Hubs are regional platforms to connect and support current and future CIGRE members, enabling them to become more engaged in CIGRE events and activities within the power systems arena.
By CIGRE UK NGN Committee
Jiajie Luo, Nan Chen, Shuailong Dai & Yinru Chen
“The University Hubs have the potential to transform how CIGRE engages with the community of professionals and students surrounding our university cities. The Hubs can help foster closer collaboration and enable members to fulfil their full potential in the new age of Power Systems”
Introduction
Over the past several years, a gap was seen by CIGRE UK, particularly within the NGN community. Specifically, there was a lack of a regional framework that could facilitate communication and knowledge exchange for local power system professionals and academic researchers. Therefore, in 2023, the University Hub concept was developed by CIGRE members at the University of Birmingham and CIGRE UK NGN. With the support of the CIGRE UK Management Committee, the first Regional Hub was created at the University of Birmingham.
University Hubs were established to organise a variety of events to engage and support local members, including students, early career engineers, academics, and industry professionals. They serve as local platforms for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration on research and projects aligned with CIGRE’s key areas of interest. The goal is to foster engagement, inspire innovation, and strengthen connections within the CIGRE community at the regional level.
The presence and reputation of CIGRE and the NGN within local communities and academic institutions can be strengthened with the help of University Hubs, by hosting diverse events and creating valuable networking opportunities. University Hubs will play a vital role in supporting local activities initiated by CIGRE UK, e.g. NGN and national Study Committees. They will assist with event logistics, including venue and catering booking for in-person events, technical support for online sessions and coordination of hybrid formats.
Through University Hubs, young professionals and experts can more easily collaborate on innovative topics and projects in the power systems arena. Members gain opportunities to enhance their soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication by organising events, leading learning groups, and working closely with peers. Young professionals benefit from mentorship, training, and professional development by connecting with experienced CIGRE members.
It was agreed that CIGRE UK NGN were best placed to lead the growth and development of the University Hubs on behalf of the wider CIGRE members. Whilst the hubs are open to all CIGRE UK members at any stage of their careers, it was recognised that the NGN community would be core members and also have the passion and time to drive them forward.
Showcase – CIGRE UK University Hubs
Birmingham Hub
Birmingham Hub was established at the University of Birmingham in December 2023 with support from CIGRE UK and local academics led by Prof. Xiao-Ping Zhang and Prof. Ray Zhang. Birmingham Hub has been organising numerous activities such as Industry Lectures and the recent Birmingham Decarbonisation Summer School (BDSS), attracting young professionals from across the whole industry to join the hub, thus demonstrating the success of the University Hub initiative.
London Hub
In May 2025, the inaugural event themed ‘Empowering the Next Generation’ was hosted by Imperial College London, marking the official launch of the London CIGRE UK University Hub. Since launching, London Hub has worked on events including technical presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions. It engages students and professionals in the London region and promotes and fosters the local CIGRE community.
Figure 1 - Panel Discussion in the London Hub Inauguration event
University Hub Events
University Hubs host a variety of events, including but not limited to: technical seminars, guest lectures, workshops, training sessions, site visits, industry tours, and networking events. The following sections provide a few examples.
University of Birmingham Summer School
Birmingham Hub co-organised the BDSS from 16th to 19th June 2025 at the University of Birmingham. During this event participants from universities and industry worked in groups on a real-world energy transition challenge. Via this event, Birmingham Hub promoted the collaboration between researchers and engineers from diverse disciplines such as engineering, business, system planners and policy makers. Participants also developed their interdisciplinary research and practical engineering problem-solving skills. Post-event feedback showed that attendees have enhanced their professional skills and strengthened their understanding of net-zero technologies, aligning with the CIGRE UK’s mission.
Figure 2 - Panel Discussion during BDSS 2025
CIGRE UK & CIGRE China “Delivering HVDC Networks” Forum
In June 2025, Birmingham Hub hosted the “Delivering HVDC Networks” forum, which was a collaborative event between CIGRE UK and CIGRE China. This forum focussed on advanced HVDC technologies and engineering applications in accelerating net-zero energy transition. Through the Birmingham Hub we were able to bring together leading experts, engineers, and system planners from both UK and China to explore the cutting-edge developments in HVDC networks and promote international knowledge sharing and exchange.
Figure 3 - “Delivering HVDC Networks” Forum
Industry Lecture
Birmingham Hub hosted a distinguished industry lecture presented by Carl Barker on 3rd March 2025. This distinguished industry lecture focused on the role of HVDC and FACTS in facilitating energy transition towards net-zero in UK.
Through this kind of event Birmingham Hub provided students and young professionals with a valuable opportunity to learn directly from experienced industry experts within the university learning environment. These sessions provide deep insights into real-world challenges, emerging trends, and practical solutions in the power systems field, helping equip young professionals with skills for the future.
The Birmingham Hub has directly helped attendees gain not only technical knowledge but also a broader understanding of the industry landscape, facilitating knowledge sharing and career development.
Figure 4 - Distinguished Industry Lecture given by Carl Barker
Future Development and Next Steps
We are proud of the role University Hubs is now playing in supporting power system professionals in their careers. With many successful events and positive feedback, it has been demonstrated that University Hubs have the potential to serve CIGRE UK members including students, engineers, academics, and industry collective members, as local platforms for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration on research and projects. Particularly, more students and young professions have been involved in CIGRE activities through the presence of the hubs. This aligns and supports CIGRE UK’s purposes, vision and values.
So far, Birmingham and London CIGRE UK University Hubs have been formally established and are now fully operational. A hub committee has recently been established in Manchester to launch a third University Hub covering the Northwest region of the UK.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand to more regions across the UK and to keep broadening opportunities for local professionals and students to get involved in CIGRE’s global network. Through the continuing growth of University Hubs, we are building a stronger and more connected community for our members to drive power system development and innovation.
We would like to share the University Hub initiative with all CIGRE colleagues across the globe. We look forward to fostering international collaboration and to empowering members to contribute to more sustainable and resilient power systems. We are happy to answer any questions on University Hubs. Please feel free to contact us.
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