Press release

New Master’s Degree Program at the Berlin University of Technology to Train Future Solar Industry Specialists

German solar-power industry to actively support the program with scholarships

Berlin, October 8, 2008 - On October 13, the first students of the new international master’s degree program in Global Production Engineering for Solar Technology (GPE Solar) at the Berlin University of Technology will begin their studies. The company IB Vogt, an international service provider for the planning and realization of factories in the photovoltaics industry, supports GPE Solar and will provide a scholarship grant.

As the grant provider, IB Vogt will assume the total tuition costs to be charged for the master’s program for one student from Nicaragua, who has already been selected. At the same time, the company will be actively involved in the teaching of the course of studies. IB Vogt will sponsor teaching events of its own for the nine-week course, provide practical problems from its day-to-day operations to the students in the form of exercises, and offer internship positions for the internship program mandatory as part of GPE Solar. "The grant of a scholarship to a student at GPE Solar will permit us to start early recruiting students as qualified future employees," says Carolus Kerber, engineering director at IB Vogt.

The two-year GPE Solar master’s program provides engineers with a targeted and practical course of training for the solar-power industry. The combination of engineering knowledge in design and production planning with management skills is unique. The content of the studies covers all levels of the value-added chain in photovoltaics and solar-thermal energy: from the production of the components through planning and installation, right up to financing, law, marketing and securing of market shares. The course of studies is particularly addressed towards international students, and is to be conducted entirely in English. In order to prepare the prospective graduates for the specific challenges of an increasingly globalized economy, great value is to be placed upon intercultural teamwork in the individual teaching modules.

• For more information about GPE Solar: www.gpe-solar.de
• Information and contact person at IB Vogt: www.vogtgroup.com, Ms. Salvamoser
• For more press information: www.renac.de