Abstract:

With the rapid expansion of the scale of talent cultivation in the energy storage field, the role of postgraduate education has become increasingly important. In this case, the optimization of the training mode of high-level talent in energy storage is urgently needed. An analysis of the current state of graduate education in energy storage shows that, while establishing dedicated energy storage platforms or research institutes facilitates the integration of interdisciplinary faculty and laboratory resources, such initiatives face significant challenges in terms of funding and faculty allocation. As a result, most universities continue to rely on their existing energy-related schools to train graduate students in energy storage. The key challenges of training graduate students in energy storage are as follows: limited research directions of supervisors and a shortage of interdisciplinary research projects, a lack of diverse course offerings and insufficient interdisciplinary practical courses, an imperfect evaluation system and inadequate internationalization, poor experimental conditions for cross-disciplinary work, and weak mechanisms for resource sharing between disciplines. Given the distinct interdisciplinary characteristics of postgraduate talent cultivation in energy storage, Hebei University of Technology has developed and implemented an interdisciplinary training mode for graduate students in energy storage based on the status of talent cultivation in other Chinese universities and research institutes, as well as the demands of the energy storage industry. This mode primarily includes the following measures: integrating faculty from multiple disciplines and industry experts to form a cross-disciplinary mentoring team, along with implementation of a multi-mentor collaborative guidance mechanism; optimizing teaching teams for Energy Storage Technology and Thermal Energy Storage Technology and Applications, incorporating interdisciplinary knowledge and cutting-edge advancements into curricula, and compiling a new text book; establishing an academic research system featuring distinguished scholar lectures, graduate academic forums, interdisciplinary research collaborations, and a multi-phased engineering practice mechanism; building a cross-disciplinary platform that integrates experimental equipment and simulation tools from power engineering and engineering thermophysics, materials science and engineering, chemical engineering and technology, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. These efforts have enhanced the interdisciplinary innovation capabilities, engineering practical skills, communication and collaboration abilities, and awareness of the cutting-edge of graduate students in the energy storage field. This approach provides a valuable reference for other universities and research institutions in cultivating talent in this field.

Key words: energy storage, graduate students, interdisciplinary, training mode