Call for Applications: Enel Open Africa Power Program 2025 for Young Africans
Enel Foundation and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) are excited to launch the call for applications for the 2025 edition of Open Africa Power, the programme aimed at empowering women and youth to lead the clean energy transition of Africa.
Since 2018 Open Africa Power provides a cohort of young energy professionals with a complete set of technical, regulatory and business skills needed to trigger Africa sustainable energy future for all.
This year the programme will engage up to 150 African students, with at least 50% women, and almost 400 Alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities provided in partnership with top academic institutions in Italy and Africa.
Open Africa Power 2025 comprises of online and residential modules from academic institutions such as the University of Cape Town, Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, SDA Bocconi, Florence School of Regulation, and Venice International University.
The programme, as in past editions, receives significant support from our institutional partner, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Open Africa Power will engage up to 60 African students and alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities, comprising residential training modules in South Africa.
Summary
- Type: Training
- Location: South Africa
- Sponsor: Enel Foundation
- Eligible Countries: African Countries
- Deadline: May 16, 2025
Eligibility Criterias for the Enel Open Africa Power Program 2025
- Be between the ages of 24 and 35 by April 14th, 2025
- Be a citizen of an African country
- Currently resident in an African country or planning to relocate in Africa within the end of 2025
- Be eligible to travel to Italy. All candidates are invited to check well in advance the procedure applicable to their specific case;
- Having graduated by April 16th, 2025 from a PhD, MSc, LLM, MPP or MBA degree.
- Undergraduate students, people with only a BSc degree or people who are currently enrolled in a master’s degree (i.e. Graduate students) are not eligible for this program. At least one degree (PhD, MSc, BSc, LLM, MPP or MBA) must be from an African University.
- Have competences and a demonstrated interest to pursue a career – in private or public sector – in the electricity space at large.
- Be fully proficient in English (CEFR C1 level), and be able to demonstrate this via an official language certificate or completion of at least one degree completely taught in English.
- Willingness to promote gender equality and women´s empowerment within and beyond the program.
Structure of the Enel Open Africa Power Program 2025
The Open Africa Power Program will consist of local and international experts both from academia and industry and comprise the following modules:
Digital African Module: State of the Art
- This 24-hour module will occur between early June and mid July 2025.
- It will take place in digital form only.
- The module, delivered in collaboration with the UCT and African School of Regulation, will explore the fundamentals of the global electricity sector through the lenses of sustainable development goals with specific sessions dedicated to the nexus between energy and gender balance.
- It will cover the following areas:
- Networks technology, regulation, economics
- Renewables technology, regulation, economics
- ICT digitalization of the electricity industry
Following the African Module, participants will be asked to take a final assignment in the form of an online multiple-choice test (“Assignment”).
External Partner Online Course
- This course will enable the learners to gain a comprehensive vision on how to design appropriate policy and regulatory framework needed to ensure sustainable energy for all.
- The online course on Energy Sector for Energy Transition, delivered by an accredited external partner, will start in early June and will end around mid-October 2025.
Participants are required to complete a Country Project (individually or as a group).
At the end of the course, the participants can earn a Certificate of Attendance, a Certificate of Completion or a Certificate of Excellence, depending on their performance and engagement throughout the course.
Italian Module: New Frontiers
The Italian Module comprises two separate learning moments:
- A full residential week that will take place in Italy in the second half of 2025.
- Participants will have direct experience of the new frontiers of the electricity sector, through a number of site visits to innovative power plants, experimental and training labs as well as control rooms.
- They will be also called to actively interact with prestigious academic partners and research representatives, meet with government, business, and non-profit leaders, engaging in dialogues around the clean energy future of the African Continent.
- An eight-weeks online course from mid-October to early December 2025 where Italian academic partners (Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, SDA Bocconi) will deliver lectures on the new frontiers of crucial topics such as Additive Manufacturing, ICT applied to Networks’ Management, Economic and Environmental Impact Accounting, Renewables potential and climate change, Decision-making under uncertainty and the key drivers of the energy transition.
Give Back Module
- Upon completion of the Italian module, Enel Foundation could decide to involve the cohort of alumni in teaching activities and events related to its education initiatives in Africa and beyond.
Application Documents
- A copy of their CV (in .pdf format).
- Copy of their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates (plus eventual MBA/PhD certificates) AND academic transcripts (in .pdf format).
- A copy of their passport (in .pdf format).
- A motivation letter (max 700 words, in .pdf format).
- Two reference letters from two different industry, academia and/or civil servant representatives (in .pdf format).
Deadline: May 16, 2025
Apply Here for Enel Open Africa Power Program 2025