What is the GEDS Certificate?

A multidisciplinary certification that:

• Provides the analytical tools and frameworks necessary for assessing and addressing the long-term social, economic, and environmental impacts of oil and gas projects.

• Introduces “best-practices” for creating energy projects that benefit all stakeholders (communities, companies, governments) in developing nations and new production regions.

• Teaches students the historical and structural origins of the “Natural Resource Curse” as it manifests in different regions of the globe, and how to plan for and mitigate its effects.

Because the technical expertise of companies and governments has traditionally been focused on the efficient discovery and extraction of oil and gas resources, the skills required for developing energy projects that are sustainable and beneficial to all stakeholders (communities, companies, and governments alike) have not always been prioritized in training for an oil and gas career.

The Graduate Certificate in Global Energy, Development, and Sustainability (GEDS) provides students with such skills, imparting them through a unique, multi-disciplinary curriculum focused on the petroleum industry and its impact on societies. Classes are designed and taught by UH faculty and local/international energy experts with long academic, industry, and civil society/NGO experience. The certificate is one-of-a-kind, providing critical and timely knowledge, theory, and skill sets from fields such as business, economics, global oil and gas history, anthropology, environmental law/policy, international petroleum law, human rights law, political science, industrial occupational psychology, human resource management, corporate social responsibility, and risk analysis.

The GEDS Certificate is of benefit to those working or intending to work in the energy sector – including industry professionals, government officials and regulators, members of civil society or NGO activist/policy groups, energy consultants and financial advisors. Graduate students who are interested in energy, sustainability, and global or domestic energy policy are invited to apply as well.

Join us as we work to chart a course for a sustainable energy future, one that will benefit all stakeholders and help navigate the transitions to come!

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