The SPE Politecnico di Milano Student Chapter hosted SPE President Jennifer Miskimins on 29 April in the event “Empowering Tomorrow: Students at the Heart of the Energy Transition.” The event was organized jointly with the SPE student chapters of Polytechnic of Turin and La Sapienza University of Rome, with whom we have strong ties and frequently carry out joint activities.
Around 60 participants joined, including students from the different chapters, as well as representatives from the SPE Italian Section and industry.
The program was structured to encourage both reflection and interaction. The morning sessions were centered on Miskimins’ keynote and the subsequent discussion, followed by contributions from the student chapters and the presentation of the Energy GeoHackathon experience by the team of Politecnico di Torino Student Chapter. These moments provided a shared starting point, combining broader reflections on the energy sector with concrete examples of student-led initiatives.
The second part of the day was intentionally less structured. After the morning sessions, the focus shifted toward more informal interaction, giving participants time to continue conversations and connect more directly. It was a natural continuation of what had already started earlier, but in a setting that made exchanges easier and more spontaneous. This was combined with a visit to the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano laboratories, where participants were introduced to ongoing activities and research on fuel cells and battery systems, hydrogen technologies, and wind tunnel facilities, adding a more practical perspective to the discussions of the morning.
SPE as a Tool, Not Just a Title
The morning opened with Miskimins’ keynote, which set the tone for the entire day. Rather than focusing on a narrowly defined technical topic, she framed her talk around a question that felt immediately relevant to everyone in the room: how to approach a career in an energy sector that is evolving quickly, and how SPE can help us in doing so.
One idea that resonated strongly was her view of SPE not simply as a professional society, but as a platform, something that enables growth by connecting people, experiences, and perspectives. In a context where the path forward is not clearly defined, having access to a network like this becomes both an advantage and a necessity. For students in particular, this shifted the perspective from joining an organization to actively using a tool to better understand and navigate the industry.
The Q&A picked up exactly where the keynote had left off. Many of the questions, from both students and faculty, revolved around what lies ahead and how to prepare for it. The discussion did not aim to provide definitive answers, but rather to clarify how to approach this uncertainty: what skills to develop, how to remain adaptable, and how to make use of opportunities such as those offered by SPE. It was an amazing and very productive conversation.
Only after this initial exchange did the focus shift more directly to the student community itself. The presentations from the Milan, Turin, and Rome student chapters offered a chance to better understand each other’s activities and priorities. They felt like a natural continuation of the earlier discussion, moving from a broader reflection on the future of the sector to a more immediate look at how students are already engaging with it.
Overall, the morning was not just informative, but genuinely useful in bringing people closer, both in terms of understanding the challenges ahead and in starting to build a more connected student community.
Jackets Off
The afternoon brought a different pace. The networking lunch and the lab tour created space for more informal conversations, where many of the ideas from the morning could be picked up again in a more relaxed way. It was in these moments that students and young professionals (YPs) had the chance to interact more directly, moving beyond structured discussions and into more open exchanges.
The visit to the Politecnico di Milano Department of Energy labs added another layer. For students, it was a chance to see how research actually takes shape (beyond lectures, in real experimental setups and ongoing projects).
For YPs, it became an opportunity to reconnect with the academic side and reflect on how closely it still links to the challenges they face in industry. The visit was not just about observing facilities, but about recognizing the space where academia and industry meet, influence each other, and, at times, move forward together.
What Actually Made it Work
Looking back, what made the event work was not a single moment, but how the different parts connected. The keynote welcomed questions that the discussion pushed further, and it was only in the informal moments that some of them started to feel more concrete. Together, these elements created an experience that reflected what SPE can offer. Events like this also highlight the importance of collaboration across different levels of the organization. Bringing together student chapters from across Italy, along with the support of the SPE Italian Section, made it possible to create a setting that was both diverse and cohesive.
I would like to personally thank Miskimins and Ola Davies for spending time with our community and for the quality of the exchange created. This visit was both meaningful and, in some ways, grounding. My thanks also go to the Politecnico di Milano Department of Energy, for their hospitality and for opening their labs to SPE. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the SPE Italian Section for its continued support, as well as the student chapters from Turin and Rome for their contribution to the day.
A day like this is a reminder that a community does not really exist in the bylaws or the membership list; it exists in the moments people actually share. That moment felt like one of those, the intention now is to build on it.
The SPE Politecnico di Milano Student Chapter is sponsored by the SPE Italian Section.
