Who we are
AltDev (Alternative Energy and Development) was established this year as Oxford University's first student society to directly address the intersection of renewable energy and international development. We believe that humanity's greatest challenges in the forthcoming decades will be the climate crisis and the persistence of inequality between nations and peoples. More than that, we recognise that these issues are fundamentally intertwined and should - even must - be addressed in concert. Scaling up renewable energy capacity in developing countries (and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular) is the single most effective way to tackle these challenges. To read more, have a glance at our blog.
What we do
Record capital and investment is going to be deployed in the renewable energy sector by 2030. Now is the time to get involved. AltDev does not aim to only hold events or facilitate discussions between students, though this is (of course) important. More significantly, by bringing together talented people we aim to effect real change, now. We connect students with experienced leaders in business, policy, and research with immediate effect; we act as a start-up incubator and accelerator, giving you access to the teams and people you need to make your idea a reality; we synthesise skillsets and approaches to add value and generate new insights.
As AltDev grows, we hope to be able to offer seed capital for our members' projects - watch this space.
Who we want
Our mission is to unlock students' potential and supercharge our ideas, and we need loads more people to make that vision a reality. We welcome everyone, irrespective of prior knowledge, background, or perspective. All we ask for is a self-starting attitude. Given the challenges facing the world - and the opportunities that all challenges provide - what's most needed are people who can think beyond what's expected, who have ideas about where we're going and what we should do, and who are motivated to turn their ideas into goals.
If that sounds appealing to you and you're even a little curious about anything related to renewable energy and development, email us at president@altdev.org or have a glance at our resources page.