| Abstract |
The development of geothermal resources requires a dedicated group of highly skilled specialists from many disciplines of science and engineering. Because of its diversity, geothermal energy research is not taught as a separate subject at universities, but is a field where specialized theoretical work and practical training is required at post-graduate level. The training of geothermal specialists has mainly taken place on-the-job within companies and institutions. But especially for the benefits of the developing countries, international geothermal schools have contributed significantly in the transfer of geothermal technology from the leading geothermal countries to newcomers in the field. The pioneering countries of geothermal development (Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and the USA) started developing their geothermal resources basically from scratch. Engineers, geologists, chemists, and physicists combined forces within each country. The first groups of geothermal specialists were commonly built at government agencies such as the USGS (USA), DSIR (New Zealand), and the State Electricity Authority (later named Orkustofnun, Iceland). Much experience was drawn from established disciplines such as groundwater hydrology, mineral exploration, oil exploration, oil production etc. Many key people in the early days of geothermal development first met at the United Nations Conference on New Sources of Energy in Rome in 1961. That meeting was a milestone in international cooperation in geothermal energy research and development. |