Providing affordable energy is one of the humanities' greatest challenges. Concerns about climate change and hydrocarbon emissions are increasing the pressure to replace cheap fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
This course will teach business students about the energy industry and how public policies and geopolitical factors affect investment decisions and the rate of transition to low-carbon energy production and consumption. The course also emphasizes the interconnectedness of energy production and consumption, as well as the role of technological, economic, and social constraints.
We also had Dato Arif Mahmood, former Petronas EVP and CEO of downstream business, speak to the class.
Renato Lima de Oliveira is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Asia School of Business (ASB). His main expertise lies in the political economy of development and state-business relations, particularly in the areas of industrial and innovation policies and government accountability. Professor Lima de Oliveira received his Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT and his dissertation work at MIT analysed the development of the oil industry and the local supply chain in Brazil, Malaysia, and Mexico, such as and the policies used for industrial upgrading and the promotion of innovation. He is also a research affiliate at the MIT Industrial Performance Center (IPC).
Outside of his research and teaching activities, Renato has worked as a business reporter in Brazil with experience in newspaper, TV and radio. He has also worked as a consultant for energy, environment, and politics, including assignments for the Ministry of Energy of Mexico and the World Bank. He holds a M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and completed his undergraduate studies at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), where he earned a B.A. in Communication.
More about his research and professional activities can be found at the website www.lima-de-oliveira.com.