Mathias Koepke is a Ph.D. candidate in Human Geography and Spatial Planning at Utrecht University under the supervision of prof. dr. Jochen Monstadt. He obtained a BSc. degree in Energy Engineering (Berlin, Germany and College Park, USA) and completed a MSc. in Sustainable Development (Leipzig, Germany and Utrecht University). Throughout his studies, he worked on sustainable energy solutions in the Global South from various disciplinary angles. Prior to his work in Utrecht, he consulted stakeholders in Asia and Africa on sustainable, small scale energy and financial access. He is a member of the research network “MicroEnergy Systems” at TU Berlin.
Applying concepts of post-colonial debates, his PhD research deals with heterogeneity and hybridity in energy delivery configurations in Sub-Saharan African cities. Focusing on energy users and their immediate delivery networks, he aims to map out the current use and future role of small scale decentralized technology items and their relation to the networked city. Focusing on the case studies of Maputo and Dar es Salaam, empiric results on current delivery networks’ nature will enter into a discussion about sustainable urban energy transitions in a reciprocal and participatory way with the communities.