Global energy experts are to study in Glasgow as part of an international degree programme launched today by Alex Salmond.
The First Minister will unveil details of the bespoke MBA (Master of Business Administration) course during a meeting with ScottishPower and Iberdrola chairman Ignacio Galan at the group's training centre in Madrid.
It will be run jointly by ScottishPower, its parent company Iberdrola, the University of Strathclyde and the Comillas Pontifical University ICAI in the Spanish capital.
Iberdrola employees from more than 40 countries will study technical and commercial aspects of worldwide energy markets in Scotland and Spain. The first students will be enrolled next year.
Mr Salmond said: "The energy industry – particularly renewables – offers the opportunity to re-industrialise Scotland and leading an international education partnership like this gives us an enormous competitive advantage.
"Not only will students from countries such as the US, Brazil and Mexico come to Scotland, ScottishPower staff will be able to learn alongside colleagues from around the world and equip themselves with the skills to work in any number of countries."
The announcement comes weeks after ScottishPower announced it was creating 300 new jobs and investing £6.5 million in grassroots training. It also builds on existing ties between Glasgow and Iberdrola – the company's worldwide offshore wind business is already based in the city – and follows on from research programmes and scholarships offered by Iberdrola and ScottishPower at Strathclyde University.
Mr Salmond also met Gamesa chairman Jorge Calvet to discuss the renewables giant's recent decision to create 800 jobs in Leith at a new offshore wind turbine plant.
Mr Galan said the company was keen to build on its existing relationships in Scotland.
He said: "It is important that we offer our employees access to development opportunities that will help them succeed in any of the countries that we operate in. Energy is a global business, and as engineers we must be ready to meet the global challenges that our industry faces."
He added: "We have long-standing relationships with both the University of Strathclyde and Comillas University. Both institutions excel in engineering merit and we look forward to developing this new innovative international partnership."
Professor Susan Hart, dean of Strathclyde Business School, said the MBA course would offer an education tailored to energy professionals.
She said: "The University of Strathclyde has a clear focus on building partnerships with business and industry, to create educational experiences for executives that are challenging, rigorous and useful. At the Business School, our partnership executive education programmes are tailored to the needs of specific sectors and the contemporary challenges that businesses face, which distinguishes the way we develop and deliver value."
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