Energy transitions are often described in technical terms, but behind those metrics are human stories of navigating complex landscapes, both literal and intellectual. Over the past four years, Shayan Shokrgozar, a member of the first cohort of Empowered Futures, has developed a deeply interdisciplinary and grounded understanding of these transitions through research spanning Norway to India. Shayan spoke to us recently to offer reflections on their work, motivations, challenges, and the community that shaped their path
Aims rooted in interdisciplinarity and global relevance
At the heart of Shayan’s research lies a commitment to bridging conversations across diverse scholarly traditions. With a background spanning philosophy, rhetoric, biology, psychology, and environment and development studies, Shayan has always gravitated toward interdisciplinary inquiry. Shayan’s PhD, based at the University of Bergen’s Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation, set out to understand how energy transitions unfold across different cultural, ecological, and political contexts.
The global urgency of climate change, and the central role of energy systems in both causing and mitigating it, forms the backdrop of this work. Shayan’s interest in regions such as the Fosen Peninsula in Norway and Thar desert in India stems from the insight that energy transitions are not uniform processes. They are lived and contested locally, influenced by histories, ecologies, and livelihoods. Shayan’s work aims to foreground these specificities, offering nuanced understandings that can inform more equitable and context‑sensitive energy policies.
Findings from the margins: Landscape, livelihoods, and loss
Shayan’s fieldwork in Rajasthan – home to India’s highest installed solar capacity and the world’s largest solar farm – revealed the stark differences between official narratives of “empty” land and the lived realities of rural communities.
State officials and developers often described proposed solar sites as uninhabited “wastelands.” However, conversations with agro‑pastoralists, local politicians, teachers, healthcare workers, and NGOs painted a different picture. These landscapes were, in fact, vital commons: grazing areas, water sources, subsistence farming grounds, and sacred sites. Their misclassification meant they lacked meaningful legal protection. As a result, communities saw grazing routes disrupted, access to water cut off, and travel times and fuel costs soar when large solar parks blocked traditional paths.
Crucially, Shayan’s research highlighted not only material impacts but also spiritual and cultural ones. Sacred groves, or Orans, hold deep religious significance; changes to these landscapes reverberate far beyond land use debates. Such findings challenge the simplistic assumption that renewable energy infrastructure is inherently benign. Instead, they show that energy transitions, without inclusive planning, can reproduce extractive and unjust dynamics.
Motivation and challenges: Learning by immersion
Shayan’s decision to explore Rajasthan stemmed from both intellectual curiosity and personal connection – including through both speaking the language and understanding the cultural context. Yet working in rural India brought a new set of challenges. In contrast to Norway, where digital information about energy infrastructure is readily accessible, Rajasthan offered sparse official data and limited prior research.
Actors such as developers and politicians may be hesitant to speak with researchers. Emails often went unanswered. For Shayan, the most effective way to find willing interlocutors was simply to show up, building trust through presence rather than formal requests. These encounters opened pathways to community members, frontline workers, and local leaders.
The work demanded persistence, flexibility, and a willingness to navigate uncertainty. But this immersion strengthened Shayan’s conviction that understanding energy transitions requires attention to the voices at the margins.
Looking ahead: From regional studies to desert‑wide ecologies
Now beginning a three‑year postdoctoral fellowship at NMBU, Shayan is in the unique position of shaping their own research agenda. Building on their PhD, Shayan plans to explore the Thar Desert as an ecological and cultural region transcending the India‑Pakistan border. Historically home to nomadic and semi‑nomadic communities, the region has witnessed dramatic transformations following partition and, more recently, large‑scale energy and mining projects.
By collaborating with researchers working in Sindh (Pakistan) and Gujarat (India), Shayan hopes to examine how different energy and extractive industries are reshaping this shared desert ecology.
Memorable moments with Empowered Futures
Reflecting on three years with Empowered Futures, Shayan emphasises the value of community. Being part of the first cohort meant not only receiving support from the research school but also helping shape its development. Courses and excursions – whether in Rjukan, Lisbon, or Orkney – provided opportunities to learn from diverse projects, practitioners, and scholars.
One highlight stands out: the writing retreat in Orkney, where a dozen members gathered to reflect on their academic journeys and envision future directions for energy social science while collaboratively authoring an article. For Shayan, these collective moments demonstrated the strength of shared intellectual curiosity.
Impact on growth: A network for life
Empowered Futures has influenced Shayan’s career far beyond courses and workshops. It offered a network of peers working on similar issues, even if scattered across institutions and countries. Whether seeking reviewers, discussing ideas, or co‑organising initiatives, Shayan found the community invaluable.
As the research school moves toward establishing an alumni network, Shayan sees continued potential for collaboration, mentorship, and mutual support.
Listen to the podcast here.