Lincoln College is proud to celebrate its role in the award-winning ZERO Institute programme, which has been recognised at the 2025 CIBSE Awards in the Learning and Development category. This prestigious award highlights the groundbreaking teaching and internship programme launched in 2024 by the ZERO Institute in collaboration with three colleges - Lincoln College, Wolfson and Exeter - and the Department of Engineering Science, dedicated to zero-carbon energy systems in buildings.
CIBSE praised the programme, stating, "The judges were impressed by the ZERO Internship Programme and its potential significant impact on Oxford. They noted that the model could be scaled up to operate in more cities and communities. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from students highlighted the programme’s effectiveness and relevance."
The judges also commended the ZERO Institute’s innovative approach to training future leaders in the built environment, combining cutting-edge research, hands-on learning and novel digital tools, including energy simulation software developed at Oxford. A crucial part of the programme is its strong engagement with real-world projects at Lincoln College and the two other colleges, ensuring that students gain real-world insights into decarbonisation challenges and solutions.
Led by Professor Jesus Lizana, Associate Professor in Engineering Science, the programme introduces innovative courses in Building Services Engineering as part of the Master of Engineering (MEng) degree and various MSc programmes at Oxford. These courses provide future engineers with the expertise needed to drive innovation and implement zero-carbon energy solutions for buildings. Lincoln College has been actively involved in applying these principles, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of its estate management.
Prof. Jesus Lizana said, “Lincoln, Exeter and Wolfson have played a key role in the success of the ZERO Teaching Programme. Their support in sharing data, coordinating building access, and providing feedback has been invaluable, strengthening both the teaching process on building services engineering and local collaboration in tackling the challenges of achieving net-zero buildings.”
The commitment of Lincoln College’s team has been instrumental in making this initiative a success. Special recognition goes to Julian Mitchell (former Estates Manager), Michele McCartney (Domestic Operations Manager), and Juliet Tye (Sustainability Officer for both Lincoln and Exeter Colleges) for their leadership in integrating these pioneering ideas into the College’s operations.
Looking forward, the ZERO Institute plans to expand these activities into other graduate and postgraduate programmes, incorporating more sustainability and net-zero best practices.
