José Antonio Vega Araújo is a Research Assistant at SEI Latin America in Bogotá, Colombia. He provides support to the center’s work on just transitions beyond fossil fuels including the initiatives around carbon lock-in and approaches to science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development.
Prior to this position, José was part of the Observatory of Design and Social Innovation of the National University of Colombia as a project advisor. His professional experience also includes teaching at National Training Service (SENA) and managing commercial, educational, and development projects in diverse contexts using participatory approaches. He is particularly interested in fostering the role of justice in the ongoing energy transition through social inclusion and meaningful public involvement.
He is a petroleum engineer with interdisciplinary studies: a MSc degree in international cooperation from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, and a MSc in sustainability and renewables from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law & Policy (CEPMLP) of the University of Dundee, UK. For the latter, his final dissertation explored the relationship between large-scale energy transition projects and public involvement of indigenous communities in La Guajira, Colombia, from an energy justice perspective.