SOCRATES – SophiA Online College for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Thermal Energy Systems

SOCRATES trains technicians and young professionals to install, commission and maintain refrigeration and cooling systems, with a focus on natural refrigerants and solar-powered solutions for health facilities in Africa. It is led by Prof. Michael Kauffeld (Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences), coordinator of the SophiA project.

Current course: Basic Refrigerationnouveau logo

  • 9 live online sessions on Zoom, every Tuesday from 20 October to 15 December 2026
  • 16:00–17:00 CET (14:00 GMT on 20 October, 15:00 GMT from 27 October)
  • Weekly homework with individual feedback from SophiA-trained technicians
  • No refrigeration background required
  • Limited to 200 participants

👉 Register for the sessions here
📰 Read the full announcement

Coming next: an Advanced Refrigeration course on natural refrigerants from January 2027. Future courses may also cover solar energy systems and associated technologies, such as solar cooking.

SOCRATES is supported by the Fourfold Foundation and the SPF Institute for Solar Technology at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, through SophiA Bridge.

This page is under construction. More information will be added soon.