The approval was in respect of the University’s Act 830, subsections 2(1) f, g, h, and i which requires that the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR)  shall undertake research in areas within its mandate of providing sound higher education and research skills, disseminating research results through publications in journals, books, and other outlets, and providing extension and consultancy services to impact positively on society. Consequently, the School became fully operational in 2014 with an initial enrolment of 34 students into the MSc./PhD Sustainable Energy Management and MSc./PhD Environmental Engineering management for the 2015/2016 academic year.