Wetskills is an international programme to promote the Netherlands as an important water center in the world. The Netherlands has many excellent water training institutes with well-trained staff. For both Dutch and foreign students, these institutes provide an ideal opportunity to gain experience with international work and to build relationships.
Wetskills is a series of events where Dutch water-related students meet foreign students and follow lectures together, make field visits and work on innovative solutions for existing water cases.
Wetskills is part of the project Human Capital Water & Delta, and is coordinated by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP).
More information
Stichting Wateropleidingen
Johan Oost
+31 6 20 28 1271
johan.oost@wateropleidingen.nl
Netherlands Water Partnership, programme Human Capital Water
Huiberdien Sweeris
+31 70 304 37 16
h.sweeris@nwp.nl
Read more about the Wetskills events that already took place or about to happen:
- 5th Wetskills in Oman (January 2012)
- 4th Wetskills in Indonesia (November 2011)
- 3rd Wetskills in the Netherlands (October/November 2011)
- 2nd Wetskills in Morocco (October 2010)
- 1st Wetskills in China (June 2010)
Fifth Wetskills challenge, Oman (January 2012)
On the occasion of the visit to Oman by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on January 10 - 12, 2012, ten Dutch traveled to Oman for a joint educational programme with ten Omani students on water management. The Wetskills challenge, enabled the students to learn about each others culture, visit water projects and study actual cases in Oman and finding new solutions.
The best solution was awarded with the 5th Wetskill price. The winning team had addressed the over exploitation of groundwater around Salalah, in the south of Oman.
Oman water related themes
Presently 20 percent more groundwater is pumped up than is received by natural replenishment. This lowers the groundwater level and leads to intrusion of salt groundwater from the sea.
The students suggested to improve the preservation of the monsoon rain water by reconstructing of dams, by placing rain collectors on roofs of buildings and by planting more trees.
In the presence of the Dutch queen the 5th Wetskills price was handed out by professor Ruud Schotting, who holds the Sultan Qaboos Chair for Water Management in Semi-Arid Regions at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Participating Dutch water related institutes:
- Saxion University of applied science
- University of Utrecht
Read the blog:
www.wetskillsoman2012.blogspot.com
Fourth Wetskills challenge Jakarta, Indonesia (November 2011)
Ten Dutch student from different water-related training institutes went to Indonesia and joined a group of master students Coastal Watershed Management of Gadjah Mada University of Yokyakarta.
Getting involved in the global water affairs
On the occasion of the World Delta Summit both Dutch and Indonesian students visited field projects, followed lectures and worked in mixed groups on specific cases, e.g. the protection of Jakarta against flooding, sanitation and cleaning of channels.
The purpose was to become better acquainted with the international water world and to work together despite cultural differences.
Read the blog:
www.wetskillsindonesia.blogspot.com
Participating Dutch water related institutes:
- Hogeschool Rotterdam
Third Wetskills challenge Amsterdam, the Netherlands (October/November 2011)
From 23 October till 4 November the third Wetskills-Innoviation Challenge took place in Amsterdam. This challenge was part of the Young Water Professionals Programme of the International Water Week. Some 40 student from South Africa, Zimbabwe, China, Taiwan, Greece India and the Netherlands, were divided over 8 multidisciplinary groups, following lecture, making field trips and participating in workshops.
Case of urban polder in Amsterdam
To concluded the event the groups participated in a competition. Each group had to present a solution in a pitch and poster. The solution concentrated on a real case of the urban polder Watergraafsmeer, in Amsterdam. The groups had to design a new future proof water system, taking in account the climate change and urban densification.
The winners of the challenge were Wouter Knoben (Dutch - Twente University), Rocy Ocwelwang (South African - NWU), Niels Deijkers (Dutch - Hogeschool van Amsterdam) and Mehdi Koopaeidar (Iranian - Hogeschool Saxion) with their integrated water concept 'Living with Water, and Loving it’. The jury praised the group’s enthusiasm, looking not only for technical solutions but also for possibilities for enjoying water.
Read more:
www.internationalwaterwerk.cm/young/wetskills
Second Wetskills challenge Casablanca, Morocco (October 2010)
Eight Dutch students from different universities visited Morocco in October 2010 to join Moroccan students in order to develop a broader understanding of the water management issues that the world is currently facing and especially in Morocco.
Out of the box solutions
The program provided water management cases in which Dutch and Moroccan students participated, with the goal to come up with innovative, creative out-of-the box solutions for some pressing water management issues in Morocco.
The results were presented at the Water Forum during a special seminar on October 5, 2010 in Casablanca.
Read the blog (in English, French and Dutch):
www.waterkanaal.nl
Participating Dutch water related institutes:
- University Rotterdam
- University Twente
First Wetskills challenge Shanghai, China (June 2010)
The first Wetskills Innovation Challenge took place in Shanghai in June 2010 as part of the Holland Water Week during the World Expo 2010. For this event, a mixed group of Chinese and Dutch young water professionals joined in workshops searching for creative solutions for global water issues.
Feasible solutions in time and budget
These water issues included the increasing sedimentation around river areas, stabilizing ground water levels in urban areas and area development with levees. For these problems, the students sat together to come up with feasible solutions in time and budget.
Read the blog (scroll down to: 'Wing should join the Shanghai program again'):
www.waterkanaal.nl/blog
Video report by two participating students, Tao Hong and Erwin Vonk (in English & Dutch):
Participating Dutch water related institutes:
- Delft University of Technology
- Twente University
- Wageningen University
- Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
- Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
- Zeeland University of Applied Sciences
