KWR to study IWA worldwide network for improvement professional collaboration
Executive director Paul Reiter (left) of the International Water Association and director Wim van Vierssen (right) of KWR Watercycle Research Institute and placed their signatures to an agreement to together undertake research into the worldwide network of IWA.
Water professionals from a range of different subject disciplines, organizations and national cultures operate within this knowledge network that encompasses the entire water cycle.
The objective of the research is to improve the insight into how these professionals collaborate within IWA. Based thereon, both parties can jointly identify the collaboration challenges this network faces and how these can be dealt with in the future.
Fifty IWA specialist groups
KWR and IWA share the ambition to bridge science to practice. The global network of IWA in the field of the water cycle alone has more than 50 Specialist Groups with members from around 130 countries coming from universities and research institutes, government bodies, utilities and industry. All these members represent organizations, visit events and exchange knowledge.
KWR and IWA are starting a joint research project to obtain a detailed picture of the functioning and the role of this unique network.
Anchoring of knowledge management
The research - that will consist of a social network analysis, surveys and interviews - will provide both quantitative and qualitative data. For instance, the way in which IWA is institutionalized in the scientific domain - to what extent are IWA members represented in the important scientific research themes - has already been investigated.
Overlap between themes
According to Mariëlle van der Zouwen, researcher into knowledge networks and governance for KWR, there is considerable overlap between the specializations of the members and important research themes.
KWR has also started to study the scientific journals published by IWA. These also make an important and quantifiable contribution in the absolute sense to science.
The joint research to be carried out by both organizastions will result in knowledge management being anchored even more firmly within IWA and the water sector.
This news item was originally published on the website of KWR watercycly research institute.
In May KWR signed a contract to study the network of UN Water.
Read: KWR and UN Water cooperate in capacity building project in the water sector
More information
KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Mariëlle van der Zouwen marielle.van.der.zouwen@kwrwater.nl
Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
+31 30 60 69 641
www.kwrwater.nl
International Water Association
the Hague, the Netherlands
+31 70 31 50 792
www.iwahq.org