Wageningen University starts postgraduates network for water management in Latin America
The Irrigation and Water Engineering (IWE) group of Wageningen University received EUR1.25 million from the European Union to set up a postgraduate research training network for the Andean countries. The project has been developed by members of the IWE-group, Edwin Rap, Jeroen Vos, and Rutgerd Boelens, together with their Andean partners in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Continuation of regional collaboration
The new EU project shows the strong regional relations, expertise and recognition that IWE-WUR enjoys in the field of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). It provides a further step in the regional collaboration following earlier research network projects by IWE, such as WALIR (2001-2007), Concertación (2006-2012), and several large Andean NWO-WOTRO Integrated Programs.
Network for postgraduate research and education
The new network to be formed is called the 'Red Andina de Postgrados en Gestión Integrada de los Recursos Hídricos (Andean Network of Postgraduate Education in IWRM - RAP-GIRH). The network proposes to strengthen postgraduate research and education in water resources management in the Andean region with participation from Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.
Improvement of water management programmes at five universitiesFive universities are to benefit from network by gaining access to the joint expertise and experience of acknowledged institutions in the field of water management. The universities will improve their postgraduate program in IWRM by means of institutional development, exchange of experiences, set up of water research and educational programs, and capacity building courses.
The project will address issues such as:
- collaboration of universities with public, private and civil society actors, among others with water user organizations and peasant and indigenous communities
- regional integration in water education, research, and networking strategies
- participation of economically less privileged students and women in higher education
- an integrated, interdisciplinary and critical perspective on water management, including issues of social justice and democratic governance
The members of the Consortium, coordinated by IWE:
- Bolivia: Centro AGUA - Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Cochabamba
- Colombia: Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Abastecimiento de Agua, Saneamiento Ambiental y Conservación del Recurso Hídrico - CINARA, Universidad del Valle, Cali;
- Ecuador: Universidad Central del Ecuador - UCE, Quito;
- Perú: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú - PUCP, Lima;
- Perú: Universidad Nacional Pedro Luis Gallo - UNPRG, Lambayeque;
- Spain: Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya - UPC, Barcelona
- The Netherlands: Irrigation and Water Engineering Group (IWE) - Centre for Water and Climate - Wageningen University (WUR)
This news release was originally published on the website of Altera/Wageningen University.
More information
Irrigation and Water Engineering (IWE)
dr.ir. RA (Rutgerd) Boelens
+31 317 483 916
Rutgerd.Boelens@wur.nl
www.wewur.wur.nl