JERUSALEM | Al-Quds University and partnering Arab and European universities recently launched the project of Innovations in Water Education Programs: Enhancing Water Security and Socio-economic Development in Eastern Mediterranean under Climate Change (WaSec). The project will bring together companies and universities to strengthen joint cooperation between the parties through the development of new a academic courses in Water Resources Management, while taking into consideration potential climate change impacts, with adaptive learning and teaching methods for the Eastern Mediterranean region. Its specific objectives are:
- to develop a kind of Water Network to be shared by the institutions involved in water management so as to promote collaboration among universities and enterprises;
- to develop new or updated courses on water management with the true integration of enterprises in both English and Arabic languages;
- to provide graduates specialized-knowledge in water resources management for the Eastern Mediterranean region so as to enable them to understand climate change implications;
- to implement courses with clear learning outcomes and materials that are accredited in all partnering countries, and jointly taught, delivered, and tailored to utilize new technologies;
- to develop a virtual learning platform with digital-formatted learning materials to facilitate learning and assessment;
- to run and assess the pilot courses in partnering countries;
- to disseminate the results in order to be adopted by universities from other countries of the region;
- to utilize the results by transferring knowledge to other practitioners.
The project, co-funded by the ERASMUS + Program of the European Union, should lead to a new culture of work relationships amongst universities and enterprises, which will help universities to effectively integrate with the larger societies.
(For more information, please visit: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/eplus-project-details/#project/598480-EPP-1-2018-1-PS-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP).
In addition, true collaborative efforts with enterprises will provide students with adequate support from practical placement, entrepreneurship, and employability that will allow graduates to develop their capacities to better qualify them for the labor market. Finally, new and innovative learning and pedagogical approaches will be implemented to offer high-quality education to graduates with a cultural, environmental, and social identity that utilize water resources sustainability and assure its future, while also incorporating climate change impacts.
The project was already launched on November 15th, 2018, and will have been completed by November 14th, 2021. The Kick-Off meeting was held in the Dead Sea area on the Jordan side, between February 27th, and March 2nd, 2019, and it was attended by all 13 partners.
The partnering institutions are nine universities, two companies, one research institute, and one public authority that are located in 6 countries of the Mediterranean region. Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie is the coordinator and Al-Quds University is among the partners. For more information on WaSec project, please follow us on:
Website: wasec.just.edu.jo
Email: wasec.project@gmail.com
Twitter: @CoWasec
Facebook: WaSec Co-Funded by Erasmus+
