Author(s): J. Cunge; A. Van Der Beken
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Curricula/diciplines; Decision makers; ICT-tools; Integrated water resources management (IWRM); Internationalisation; Practitioners; Specialisation/qualification
Abstract: Eight papers on water-related education and training, recently published in the Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), are reviewed and some critical and provocative thoughts are expressed in order to stir further discussion in the water community. Based on two lists of terms/words, the statistics of the use of these terms/words by the contributors of the selected EOLSS papers are presented. In the list on contents of education and training, the contributors' use is as follows from high to low: disciplines/curricula; decision making and internet/web; methods/tools and environment; internationalisation/mobility, economics, specialisation/qualification, integrated (water resources) management and quality assessment; sustainability. In the list on stakeholders of education and training, the use is as follows from high to low: professionals/practitioners; research and industry/enterprises; participation/dialogue/interaction; training needs/capacity building; institutions; employees/employers/employment, privatisation and costs/expenditure; adaptation/innovation; consultants. The critical reading of the EOLSS contributions gives rise to many interesting points and ideas for discussion which are grouped in the following categories: 1. general aspects and problems of higher (university level) education in the water domain; 2. the context (engineering-environmentsustainability) of the water domain university teaching curriculum in the current world; 3. effectiviness of the education; 4. water decision makers education; 5. possible teaching revolution related to new tools (ICT). Both the formal statistical review and the provocative review should be helpful to further the discussion with the aim of better defining the important issues of water-related education and training from the point of view of the academia, the research, the profession and the society as a whole.
Year: 2003