Development of Professional Courses in Sustainable Water Management - RESONATE A new approach to the way we plan, manage, and use water is urgently needed. The most important change we can make is in the way we think about, value, and manage our water. The body of knowledge necessary to effectively practice engineering at the professional level and tackle with the problems of sustainability goes beyond the scope of the traditional engineer. Educational programs for integrated and sustainable water resources management are missing in many European countries. The aim of the project “RESONATE” is to provide comprehensive engineering knowledge and develops professionals’ scientific, communication and problem solving skills through a combination of practical, hands-on courses, industry projects and theoretical foundations. The Professional courses will be developed in consultation with industry to equip engineering professionals with the advanced technical expertise, critical thinking and professional skills required to remain competitive in a global workforce and succeed in the future career. The project ‘Development of Professional Courses in Sustainable Water Management’ is structured into five consecutive modules: Analysis, Development, Implementation, Evaluation and Sustainability. The overall objective of the project "RESONATE" is the education of engineering professionals for sustainable water management in line with the national and EU policies, and in long-term contributing to the development and management of water resources on both a local and global scale. The specific objectives are: - To improve the level of competencies and skills of engineering professionals in the field of sustainable water management; - To develop and implement new and innovative professional courses for the water sector in line with EU Water Framework Directive; and - To close the gap between the needs for new knowledge, lack of educational programs and challenges of organisations (private, public and NGOs) in sustainable water management. During the project RESONATE several groups of participants will be involved in different project activities: - engineering professionals; - engineering managers; - representatives from nongovernmental agencies in the sector of water management; - representatives of Government agencies, ministries, public enterprises in charge of management and operation of resources (water and waste communal enterprises, industry and power plants operators, irrigation utilities). This project sets up a new framework of Professional courses for integrated sustainable water resources management focusing on developing new skills and ready to use knowledge in water engineering sector, as well as personal and professional skills (work in interdisciplinary teams, managing project, time management, innovation, etc.). Subject of courses will be upskilling in the fields of water resources usage in urban areas as well as in other related fields – industry, agriculture, power sector). Innovative and learner-centered pedagogical approaches will be used, appropriate assessments and certification methods, learning from international experts and case studies on transformative projects, using systems approach and working with future scenarios, changes and strategies. This project will ensure high quality learning opportunities to VET education learners and provide effective strategies for enhancing transferable skills of engineers. It is that expected these Professional development courses will be attractive for engineering professionals in other European countries as well, considering the content of the courses, innovative approach, structure and ICT-based training. Successful realisation of the project activities will provide integrated Professional courses to be developed, implemented and certified, where professional engineers will be able to develop practical skills and useful knowledge relevant to the latest technology trends and industry needs, policies and requirements in Europe regarding sustainability and water management. It is expected that around 6400 people will benefit for this project (as direct and indirect beneficiaries). The impact of the Professional courses will assure technical excellence of the engineering professionals, with the ability to lead, influence, and integrate—preparing them to weigh the diverse technical, environmental, and societal issues that shape the optimal approaches to planning, design, and construction of sustainable water management systems. Project results and lessons learned will be disseminated using several medias: web portal, internet, engineering networks, professional associations, social media, publications, events, open days, conferences, etc.
The wider aim of the project "RESONATE" was the multidisciplinary education of engineering professionals for sustainable water management in line with the national and EU policies. The overall objective was to educate engineering professionals who contribute effectively to the development and management of water resources on both local and global scale. The specific objectives were: - To increase awareness about sustainable water management and its importance; - To improve the level of competencies and skills of engineering professionals in the field of sustainable water management, to transfer practical knowledge and first-hand experience; - To develop and implement new and innovative professional courses for the water sector in line with EU Water Framework Directive; and - To close the gap between the needs for new knowledge, lack of educational programs and challenges of organisations in sustainable water management. The impact of the Professional courses assured technical excellence of the engineering professionals, with the ability to lead, influence, and integrate—preparing the engineers to weigh the diverse societal and sustainability issues that shape the optimal approaches to planning, implementation, and management.
Sustainability, climate change, water scarcity, and integrated water management are globally recognized challenges for the 21st century. Professionals require multidisciplinary knowledge to understand the interconnections of economic, environmental and social dimensions, as well as competencies to manage and contribute the change towards a more sustainable water sector of the future. Dealing with the preceding problems and opportunities require multi-disciplinary collaboration among universities, industry and public institutions. We’ve performed preliminary analysis on a focus group on prominent companies in the engineering industry and found out that graduates and engineering professionals are lacking knowledge and skills in the field of sustainable water management. Initial findings confirmed that professionals require knowledge about water governance, water framework requirements, and new topics such as SMART water management and water in the context of circular economy. This was the idea of developing this project transnationally with universities, research institutes and industry partners, creating a new type of Professional courses with competence oriented program and application-oriented courses.