Sustainable Water Resources: Capacity Building in Education, Research and Outreach
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Implementing Partners: American Council on Education (ACE)/Higher Education for Development (HED)
Other Implementing Partner: University of Connecticut and Alabama A&M University
Regions of Operation: Addis Ababa
Goal:
Build the capacity in graduate-level education, research, community outreach, and institutional development in sustainable water resource management in Ethiopia.
Objectives:
- Establishing five new graduate-level academic programs at Ethiopian universities – Water Resources Engineering and Management, Water and Health, Water and Socioeconomics, Water Diplomacy, and Hydraulic Engineering
- Facilitate and conduct research aimed at addressing water related developmental problems in Ethiopia through community engagement and student thesis advising by prominent U.S. and Ethiopian professors
- Collect and process data at the national and regional level to support research projects via instrumentation of sites, field campaigns, and satellite datasets
- Engage faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in identifying water related problems in Ethiopian communities and undertaking studies to develop solutions
- Work with governmental and non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and local communities to implement solutions
Description:
In 2010, USAID awarded a grant for a period of two years to the partnership between Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University and the University of Connecticut, with five collaborating institutions (Arba Minch, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, and Mekelle universities in Ethiopia, and Alabama A&M University in the U.S.).
The partnership aims to develop the human and institutional capacity at Ethiopian higher education institutions in the water sector. This will be done by establishing a national educational center of excellence in water resources, developing graduate-level water-resource programs, and linking educational and research activities with community outreach programs. By providing outstanding higher education programs, conduct internationally recognized research and perform high-impact community outreach to address Ethiopian development challenges in all aspects of Sustainable Development and Management of Water Resources. The program will also offer an integrated water resources curriculum that provides strong interdisciplinary training to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.
Expected Results:
- Enrollment of 40 M.Sc. and 20 Ph.D. students in the Water Resource Engineering and Management
- Designed and implemented of community-based projects
- Engagement of undergraduate students in community-based projects
- Trained practitioners and community leaders
- Establish an Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources
See also: Cross-Cutting Issues: Water
