NEWW
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NEWW
Short description of the project Network for Labour-Market oriented Education in Waste and Water Management for the Sub-Saharan Region (NEWW)
The Network for Labour-Market oriented Education in Waste and Water Management (NEWW) is made up of the University of Oldenburg (UOL) with its Centre of Environmental and Sustainability Research COAST and the Future Lab Water in Germany, the University of Ghana (UG) in Ghana and the University of Arts and Technology Byumba (UTAB) in Rwanda and their business partners. Together, the network will address the obstacles, market failures but also potentials impacting labour market stability in the target sectors Water and Waste in Ghana and Rwanda. Country-specific insights will be incorporated into practice-oriented teaching and up-skilling activities on the overarching topic of circular economy in waste and water management.
Background
National strategies in Ghana and Rwanda identify water and waste as essential resources that need to be better managed and mobilised in the respective country. At the same time, human resources are available in abundance. The aim is to increase the number of decent and productive jobs in the target market in both countries. Ghanaian strategists state that world-class scientific and technological capabilities can provide productive job opportunities for the country’s growing youth population. Rwandan experts see the proper management of resources as a promising contribution towards a “Green Economy” and social stability. In our network, the partners bring together these experiences and challenges. The project NEWW is rooted in the expert-opinion that the circular economy approach will help solve the urgent resource management issues in Ghana and Rwanda.
The Project Activities
In close collaboration with business partners, the partner universities will implement practice-oriented teaching, research and transfer activities to close the gap between labour market demands in the water and waste sectors and university supply. For teaching, an inter-institutional teaching module that has in the past been successfully implemented by partner COAST will be adjusted to the local needs. These lectures will bring together virtually students from all participating universities and business experts around the topics of circular economy, water and waste. In research, comprehensive summer schools and practice-oriented student theses will nurture practice-oriented innovation. Transfer between industry and business will be secured via tailored career events and participation in all activities of the project.
The main objectives of the project are:
• Strengthening the teaching structure at UG and UTAB to better meet labour market demands in Water Management and the Waste Sector
• Improving the labour market orientation of waste and water research at the institutions to bring innovation into the sectors
• Aligning the interests of university and business partners to create sustainable partnerships