Training of future water experts
Integrating education and research
We will tightly integrate education with the research activities aimed at developing a diverse US workforce that can engage dynamically and lead global community efforts to address human security issues in water dependent societies. Specific educational and outreach objectives are:
Mentorship of US and Ethiopian students-provide a stimulating interdisciplinary research environment for graduate and undergraduate students by enabling them to conduct research in Ethiopia and synergize at the international level with other Ethiopian students and researchers covering a wide range of expertise. The U.S. students will perform part of their research/multi-disciplinary training under the mentorship of faculty at collaborating academic institutions in Ethiopia. They will also play leading role in the field program in the BNB and interact/collaborate with Ethiopian students and faculty participating in the program.
Students will have opportunities to do internships provided by industrial partners and NGOs overseas. Courses to be taught at the summer schools will be delivered primarily by the PIRE team, but, could also include other researchers or faculty who conduct research in Ethiopia. Participants will be students from the partner institutes (supported by PIRE); but also other universities and stakeholder organizations (supported through their own funding) as the school will be widely advertised worldwide.
Innovative educational activities and dissemination of results–engage U.S. researchers and students in global public outreach to disseminate results to the wider international community, inspire their successors and gain unique experience in cross cultural exchange. We will aim Ethiopian stakeholders as well as university and K12 students using various tools including local workshops, e-learning material driven by research outcomes and a web-based application of ABM.
Outreach Activities-Stakeholder & policy workshops–To foster effective communication among an extended network of US and foreign researchers, educators, students, companies, managers and policy developers addressing human security problems resulting from water scarcity or excess. Specifically, we will establish a cyber-seminar series among the different participating organizations where we plan to invite a host of international speakers who are engaged in water and human security research.