IHE Delft & North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power strengthen cooperation
In a new cooperation agreement, IHE Delft and North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (NCWU) envision strengthened collaboration, including technical visits, joint research projects, PhD candidate exchanges and opportunities for BSc graduates from NCWU to pursue MScs at IHE Delft.
The Memorandum of Understanding agreement was signed this week as part of a side event organized by NCWU at the 11th World Science Forum, held in Budapest, Hungary.
The agreement states that the two institutions “are dedicated to contribute to the improvement of the water and environmental sector” and that they are both “active in developing innovative solutions for water challenges and enhancing capacities of professionals and institutions for sustainable water management.” It was signed 20 November 2024 by IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors and NCWU President Junguo Liu and is valid five years.
MSc in Water and Sustainable Development
NCWU is a multidisciplinary university specialised in education and research on hydraulic engineering, water resources conservation and hydroelectric power development with more than 33,000 students.
As part of the agreement, BSc graduates from NCWU can pursue IHE Delft’s Research MSc in Water and Sustainable Development. The parties also commit to developing a double degree that would have students spend time at both institutes, in a move that would expand IHE Delft’s joint and double degree programmes.
Water-energy-food nexus
At the side event, which focused on the water-energy-food nexus for sustainable development, Moors underlined the importance of the Global Accelerator Framework that aims to speed up progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 on universal access to clean water and safe sanitation. IHE Delft is among lead organizations working with UN-Water on capacity development, which is one of the five cross-cutting and interdependent accelerators that form the framework.
“The water-energy-food nexus can play a key role in balancing social, health, economic and environmental benefits and costs and in strengthening cooperation. A major concern is the gap in capacity in the water sector at a time when water challenges are increasing globally,” Moors said. “Can we make water sector jobs more appealing, to attract and retain more young people, in particular young women?”