The Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeships and Youth Entrepreneurship Programme EEA Grants 2014-2021

“Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe”

Project title: Digitalisation of water sector and water education – DIGIWATRO

Project No: 20-COP-0050

Project implementation period: 01/09/2021-31/08/2023

Project Promoter: Universitatea “Dunărea de Jos” din Galați – UGAL (www.ugal.ro)

Project Partner: Norwegian University of Life Sciences – NMBU (www.nmbu.no)

Total budget: 88980 Euro

Project manager: Marian Barbu

Team Leader NMBU: Harsha Ratnaweera

Project summary:

Romania’s investment needs to comply with the EU's Drinking Water Directive (DWD) and the Urban Wastewater Directive (UWWD) by 2030 are estimated to be 21.5 billion EUR. The digitalisation of the water sector can make the water utilities and services much more efficient than today in the context of limited resources. The role of universities to strengthen the quality of graduate studies, using increased digitalisation and motivations to promote uptake of innovations are important, as the graduates today will be the decision-makers, administrators, managers and scientists tomorrow. Thus, the University of Galati (UGAL) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) are implementing this project jointly.

To achieve the above goals and also to make the efforts sustainable, it is necessary to provide necessary training to educators. Although all teachers have started using digital tools in education as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, a minimum of training was provided. Therefore, the DIGIWATRO focuses on the professional development of teachers both in the use of digital tools in education and the digitalisation of the water sector.

The objective of the DIGIWATRO project is to increase the effectiveness in the water sector by enhancing the use of digital tools in utilities facilitated by the enhanced digital competence in graduate education. This will be achieved through two sub-objectives (1) Increase the process surveillance and process control in water supply and wastewater management with a high cost-benefit ratio and (2) Reducing the digital skills mismatch in the water industry.

The target groups are graduate students and university teachers, water utility managers, industrial managers, consultants and researchers, the general public including Roma population.

The project includes four intellectual outputs to be developed by UGAL and NMBU together. They will result in enhancing digital surveillance, automation and cybersecurity in water utilities, promoting life-long learning in the water sector using hybrid education, boosting the digital skills of teachers and learners to promote digital Innovations in the water sector with hybrid learning and developing digital tools to strengthen involvement in water issues by the general public especially the Roma population.

DIGIWATRO is expected to impact project participants leading to better use of digital technology for teaching and learning of water subjects, improving education through better data analysis and foresight; developing skills and competencies necessary to support the digitalisation of water education; growing generation of water professionals leading the digital transformation of the water industry. The project will impact participating organisations that will gain experience in international cooperation and strengthen their capacities in digital active education. It will also improve teaching styles by modern tools and resources and enhance smart specialisation for water in higher education.
The project will lead to the gradual improvement of water education by the new generation of water teachers and learners. This will also lead to the evolutionary development of digitalisation supporters in the education, and tackle conservatism and the resistance to online methods.

The desired impact of the project is an increase of competitiveness of National and European water sector and the growing attractiveness of European higher education by investing more in human capital and releasing underused human potential for inventing the future for Europe with Digital Single Market. This will be achieved by joint activities between academia and industry, experiential learning and penetration of digital technology into water education.

Intellectual outputs:

- IO1: Enhancing digital surveillance, automation and cyber security in water utilities (01.11.2021 – 31.03.2023)

Report_romanian Report_english Publications

- IO2: Promoting life-long learning in the water sector using hybrid education (01.06.2022 – 31.05.2023)

Report_romanian Report_english Learning platform

- IO3: Boosting the digital skills of teachers and learners to promote digital Innovations in the water sector with hybrid learning (01.10.2021 – 31.08.2023)

Report_romanian Report_english Learning platform

- IO4: Develop digital tools to strengthen involvement in water issues by the general public especially the Roma population (01.09.2022 – 30.09.2023)

Report_romanian Report_english Game

Transnational mobility:

- Transnational Project Meeting 1 (link)

- Short Term Mobility of Students (link)

- Short-term joint Staff Training Events (link)

- Transnational Project Meeting 2 (link)

- Intensive Programmes for higher education students (link)

Articles: link

Disclaimer

This document was realised with the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 financial support. Its content (text, photos, videos) does not reflect the official opinion of the Programme Operator, the National Contact Point and the Financial Mechanism Office. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s).