Netherlands grant to support Water Education

The University of Yangon (UY), the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and the Water Agency (TWA) have recently received a grant for a new project to support water education in Myanmar. The project is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme of Nuffic which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will run for 1 year, starting from 1 January 2020.

Yangon is a rapidly growing urban delta city in Myanmar. This is putting enormous pressures on the provision of sustainable and equitable water use in Yangon and Myanmar. Addressing this challenge requires educated water professionals who understand water from an interdisciplinary, practice-oriented perspective. In order to play an important role in educating quality water professionals, UY is going to develop a Bachelor programma (BSc) in Water Studies. This programme will be set up in close collaboration with water stakeholders (potential labour market) in order to promote an exchange of practical experiences. Since 2013, the Netherlands and Myanmar, both low-lying delta regions, collaborate closely on integrated water resource management within the framework of a MoU. In this project, VU Amsterdam and TWA will both provide the necessary expertise to the Department of Environment and Water Studies of UY to develop a BSc in Water Studies. The BSc Water Studies is expected to be launched in December 2020 during the celebration of UY's 100 years existence. All involved partners look forward to this international collaboration in a field of expertise which is so essential for the future of Myanmar.