UNU-FLORES: Research and Teaching Cooperations Explored

On 15 March 2011, United Nations University (UNU) and the Dresden University of Technology (TUD) explored ways of cooperation in research and teaching for UNU-FLORES. The one-day meeting was a follow up to the first scoping workshop in November 2010. The meeting intended to

1.    Elaborate the research topics listed during the scoping workshop of November 2010

2.    Develop proposals for joint study programmes offered by TUD and UNU-FLORES

3.    Clarify legal and administrative issues

 

Workshop Summary

The research topics listed during the scoping workshop were found to be in line with the proposed structure of the institute. The Institute to be consisted out of five departments: Systems and Flux Analysis, Global Change, Water Management, Soil and Land use Management, Waste Management and Contaminated Sites. Responsibilities of research departments for overarching topics and the research topics covered by the Twin Institute in Mozambique will be further discussed at the occasion of the third workshop to take place in Maputo, Mozambique, later this year. The workshop resulted in a common understanding that all proposed research departments should focus jointly on research and teaching in accordance with the Humboldt-principle.

The successfully established MSc course at TUD on “Hydro Science and Engineering” (HSE) was identified as an excellent starting point for a joint degree programme. About 70 per cent of the offered modules are suitable for a joint Masters programme with UNU-FLORES. Additionally, the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) were identified as obvious cooperation Partners. Beyond the joint Masters programme, also joint PhD programmes will be developed between UNU-FLORES and TUD due course.

Background

Since November 2010 significant progress was achieved. The most important milestones are:

• Creation of a working group responsible for the establishment of UNU-FLORES

• Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNU, TUD, the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), and the Saxon State Ministry for Science and the Fine Arts (SMWK)
• Finalization of the funding agreement between UNU, BMBF and SMWK
• Kick off premises search for UNU-FLORES in the historic City of Dresden provided by government of Saxonia.