The session is envisioned to give students, educators and researchers the opportunity to present and discuss findings from classes, seminars and research projects on the education of future water engineers. Focus is placed on innovative ideas to adapt civil and environmental engineering education, as well as water management programs at colleges and universities. New, holistic ideas are desperately needed in a diametral environment, where climate change and urbanization stress resources and change usage, while transdisciplinary collaboration, combined with technological advances, provide previously inaccessible ways to solve the most pressing water management tasks.
The concept for the session will be built around the findings of an international, online seminar held by three of the four conveners in 2019/2020 (https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131862), which will see a second installment in the spring of 2025. The conveners plan to encourage submissions considering initiatives, projects and research regarding education, (long-term) collaboration and science communication in water management, water policy development and sustainable infrastructure adaptation.
Special attention will be given to ideas aimed at overcoming the historic limits of (sectoral) engineering education, while facilitating transdisciplinary, cross-cultural collaboration - in addition to the adoption of new technologies like gamification and generative artificial intelligence tools.
With this session, the conveners hope to establish a way for researchers, students and practitioners to discuss the future direction of water engineering education beyond gender roles, as well as traditional borders, not only political, but also between fields of research.