The Great Southern Development Commission welcomed twenty-five postgraduate students to the Great Southern last Friday. The students, from Africa, Europe, South Asia, the USA and Australia, are currently visiting the UWA Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management in Albany, to undertake a two week program studying water issues in the Great Southern as part of the International WaterCentre’s Master of Integrated Water Management Program.
“UWA is a key partner of the International WaterCentre, a joint venture of The University of Western Australia, The University of Queensland, and Monash and Griffith Universities,” said Professor Peter Davies, Director of CENRM in Albany.
“As such, UWA staff in Albany are teaching a key part of this Master of Integrated Water Management. The students have been having morning lectures and afternoon field trips working with UWA staff and other local experts focusing on catchment and aquatic ecosystem health and water planning.”
Based in Brisbane, the International WaterCentre provides education and training, applied research and expert services focusing on cross-disciplinary understanding of better ways to manage water at catchment, stream and local scales. Formed by its partner universities in 2005, it has now undertaken projects and worked with students from all parts of the globe.
“We have flown these students from the other side of Australia to undertake this study in Albany,” said Dr Peter Oliver, senior lecturer in education and training at the International WaterCentre.
“The Great Southern is a special place," Dr Oliver said, "with significant water, stream and catchment management issues. When you combine these field work opportunities with the ability to work with world-class staff from CENRM in Albany and other local experts, the hospitality of Albany and the Great Southern Development Commission and the beauty of the region, this has been both an enjoyable and very worthwhile educational experience.”
Media references
For further information contact Dr Peter Oliver, International WaterCentre, 0400 962 211 or Randall Jasper, UWA Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, 98420848
