German Commitment in China
DWA acted as economic, scientific and political mediator
Hennef. The third Chinese University Challenge of the German Association of Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) was held during the trade fair IE expo in Shanghai in mid-May. The competition was divided into two disciplines. Ten teams had to demonstrate their skills in the topics of water usage, social equality and economic development. For this purpose, they had to provide basic supply services in a fictitious landscape following stringent requirements of ecological sustainability. Moreover, the students had to write a report covering the trade fair for an imaginary employer. The team from Tongji University excelled in their assignment; the representatives from Shanghai Jiao Tong University held the second position, whereas team of the East China University of S & T ranked third.
Sponsored by the WILO foundation, the winner team will be travelling to IFAT which will be organised in Munich from 14 to 18 May 2018, to take part in the next University Challenge. Co-organizers of the upcoming competition are the DWA and the German Technical and Scientific Organisation for Gas and Water (DWGV). The winner teams from competitions held at other IFAT trade fairs, such as IFAT Eurasia, IFAT Africa, IFAT India and from the Arabic region will compete against German teams to determine who will be the next champion of the University Challenge. The intention of these competitions is to support recruitment in the water sector and to promote German standards abroad.
On-site technical programs by the DWA
Alongside of the event University Challenge, the DWA has helped shape the technical and scientific conference program of the IE expo. „Sponge City“ and „Wastewater Treatment Plants“ were popular events during the trade fair. In total, 1,600 companies took part in the fair. About 55,000 visitors were eager to learn about products and services of the exhibitors.
To quote Rüdiger Heidebrecht, Head of the department training and international cooperation at the DWA: „The international commitment of the DWA paves the way for many German companies to present themselves and make contacts abroad. The association acts as the link between Chinese companies, Chinese politicians and the German water sector“. The IE expo in China was a great success according to the DWA.
Several partners supported the University Challenge and the conference program. Whereas the competition was staged under the auspices of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the National Research Center of Urban Pollution Control (NERC), ASEM-Water, a local Chinese Water Resources Research and Development Center and the European Water Association (EWA) supported the technical program.
Links to interviews held in China: