Since March 2016, the project “Water Harmony-II” has started its work in frame of the project CPEA-2015/10036 “Water Harmony – Integration of Education, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Water HarmonyII)”.

The project includes students mobilities from partner universities to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). This year, during the three weeks in the period 25.06-16.07.2016, the best students from the partner universities had the opportunity to take part in the international summer school as a participation in student mobility program.

Within two weeks, Ukrainian students, along with students from Moldova, Belarus and Tajikistan (Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) attended the course THT-311 “Water Resources Management and Treatment Technologies” at NMBU, and also attended an additional course of lectures at the University College of Southeast Norway (HSN, Bo, Telemark).

Special attention should be paid to the process of practical training. Each student had the opportunity to work with modern analytical equipment. In addition, they worked with programs for modeling  water treatment systems maintaining.

“Lectures were held in an interactive form. Teachers delivered presentations, which students had got in advance as a printed copy. On the slides there were only the most important information and images. While students were getting the clue of presentations lecturers diluted it with clear facts. In general, there was a little time needed to understand the lecture, because the visual memory is used maximally, and together with it the associative one” – shared his impressions Kalambet Yurii, the fifth-year student of USCTU.

It should be noted that in the educational process of the NMBU much attention is paid to the practical examples and practical reinforcement of the theoretical knowledge received from lectures, therefore, excursions to WW treatment plant and drinking water treatment plant  were organized.

At the end of the course, the students prepared team projects dedicated to the modernization of the existing water treatment plants, which was defended in front of colleagues and teachers.

By the way, it is safe and healthy drinking water flows off taps in Norway and the small (by square) water treatment plant is so powerful that it serves with drinking water several cities.

Having worked hard, having traveled, having received new actual knowledge and skills, we hope that students, as representatives of their countries, will become real “agents of change” and will try to “harmonize” the existing with what they saw in the educational process, at water treatment facilities in everyday life.

Serhii Shmyhol, sergioshyhol@gmail.com
Sorochkina Kateryna, PhD at USCTU

Greetings from sunny Tajikistan!

The next meeting of the “Water Harmony” project working group was held in Tajikistan, which graced us with sunny and warm weather. Hosts showed traditional Asian hospitality: they organized hosting and work on the territory of the sanatorium “Bahariston”, showed sights of Khujand and Chkalovsk , introduced to the national traditions and natural beauty of mountainous Tajikistan.

The main issues on the meeting were:

1.  Presentation of the final form and content of training programs on the following modules: physico-chemical fundamentals of water treatment, wastewater treatment, water resources management;
2. Revue of textbook`s content material, discussion difficulties of the individual sections and the possibility of placing written sections on the project site;
3. Discussing the possibility of filing an application for a general grant for scientific and technological project of the International Organization (NATO);
4. Discussing the possibility to hold short scientific conferences for the project participants in the scheduled meetings;
5. Discussion of summer training session and students term papers assessment conditions;
6. Approval of the location and dates for future project participants meetings;
7. Conducting career guidance for school graduates of Chkalovsk.

The work of the group

Associate professor of NTU “KPI” Sanginova O. started the discussion on the first issue and introduced the form of the curriculum and content of the programs developed by NTU “KPI”, listed above. Small additions to the program were proposed by BSTU and USCTU. Overall, it was decided to adopt the proposed documents for using them in all universities. The total amount of the course is 30 credits (300 hours). Project participants should use at least 67% of the offered programs for training their students, but they are free to set up modules or their parts and other disciplines on their own.

Sanginova O. presents the form and content of training programs

Associate professor of NTU “KPI”, Tolstopyatova N. provided information on the work done on the textbook, about progress in developing various sections of textbook and proposed to accelerate the filling of sections due to the need of further editing. It was also proposed to place the parts of a textbook on the project site to inform participants and let them make their suggestions and corrections, if necessary.

The projects development in the direction of research was also discussed. Professor H. Ratnaweera proposed to conduct research and practical mini-conferences within the project seminars in which the participants will present the results of their research work and face the problems encountered in the performance of research. In addition, Professor H. Ratnaweera invited to apply for a grant for the implementation of a joint scientific and technological project. Proposed initiatives were accepted by all parties and the theme of the project is formulated for applications in NATOSFP: «Risk Assessment Methodology for the quality of drinking water and the review of struggle methods.”

And Professor H. Ratnaweera also shared the experience of the students summer session, and made some comments about selection of candidates, student`s discipline, and reminded that students are required to pass the defense of their term papers. Designs and assessment of term papers are different in all the universities, so Professor H. Ratnaweera decided that all of the students should pass the defense of their term papers in their home universities and printed results of this must be sent to him up to 01.12.2012. The total mark for the term paper will be based on those results.

Mining and Metallurgical Institute of Tajikistan

Professional orientation was conducted among graduates of schools in the promotion of gender issues. Participants met with high school students of general education lyceum of Chkalovsk. Professors Ratnaweera H., Razykov Z., assistant professors Sanginova O., Tolstopyatova N., Kadirbaeva A. and member of student summer session in Norway from Tajikistan – Kushnuda Ibrogimi met with students and their parents.

Participants planned the date of next combined meeting in Cherkassy and Kiev in May 2013. Meeting in Shymkent will be in the beginning of October 2013. There were also decided to participate in the International Science and Engineering Conference in Minsk on 22-23 November 2012.

And of course the hosts organized interesting and educational tours in the city of Khujand and mountainous Tajikistan.

The historical museum on the place of an ancient fortress

Rich gifts of eastern bazaar

Gorge Shahristan

Many thanks to colleagues from the Mining and Metallurgical Institute of Tajikistan for the warm welcome, and see you in Minsk.