The Network for Water and Life held it’s second School for Water & Life in February 2022.

The goal of the Schools is for university students to spend time in the field understanding local challenges related to sustainable development. During the School they will meet with stakeholders, collect relevant information, and work across disciplines. Following up on knowledge gained during the winter schools, the students identify BSc and MSc thesis topics that can feed into practical solutions to the identified challenges.

The 2022 School took place at at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana and was attended by 9 students from Swiss Academic Institutions, 4 students from Cote D’Ivoire, 5 students from Liberia, 1 student from Benin, 1 student from Cameroon, and 9 students from Ghana (a total of 29 participants). The participants from Swiss and West African academic institutions explored the nexuses between the SDGs, the overarching theme of water, and their respective academic fields. The School included field excursions, case study applications, theoretical inputs, and applied group work. There was also a focus on Design Thinking as well as Entrepreneurship.

It is anticipated that the students’ research will lead to the establishment of partnerships with local NGOs and businesses. A call for projects has been issued by NEWAL that aims to promote the implementation of research to action. Such partnerships will be promoted through online trainings and a virtual marketplace.