05/05/2022
The INOWASIA delegation is interested in the ICRA's research to address water challenges in Southeast Asia.
A delegation of collaborators of the INOWASIA project, coordinated by Lequia UdG at the University of Girona, visited the ICRA on 4 May to learn about the functioning of the Institute and the research being carried out. INOWASIA is an international project that aims to train a new generation of young professionals related to water in Southeast Asia to address the water challenges in their territory: water scarcity and lack of sanitation, droughts and floods, deforestation and threats to biodiversity, among others. In this sense, the visit to the ICRA was a valuable knowledge exchange and networking activity.
The meeting began with a welcome by Damia Barceló, director of ICRA, and the presentation of ICRA's research services and success stories by Maite Pijuan, head of the Technologies and Evaluation area. Xavier Xirgu then presented the work of the Fundació Girona Regió del Coneixement as a collaborator of the INOWASIA project, followed by Ignasi Rodríguez Roda, from Lequia UdG, who spoke about the objectives of INOWASIA. The round of speeches ended with presentations by representatives of six of the seven partner universities of the project that were present at the meeting: Vietnam National University Hanoi (Hanoi), Can Tho University (Ho Chi Minh City), National University of Laos (Vientiane), Souphanouvong University (Luang Prabang), Institute of Technology of Cambodia (Phnom Penh) and University of Battambang (Battanbamg).
The visit ended with a tour of the ICRA facilities and laboratories. The delegation saw the Artificial Rivers Plant, learnt how the Pilot Wastewater Treatment Plant works and were explained what the Scientific and Technical Services of the ICRA consist of as well as the functioning of the Biological and Molecular Techniques Unit.
About INOWASIA
INOWASIA promotes the joint action of 11 organisations (non-profit organisations, companies, educational institutions) from 5 countries (Spain, France, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) and 14 associated partners, including ICRA, which carry out a transversal and bottom-up process that will lead to the development of innovative teaching-learning products and methods, addressed to school communities with diverse needs.
