UniWater Education Limited

The University of Toronto Scarborough is the mentoring university for the UniWater pilot project.  Our pilot project was initially intended to consist of two new programs in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management in sub-Saharan Africa, but due to the interest shown, the pilot is now 4 universities strong!  To confirm acceptance of the program and to ensure that it receives Senate approval at each African university, a Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the mentoring university and the host university.  UTSC has just signed their first agreement with the University of Nairobi in Kenya.  This is fantastic news.

Peyman Sayyah has been an integral part of our UniWater team.  He has contributed to the development of the lectures and some of the practicals that we’ve been able to produce this far.  Peyman has an MSc in Hydrogeology from UBC and also a masters in Economic Geology.  He is currently looking for work in the hydrogeology field, but I am hoping to find some funding to keep him employed at UniWater before someone else offers him a job!  Good luck Peyman – you are an asset to our organization!

Thanks to the African Book Project, another NGO working in Africa, who have generously donated a collection of text books that will be used to supplement the Geological Department libraries in our host universities.  This is a wonderful way for retiring geologists, hydrogeologist, hydrologists or environmental scientists to pass on their collections.  Please contact Laurra Olmsted if you have some you’d like to see put to good use.

Jessica Dillabough is a regulatory affairs advisor for Imperial Oil.  She has an MBA (Dalhousie, 2006) and PhD (University of Calgary, 2012) in Strategy; Energy Management and Sustainable Development.  We anticipate Jessica’s background in policy and sustainable development with be an asset in attaining our longterm vision at UniWater.

WASH, UNICEF, Nigeria has kindly provided access to the raw data used in the Integrated Water Management module. The data was analysed by a consultant, Raj Kumar Daw (rajdaw1@gmail.com).  This local contribution is greatly appreciated as it will provide students with lessons that can be learned with a local focus.

UniWater is grateful for the technical contributions of Matrix Solutions Inc in the manner of lecture and practicals that support the module on contaminant studies related to the Oil and Gas Industry.  Matrix is a leading environmental consulting company located in western Canada.  Matrix has also provided data for use in the physical hydrogeology portion of the program.

Professor Stefan Uhlenbrook, Vice-Rector  of Academic and Student Affairs and Professor of Hydrology at UNESCO-IHE Institute of Water Education in Delft, The Netherlands has contributed lectures and practicals related to the hydrology module of the UniWater program.  This generous donation lends strong academics to our program which addresses the integrated study of surface water and groundwater.

Many thanks go out to Dr Roger Beckie and Dr Leslie Smith of the department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia (Canada) who graciously donated numerous lab practicals for our use in the UniWater program.  These two profs are world class not only in their technical skills but in their philanthropic attitudes as well!   It is truly appreciated.

On a recent trip to Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria UniWater’s Executive Director and Dr Mandana Meriano from the University of Toronto Scarborough were greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by universities wishing to establish new MSc programs in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management. Four universities have embraced the prospect of starting these programs in September 2014. Each university will customize the program to make it their own program based on the local needs and specialties of faculty on staff. The four universities include the University of Nairobi (Kenya), South Eastern Kenya University, Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) and the University of Calabar (Nigeria). These programs will constitute the pilot phase of a Grand Challenges Canada – Stars in Global Health funded initiative. For further information please contact Laurra Olmsted at uniwatered@gmail.com.