Educational Cooperation Model on Water Resources, Environment and Disasters

Optimization and Validation for China

Outline

Under a framework called International Cooperation Initiative, MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Japan, an improved educational cooperation model on Water Resources, Environment and Disaster was proposed and tested.

First, guiding principles in optimizing the model for China were deduced by analyzing the IReNe-WE database (Database of Intellectual Resources and Needs for Solving Water and Environmental Issues; Old , New). Mapping and matching analyses introduced the following guideline:

• OJT (On-the-Job Training) program under a collaborative research project with two-way (not one-way) exchange of knowledge and technology is preferable.
• Water issues including related natural disasters and human impacts should be addressed as well as diagnosis methodology and policy making.
• Institutions that have many intellectual resources matching up to needs in China (e.g., University of Tsukuba, National Institute for Rural Engineering, Japan Water Association) had better take the program in charge as the core institution.

Secondly, an educational cooperation model entitled “On-the-Job Training Program for Water Resources Problem in China” was developed based on the above guideline and carried out from 9 to 12 October 2007, with 20 Chinese trainees. Purpose of the program is to build up knowledge, skill, incentive, thinking ability, and general business capacity of them (Figure 1). The program consists of workshop-like lectures and preliminary field excursions on the assumption that trainers and trainees start a collaborative research project. In the program, water resources problems in China, including the South-North Water Transfer project, the water problem within and around Beijing district, the groundwater resources problem in the Hebei Plain, were addressed. All the trainees were required to present a proposal of possible research project as an assignment.

Thirdly, effects of the program were validated through two approaches: self evaluation by trainee and judgment of trainee’s research proposal. All the trainees felt great satisfaction at the program, and three-fourth of them ranked it as the highest. In addition, the program was evaluated to be effective in increasing or improving knowledge, incentive and thinking ability. On the other hand, effectiveness in improving skill and general business capacity was not always sufficient. This is mainly due to lack of time and opportunities of practice. To resolve these defects, the program should be extended in period of time and include more practices in Japan or through on-going collaborative project.

In conclusion, the developed educational cooperation model with some modifications is optimum one that satisfies intellectual needs in China. Furthermore, methodology including optimization and validation schemes (Figure 2) is applicable to other situations, so that it is expected to be utilized by many people who take international cooperation in charge.

Figure 1 Structure of the developed program and its educational effects




Figure 2 Optimization-validation scheme