Wetskills Water Challenge

In March 2017 WISE CDT students took part in the first UK Wetskills Water Challenge organised by the University of Bath’s Water Innovation & Research Centre (WIRC@Bath), in collaboration with the Wetskills Foundation. The event was like a boiler room for students and early-career professionals with a passion for water. It aims to promote collaboration and foster new partnerships by placing knowledge and cultural exchange at the centre of activity.
Bath hosted a group of 12 talented young water professionals from varied international and scientific backgrounds. Students from different disciplines worked together on potential solutions to real-world problems, tackling areas such as flood prevention, stakeholder engagement and resilient urban planning. WISE CDT research students Olivia Cooke and Olivia Bailey were heavily involved with the organisation of the Wetskills event, and they thoroughly enjoyed working with the students who attended the course.

The event was supported by high profile partners such as Wessex Water, the Water Authority of Delfland and the European Water Traineeships. Students on the programme benefitted from expert input from across the UK water sector, including Bath & North East Somerset Council, Wessex Water and the Environment Agency; this ensured their output was scientifically robust.

WISE CDT co-director Dr Tom Arnot said “It’s always satisfying for WISE CDT students to pull together with those from other back grounds when solving problems. It’s something we encourage on the programme whenever possible, as it prepares them for both industry and academia where solutions are invariably collaborative”