Asia-Pacific universities discuss water issues

01 June 2012

NUS hosted the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Fellows Programme from 28 May to 1 June. Themed "The Value of Water", the event gathered some 50 representatives from 16 universities to discuss on water governance, approaches to water management, as well as the development of water research in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The problems and issues associated with water are multifarious. It has come to the attention of scholars and researchers around the world that these issues are extremely pertinent to our lives and hence cannot be ignored," said Assoc Prof Peter Pang, NUS Assistant Vice President (University and Global Relations).

Delivering the keynote address was Visiting Professor Asit Biswas from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. One of the world's leading authorities on water management, Prof Biswas spoke on the rhetoric and reality of the value of water. Prof Biswas, who is also the Founder and President of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico, shared his views which ranged from engaging more people in the water industry to getting scientists from both the hard and social sciences to collaborate.

Incepted in 1999, the APRU Fellows Programme aims to develop outstanding early career faculty members from APRU universities through the discussion of issues associated with the socio-political, cultural and economic realities of the Pacific Rim. Past themes included regional security and governance, new directions in Asian studies as well as human migration in the Pacific region.