8 February 2007

Alliance to help build Singapore as global waterhub

ALLIANCE FORMED: Sealing the agreement between NUS, PUB and Delft Hydraulics. From left: Mr Khoo Teng Chye, Chief Executive, PUB; Mr Jan Groen, Managing Director, Delft Hydraulics; and Prof Shih Choon Fong, NUS President.

Water and environment technology will get a big push with the launch of the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA) at the University -- a collaboration between NUS, Public Utilities Board (PUB) and Delft Hydraulics. The Centre, supported by the Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI), will focus on multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research, information exchange and technology transfer related to water management, hydraulic engineering and urban water cycles. For a start, SDWA has established four research programmes: Integrated water resources management; sustainable marine and inland water construction; integrated marine forecast; and smart sensing of water system.

LAUNCHING THE NEW CENTRE: Mr Pim Kraan, Charge d'Affairs of Kingdom of The Netherlands to Singapore, officiating at the ceremony.

PUB Chief Executive and EWI Executive Director, Mr Khoo Teng Chye said at the launch (7 Feb) that SDWA will not only conduct cutting-edge water research, but also train Masters and PhDs to support Singapore's rapidly growing water sector. A new two-year Master of Science Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management and Hydraulic Engineering will be launched in 2008, a collaboration between NUS and TU Delft.

Said NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong: "Collaborating with a leading water knowledge enterprise like Delft will enable NUS to contribute to Singapore's efforts in building a global water hub through integrating inter-disciplinary research, quality education, and specialist consultancy services."

	IN THE WORKS: One of the projects at the Hydraulic Engineering Lab at the Department of Civil Engineering.

Mr Jan Groen, Managing Director, Delft Hydraulics said that the Alliance is a great opportunity for engineers and researchers from Singapore and The Netherlands to work together and jointly engage in cutting-edge research. "This alliance will also intensify the links between our two countries and be an ongoing stimulus for scientific exchange and the development of new business opportunities," he said.