Objectives and Aims

Development of Teaching and Training Modules for Higher Education in the Waste Management Sector (TETRAWAMA)

Summary

The objective of this project is to establish a co-operation on curricula development and performance in the field of environmental education for higher education institutions in Europe (Germany, Italy) and in Asia (Thailand, Malaysia). Sophisticated teaching modules shall combine presence, distant and multimedia learning considering the different cultural and economical background.
The waste management sector was selected as a model case due to its multi-facetted issues and since it is very often overlooked during economic development.

The main activities within the 3-year-project are the joint elaboration of course materials on modular basis (written, interactive) and their application in courses for students of e.g. environmental, process and civil engineering. Mutual teaching (e.g. exercises with participants from Asia and Europe) and e-learning will be included. Direct co-operations will be improved by an exchange programme, joint workshops and training courses.

Objectives

The overall objective is the strengthening of the European Union´s economic presence in and relation to Asia. Mutual awareness and understanding, exchanges and economic co-operation in the environmental sector shall be increased. Education in the waste management sector is an important basic for contribution to this overall objective since the increasing economical development and the growth of population leads to drastic environmental and hygienic problems in Asia. Waste will be a topic in all parts of Asian Community e.g. industry, agriculture and city management. Today waste management is still often overlooked in Asia but increasing problems force to activities but suitable personal as well as the technical facilities are rare. The project will be important to society on the long term, since suitable personal will be educated (both in Asia and Europe). Furthermore a solid fundament for the transfer of environmental technologies and facilities from Europe to Asia will be laid.
The specific objective of this project is to create a suitable basis for waste management education in Asia at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM) and to improve waste management education in Europe at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH) and the University of Padova (UNIPD) considering the new demands resulting from the Asian development. The awareness of European technologies for later use in Asian countries shall be increased. New teaching techniques such as e-learning, multimedia teaching and “constructivism” shall be included. Education programmes of different countries will be combined to compensate lacks in existing educational systems. For all partners the project will be a "win to win" situation. From "west to east" know-how will be transferred, from "east to west" a new market with new demands. Furthermore all will win since most sophisticated teaching techniques will be applied.

The specific objectives contain the following elements:

1. Promote networking between higher education institutions from Europe (TUHH, UNIPD) and Asia (AIT, UPM)

to exchange knowledge, experience and techniques (west-east-transfer)
to create curricula and teaching modules using the different expertise of all partners (e.g. landfilling, biological waste management, hazardous waste) (west-east and east-west-transfer) and different demands of the countries (cultural, technological, economical, political)
to increase the availability of information regarding waste management (e.g. data, technologies, problems)
to create a basis for sustainable co-operation (e.g. exchange, mutual courses and projects)

2. Develop curricula, new courses, teaching and training material

to adapt the curricula of European waste management education (new demands due to Asian market, new teaching techniques)
to provide curricula for Asian waste management education and to increase attractiveness of waste management courses including the numbers of participant students

3. Application/dissemination of curricula, new courses, teaching and training material

to provide sustainability/integration into the academic structure of participant organisations
to multiply information of new curricula to other universities and potential Asian/ European students
to test the practicability, to allow improvements, to solve problems

4. Promote exchange of experiences and skills of students, postgraduates and staff

to allow personal contact, to increase mutual understanding for different cultures and basic needs
to allow practical experience regarding waste management in foreign regions
to learn from the expertise of the partners (using the partners facilities, socialize with staff)

5. Creation of a basis for future development and mutual beneficial co-operation

to ensure that reached goals and knowledge did not get lost and will applicated
to allow on-going exchange of students, postgraduates and staff