five questions for CIV Water’s Pieter Hoekstra
THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS CREATED EVERY DAY AT WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN REQUIRE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION. MBO [SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION] GRADUATES PLAY A KEY ROLE HERE. IN RECENT YEARS, THE CENTRE FOR INNOVATIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP WATER (CIV WATER) HAS EMERGED AS A DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM FOR INNOVATIVE SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE WATER SECTOR. WHAT DOES CIV WATER MEAN FOR EDUCATION AND THE WATER SECTOR? WE ASKED CIV WATER PROGRAMME MANAGER PIETER HOEKSTRA FIVE QUESTIONS.
The thinking hands of the water sector What does CIV Water do?
innovative forms of education that unite
change in 2021. One of our goals is to
We focus on the development of
theory and practice outside the water
offer MBO students the opportunity to
students and working MBO graduates
technology sector.
gain experience abroad. I sometimes
as versatile professionals. Together with
refer to MBO students as the ‘thinking hands’ in the water sector. It is important
We organize learning events where
You are located at the WaterCampus; what is the added value of that?
education and business meet. Because
We work closely with partners affiliated
An internship abroad, where you can
water technology is not a self-evident
with the WaterCampus. Wafilin, for
acquire not only new knowledge but
part of technical MBO programmes in
example, a specialist in innovative
also life experience, is part of that.
the Netherlands, we are developing
membrane systems, is our partner in
water technology teaching modules
developing hybrid education. Students
which these programmes can use.
can use the test facilities at the Water
We provide practical courses on
Application Centre (WAC) of the Van
water technology for employees of
Hall Larenstein University of Applied
companies such as technical installation
Sciences. The WaterCampus is a place
companies, pump builders or
where a lot of knowledge comes
production companies.
together and cross-pollinates. This is
the education sector and the industry, we create various development paths.
that they, like university and college students, are able to develop optimally.
civwater.nl
the best place for us.
Why is innovation in water technology education so important?
What are you doing on a European level?
The practical demands of the
With financial support from Brussels,
business community should be
CIV Water is developing a knowledge
central to technical MBO education.
exchange platform with five regions:
Unfortunately, this is not always the
Malta, Scotland, Latvia, Czech Republic
case within traditional education. The
and Belgium. We want to exchange
gap between theory and practice
students and teachers and share
within the programme and between
knowledge. We have extensive
business and education is too great.
knowledge on educational innovation
We are working with partners from
and water management. A country like
the business community and the
Malta is specialized in drinking water
educational sector to develop hybrid
desalination. Our groundwater salinity
education. Within the concept, students
is rising, and a company like Vitens can
work on case studies that require the
benefit a lot from this knowledge.
direct practical application of their theoretical knowledge. Once fully
What are the plans for 2021?
developed, the hybrid model can serve
Our European platform’s activities are
as an educational model for other
on the back burner right now, due
disciplines— there is also a need for
to coronavirus. We hope that this will | 21
