Pedagogies of the Science Policy Interface: Challenges in Graduate Education in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

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Pedagogies of the Science Policy Interface
Challenges in Graduate Education in Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM)

• Paul H. Kirshen, Director of the Tufts University
  Water Systems, Science, and Society Graduate
  Education Program

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Pressures on H20
Population Growth
Technological Changes
Environment
Policy
Percolation
Food
Globalization
Precipitation
Security
H20
Supply
Evaporation
Energy
Transpiration
Public Health
Streamflow
Urbanization
Climate Change
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Many Calls for Integrated Water Research and
Management

• ...in the 21st Century we have to develop an
  integrated approach across the disciplines to
  understand the complexity of water issues
  worldwide - complex global water issues require
  an approach that combines engineering with the
  natural, physical, and social sciences. (Colwell)
• that the progressive intensification of US water
  scarcity in the face of competing demands for
  water will necessitate proactive and innovative
  scientific, technological, and institutional
  solutions. The report continues What is
  needed for understanding water resources is a
  more holistic conceptual framework solutions
  cross traditional disciplinary and societal
  boundaries. (US NRC)

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• A holistic, systemic approach, relying on
  integrated water resource management must replace
  the fragmentation in managing water (World
  Commission on Water, 2000).
• The World Bank, the World Commission on Dams, and
  the Global Water Partnership, European Water
  Framework Directive also describe the need for
  such approaches, which they call integrated water
  resources management. Many of the Millennium
  Development Goals target water issues (UNESCO,
  2003).
• Management of water issues requires experts from
  all disciplines who understand complexity in both
  natural and human systems, and who can work
  together to integrate the multidimensional
  aspects of water resources management (Kirshen
  et al, 2004).

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Challenges in Graduate Education in IWRM

• Universities are traditionally organized by
  discipline, and the goal of graduate education,
  particularly doctoral, is to become specialized
  in a single area.
• Tenure and promotion decisions are traditionally
  based upon recognized expertise in a narrow
  discipline, even in fields where
  interdisciplinary analysis is indispensable.
• Universities are organized by department with
  administrators often focused upon the success of
  their own programs and not on larger
  cross-university initiatives.
• Team teaching is necessary in many cases in
  interdisciplinary education courses yet faculty
  typically have commitments to other courses and
  cannot devote sufficient time to extra teaching.
• Student concerns about gaining depth and time
  requirements.

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Additional Challenges in Research on IWRM and
Issues

• The ease of working alone.
• Sharing of Indirect Costs.
• Recognizing Contributions of Team Members.
• University Administration by Departments and
  Schools.

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• The goal of this cross-school, Ph.D/MA/MS program
  is to educate students with engineering, policy,
  and health, biological, physical, and social
  science backgrounds to be skilled in one
  water-related discipline and have the
  interdisciplinary perspectives and tools to be
  able to respond to complex multidimensional water
  problems.
• Partnership of six Tufts schools Arts and
  Sciences, Engineering, Fletcher School of Law and
  Diplomacy, Medical School, Friedman School of
  Nutrition Science and Policy, and Veterinary
  Medicine. Each school has one or more members on
  the WSSS Steering Committee.
• Students participating in the WSSS program be
  accepted by and then fulfill the requirements of
  a graduate degree within one of the participating
  departments.

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WSSS PhD/MS/MA Program

• Core Courses - Systems Analysis, The Science and
  Technology of Water, Biological Aspects of Water,
  Health and Nutrition, Planning and Policy of
  Water. Most courses will satisfy some
  departmental required or elective courses
• WSSS Research Practicum for all entering students
  
• Integrative Seminar Series
• Internships
• Skill Workshops
• Interdisciplinary thesis or research project
• Designed to not add time on to normal degree

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Interdisciplinary Research Agenda

• Water and Climate and Environmental Change
• Water and Public Health
• Watershed Protection, Management, and Remediation
• Water, Food, and Livelihood Security
• Water and National and International Security

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Meeting Academic Challenges

• WSSS Program reports to Provost
• Faculty Based Graduate Education Council exists
  to foster ID research
• Skills in ID research small part of hiring and
  TP decisions
• Indirect costs shared by schools in proportion to
  direct costs

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We are not alone !

• The New Water Planning and Management Degrees
  A Panel Discussion
• Kelly Brumbelow1, Hedy V. Alavi2, Ronald Kaiser3,
  Paul H. Kirshen4, Christopher Lant5, and Warren
  Viessman6
• 1 Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas
  AM University, College Station, TX 77843-3136,
  kbrumbelow_at_civil.tamu.edu, [phone]
• 2 Department of Geography and Environmental
  Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
• 3 Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism
  Sciences, Texas AM University
• 4 Department of Civil Environmental
  Engineering, Tufts University
• 5 Department of Geography, Southern Illinois
  University
• 6 Department of Environmental Engineering
  Sciences, University of Florida
• Others ?

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WSSS Faculty Research Areas
School of Arts and Sciences Jonathan
Kenny Characterization of organics Frank
Ackerman Environmental Economics Astier
Almedom Bio-medical Anthropology Lawrence
Bacow Environmental Economics Policy Scott
Horsley Water Resources Policy/Planning Sheldon
Krimsky Environmental Policy Ethics David
OLeary Comparative Religion Ethics Ann
Rappaport Environmental Science
Management Michael Reed Ecology,
Conservation Albert Robbat Analytical
Instrumentation Rhonda Ryznar Environmental
Planning and GIS Jay Shimshack Environmental
Economics Policy David Walt Sensors Pathogen
Detection Jon Witten Land Use Planning
Thank you. Questions ? Comments ?
School of Engineering Richard Vogel Hydrology,
Water Resources Paul Kirshen Water Resources
Systems Linda Abriola Groundwater
Pollution/Remediation Steven Chapra Water
Quality, Mathematical Modeling John
Durant Environmental Fate Transport David
Gute Epidemiology Public Health
David Kaplan Environmental Microbiology
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy William
Moomaw Environmental Policy
Negotiations Leila Fawaz Interstate Disputes in
the Middle East
Medical School Jeffrey Griffiths Water-born
Disease Elena Naumova Public Health, Mathematical
Modeling
www.tufts.edu/water
Veterinary School Christine Jost Ecosystem
Health Assessment Saul Tzipori Waterborne
Pathogens Mark Pokras Ecology Disease
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and
Policy Patrick Webb Household Water
Security Beatrice Rogers Economics/Food
Policy Peter Walker Natural Disaster
Relief Email FirstName.LastName_at_tufts.edu School
Coordinator