Chennai, India – UNU-FLORES participated in the launch of the Joint Master’s Programme on “Water Security and Global Change”, an initiative under the Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre – Aachen, Bangkok, Chennai, Dresden (ABCD-Centre). The program exemplifies collaboration between the Global South and Global North in addressing the pressing global challenge of water security in the face of climate change.
The new Master’s program is built on a collaboratively developed and managed curriculum, involving three primary degree-awarding institutions (IITM in India, RWTH Aachen and TU Dresden in Germany), together with two associated partners, UNU-FLORES and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand. UNU-FLORES will contribute to teaching and supervision of Master’s projects, providing a connection to the UN system.
Professor Serena Coetzee, UNU-FLORES Head of Resource Nexus Programme, highlighted that "This joint Master’s program is a powerful example of what can be achieved when the Global South and Global North come together to address shared challenges. Water security is a complex issue that knows no borders, and this partnership reflects our collective commitment to finding innovative, sustainable solutions for the future."
UNU-FLORES, as a member of the ABCD-Centre, and with its institutional mandate centered on sustainable management of environmental resources, including water, stands fully prepared to engage with and support the participants of this Joint Master’s program as they advance their understanding and contribute to addressing global water security challenges. UNU-FLORES core roles in this international Master’s programme will be to familiarize students with the Resource Nexus and introduce them to the work of the UN system. The ABCD-Centre is funded by German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in the Global Centres for Climate and Environment, and Health and Pandemic Prevention initiative with funds from Federal Foreign Office in Germany.