Erasmus Mundus Master's Degree in Hydroinformatics & Water Management (EuroAquae)

Career opportunities

The water sector is a major economic domain in Europe and one of the most important public service provided to the communities. During the last decade, the water utilities, like Suez Environment or Veolia, have strongly invested and recruited numerous professionals. In parallel, it is really surprising to see the limited investment made by the educational environment in order to answer to the demands of the companies and more generally of the society. The educational sector in Europe is still offering “traditional curricula”, focused on disciplinary approach like hydraulics and fluid mechanics. It has difficulties to promote the multi-disciplinary and technical changes needed by the professional environment. Paradoxically, the number of offered curricula is globally decreasing face to an increasing demand. This situation has been pointed out by several European national entities (UK, France, Germany, Spain...), by third countries (India, Bangladesh, China, South Korea, Japan...), by international agencies (like UN-WMO) underlying the urgency to redevelop curricula in this field.

In order to structure and build the answer to these needs and to create as well a solid offer to cover the demand, EuroAquae Consortium has successfully established and promoted, since 2004 and within the Erasmus Mundus framework, the first ever created European joint MSc degree: "EuroAquae – Euro HydroInformatics and Water Management".

Competencies

Knowledge and understanding

• A sound scientific understanding of key basic subject areas of mathematics, physics, hydrology, hydraulics, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• An advanced knowledge and understanding and critical awareness of specializations at the forefront of discipline in water management, software engineering and modelling, decision support systems, water and society
• Quantitative training in mathematical methods, computational modelling and Hydroinformatics techniques
• Knowledge of specific examples of schemes for urban, rural, river and coastal water management

Subject-specific/practical skills

• Ability to use ICT tools and Hydroinformatics technologies
• Understanding of the process of design of the components of the water infrastructure and schemes for management of the water environment
• Practical testing of design ideas through computer simulation with technical analysis and critical evaluation of results
• Ability to evaluate critically the application of engineering and environmental techniques dealing with complex issues such as industrial, legislative and commercial constraints
• Planning, execution and reporting of a research project or project in practice
• Ability to search for information and develop ideas further

Cognitive skills

• Ability to select and apply appropriate mathematical methods for modelling and analyzing relevant problems
• Use of scientific principles in the development of engineering and environmental solutions for practical problems in water environment and water infrastructure operation
• Use of scientific principles in the modelling and analysis of water environment and of water infrastructure operation
• Aid to decision making in complex and unpredictable situations, leading to the ability to select and apply appropriate computer-based methods for modelling and analyzing problems in water environment and in water infrastructure operation
• Originality in the creation of new products or methodologies or research outputs through synthesis of ideas from a wide range of sources
• Ability to produce solutions for problems through the application of engineering and water environment knowledge and understanding

Cognitive skills

• Management, transformation and presentation of data in a variety of ways
• Use of methods based on scientific evidence in the solution of problems
• Use of initiative, creativity and innovation in problem solving
• Effective communication in English (including written, oral and poster media)
• Use of generic ICT, GIS and programming skills
• Independent learning and wider time and resource management
• Collaborative approach to team working and project management
• Basic communication in one European language (written and oral) in addition to English

Students enrolled at UPC for the Erasmus Mundus Master's Degree in Hydroinformatics and Water Management (EuroAquae) can access the following information:

The Master's Thesis is an original exercise to be done individually and presented and defended before a university pannel consisting in a project in the sphere of the specific computational mechanics synthesising and integrating the competences acquired on the course.

List of master's theses currently scheduled for public presentation: