1. TEMPUS PROJECT EDUWAT W ORK P ACKAGE 4 Prof. Dr. Abdulilah Abdou TU – Dresden – 14-19 / 9 /2014 A L B AATH U NIVERSITY

2. Introduction In no doubt, water has extreme strategic importance. The global awareness for the importance of water is increasing. The importance of water management is a worldwide point of interest, with extra importance in the Middle East. Syria is a perfect example.

3. Introduction The major challenges are the decreasing sources of water, climate change, global worming, dryness and the increasing demand of water. All of these ideas put us in a point where action is needed to be done, quickly and in a well studied and planned manner.

4. Knowledge Triangle Research – Education - Innovation Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research

5. Knowledge Triangle Research – Education - Innovation Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research Bachelor Master PhD Training courses

6. Knowledge Triangle Research – Education - Innovation Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research 3 rd party funds industry, enterprise, governance, EU Cooperation with research institutes

7. Knowledge Triangle Research – Education - Innovation Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research Enterprises Engineering offices Business start-up initiative Patent Information Center

8. Because the triangle is the core of the project…

9. We at Al Baath University will focus on the 3 nodes of the triangle…

10. We will also focus on the 3 edges, which are the relations between the nodes

11. The approach is done by asking questions and finding answers, and by pointing to problems and finding solutions

12. Higher Education Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research The two main faculties related to water engineering studies are: 1- Water Resources Engineering in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, administrated by the Department of Water Resources Engineering. 2- Soil and Water Department at the Faculty of Agriculture. These two faculties grant bachelor degrees, masters & PhD’s. They also support scientific researches conducted by the academic staff and students. In addition the Higher Institute for Water Management grants Master degrees and PhD’s as well as related scientific researches. The Higher Institute for Water Management is located at the campus of Al Baath University at Homs city in Syria. Annually, Al Baath University celebrates the World Water Day at the 22 nd of March each year. Usually workshops are held, speakers are invited to lecture about modern water studies. Increasing number of Master & PhD degrees are accomplished in water engineering. Curriculum of study programs related to water engineering is being revised and modernized from time to time. Reducing the study time for bachelor, master & PhD is very important according to Bologna Process. Implementing the credit hour system can be very useful in decreasing the years spent by students in the university. The priority is to improve the quality of the university outcome, which is mainly the graduated students. The graduates should be more ready to effectively enter the labour market. Here the role of the Skills and Career Center at the university is extremely important.

13. Higher Education When talking about water management in higher education, we have to think about the following point… Are the graduated students in the field of water studies aware of the concept of water management? Are they capable of entering the labour market? Are they problem solvers? Do they have the tools to perform fine researches? Are they innovative enough to lead the process of water management? We will come on these questions in the rest of this presentation

14. Research Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research Researches are conducted within the two faculties and in the Higher Institute for Water Management. Well-equipped laboratories are available and the university does reliable effort to supply needed equipment, although sufficient fund is always a main problem. The researches outcome can be grouped according to: -Graduation projects: poor to moderate outcome. -Masters & PhDs: moderate to very good outcome. -Scientific researches published in local and international refereed publications: very good to excellent outcome. Although the laboratories are well-equipped, but still always there is need to up-to-date new equipment and tools. The outcome of the graduation projects, master degrees, PhD degrees and researches is sometimes very good or excellent, but still this outcome has to be more practical and applicable, not only theoretically excellent. The main challenges for improving the research process are in the concept of research it self, how do we understand the process of research and how to implement researches in real-life experiences. In may cases, the problem is not in the research, but actually the problem is in the researcher. Students at the bachelor degree should be taught the basics of correct research. They should be trained on performing scientific researches. The outcome will be well prepared researchers in the master and PhD degrees.

15. Innovation Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research The university supports innovation programs presented by the students, researchers and academic staff. The support is limited due to the little amount of financial support that the university can offer. Support from out of the university is very little, although some NGO’s try to support innovation ideas. The Skills and Career Center at the university plays a role in supporting the innovation ideas of the post graduate students. Five years ago the university opened a patent office at the university campus, but the patent office plays a minor role in supporting innovation, although it helps to register patents.

16. Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research Is there any procedure done in the university to avoid repeating old researches? Yes. Before approving the registration of any Master or PhD degree a cross verification is done between the five Syrian public universities to check that the topic is genuine, new and never been addressed before. In case of other refereed research, this issue is the responsibility of the researcher. Are there sufficient fund for the researches? Absolutely NO. The available financial support is limited. Normally no financial support is given for free researchers. Financial support out of the university (from public and private sectors) is within its least amount. What steps can be made by HE to enhance research Modernize the curriculum to meet the needs of research. Empower critical thinking skills. There is no problems with the laws and regulations. The main problem is with the people, so we need to get every one evolved in the process starting from the fresh year students. Find alternative methods of funding researches. Linking the research with needs of the market We will discus these ideas as follows…

17. Higher Education Research Even though the curriculum in the related specialties was revised several times and many changes have been done… the need of more modernization is still present. Reducing the time frame for accomplishing the bachelor degree is still not done. Adopting the credit hour system highly helps in this point. Special laws from the highest administration in higher education are needed. The new curriculums should be highly related to realistic cases. Previously many steps where taken through some cooperation programs such UNDP, NARS, UHES and TEMPUS.

18. As a matter of fact, UHES program, which has stopped, TEMPUS & the new ERASMUS MUNDUS programs are initially dedicated to HE not for research, but still the outcomes of several projects of these programs benefit in a way or other the research process. Homs-Saxony Center for Environmental Studies must be activated and it can present an ideal example of connecting HE to research, taking into consideration the close relation between environmental studies and water engineering and management. The need for empowering critical thinking skills is obvious. Higher Education Research

19. Few steps were taken in the university through the workshops and activities of the Skills & Career Center, but still the need to enlarge this action is present. Every one should adopt the idea of “THINK OUT OF THE BOX”. The researches done in the university should posses more real-case studies, in addition on focusing on the economic aspect of the research. Higher Education Research

20. Changing the basis of research process in HE will be faced by concrete walls (old-fashioned people). The regulations and laws related to the research process seem to be very good. We have to work on young researchers starting from the fresh year students in order to end up to a new up to date researchers. We have to change the mentality of the decision makers to get them more involved in implementing the good practices is the research process and to change the out of date practices. Higher Education Research

21. The problem of financial funding of researches can be solved by finding alternative methods of funding. Getting the private sector involved in the funds is important. This is done by addressing the needs of the private sector through the researches done by the high education. Researches should be shifted from theoretically-based researches towards practical-based researches which attract the private sector and enhancing the private sector funding more and more researches. Public sector is also involved in the funding process by some regulations and laws, but it needs to be pointed towards the researches done by the HE. Higher Education Research

22. The relation between the university from one hand and the private & public sector from the other hand should be rebuilt on the basis on new agreements and conventions in the field of scientific research. The university should be a point of attraction for the private & public sector. Higher Education Research

23. Different private & public sector sides related to water engineering include: Ministry of Agriculture. Ministry of Irrigation. ICARDA. The General Company of Water Projects. ACSAD (Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands). Hasiaa’ Industrial City Chamber of Industry. Chamber of Commerce. The Syrian Engineering Syndicate. The Syrian Agriculture Syndicate. The General Establishment for Managing the Water Resources, with all its branches. Higher Education Research

24. Many of these previous public and private sides can be located in the knowledge triangle at the three nodes and at the three sides, but the main two nodes are HE and research in addition to the side pointing to the relation in between these two nodes. New aspects of cooperation should be taken into consideration. The relation must go far beyond financial issues. Higher Education Research

25. Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research What does the patent office in the university offer? The patent office only helps with the registration of the creative ideas. Up till now only very few patents related to water has been registered. Annually a fair for university creative ideas is being held at the university campus. The fair has stopped three years ago, and frankly speaking, this fair has to be re-built to address the real needs of higher education. More networking in needed. Are there any other sides supporting innovation in the university? Yes. Some private and public sides seasonally and annually organize competitions for creative ideas among students and academic staff. Basel Assad prize for the best university creative idea is an example of the public sector support. Shell annual competition for the most innovative idea from the university student is an example of the private sector support. The main problem is that all participants do not get any support from the university. They do all the effort by themselves. What other structures in the university supports the innovation? The Skills and Career Center plays a reasonable role in the process. The new established Technical Incubator at the Industrial City in Hassia’ (although not completed yet) will play a major role in enhancing the innovation in the university. Few years ago, the Technical Science Incubator was opened in Al Baath University. This step was taken by the help of foreign experience. This incubator has to be activated, as the 2 main problems it faces are the lack of funds and the shortage in experience.

26. Higher Education Innovation Innovation in the higher education needs a basis of creative thinking. The academic staff in the university must be more involved in enhancing the creative thinking among students. The Skills and Career Center at the university prepares several related workshops and training courses for students to make them more creative and inspired during their studying life and for their career life afterwards. The skills and Career Center actually exists in each Syrian public university and in some private Syrian universities. We can benefit of some of the goals and missions of this center in supporting innovation in the university via linking university students to the labour market not after graduation, but during their academic life.

27. Higher Education Innovation Although the Skills and Career Center lacks the means of funding innovation, it can help through its good networks and relations to the private and public sector of the labour market. These networks and relations is getting bigger and wider. The idea of preparing a local or regional conference between all the skills and career centers in Syrian universities exists. The conference can be held in 2015. The main problem is that innovation within the university can be pointed to as “individual effort” which can be called creative ideas more than being pointed to as “organized effort” which can be called real innovation.

28. Higher Education Innovation In order to change the status from an individual creation to an organized innovation we have to work on transferring system such as supporting networks, financial support structures or patenting procedures which can consistently be applied at a higher level, e.g. country-wide or on a regional level, other processes are less prescriptive and therefore more dependent on the initiative of individuals or smaller groups, e.g. a professor, a group of teaching staff or a university institute. In particular the enhancement of creative thinking through innovative teaching and learning methods leaves room for a large variety of concepts and methods

29. Higher Education Innovation In Al Baath University and other Syrian universities, the problem is not only establishing basics for innovation, it is more important to establish and ensure the sustainable development of the related businesses. While at university the focus of support is on the development of ideas and their transformation into business concepts, post university support focuses more on financial funding, the building of a suitable team, networking and publicity. We need to benefit from other foreign university and country experience, German experience as an example

30. Higher Education Innovation The major steps that the university should do to enhance the relation between HE and innovation includes: Supporting innovation and innovators. Organizing and participating in related fairs and exhibitions. Paying more attention in transferring innovation into real business in the market. Effective cooperation with other supporting and financing organizations. Working more and more on the teaching outcome through raising the quality of graduated students.

31. Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary Internationality Higher Education Innovation Research

32. Innovation Research Actually, the relation between research and innovation will be automatically enhanced after building a firm relation between higher education & research and between higher education and innovation. Further steps must also be done to more enhance this relation. We must emphasize on making the outcomes of research more creative and innovative. The income of the research process should be clearer, more close to reality and more practical. This will lead us to innovative outcomes of the research process.

33. Innovation Research Speakers from out side the university (private & public sector) should be invited to present their problems and obstacles. More attention and more funding should be paid on innovative researches. Practical-based researches should be given the priority against theoretic-based researches. Private & public sector must contribute in funding researches that solve reality problems or that include new creative methods which attract the private & public sector.

34. Innovation Research One important tool to improve the innovation of research process is by establishing research teams consisting of different backgrounds and specialities. Each faculty and department in the university should carefully prepare a list of research subjects in according to the problems presented by the private & public sector. The regulations of research should be changed toward establishing research teams in order to get more fund of the research. The laboratories of the university should be employed more in the research process, rather than being invested in the academic activities of higher education only.

35. Innovation Research Individuals and teams of research should do site visits outside the university in order to focus on the realistic problems that the researches should solve. More soft and hard skills for the researches are needed. Hard skills include specialized IT skills. Soft skills include creative thinking, thinking out of the box, self motivation, team work, brain storming, analysis, time management and problem solving skills. The skills and career center should play a major role in improving the soft skills of researchers.

36. Innovation Research Students should be involved in the research process done by the specialized academic staff performing researches at early stages of their life in the university. Laws and regulations of the research at the university should be changed in order to allow the students to be involved in the research process. The laws and regulations should also allow to accept researchers from outside the university (private & public sector) when establishing research teams in the university. More competitions and prizes must exist to motivate innovative researches.

37. Innovation Research Private & public sector should be allowed to contribute in determining the subjects of masters and PhD theses and they should be allowed to supervise and contribute in the referee jury. The experience of foreign universities in linking research and innovation should be well studied to choose appropriate techniques that can be locally implemented.

38. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University

42. The first exhibition of invention at Al Baath University

43. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The first exhibition of invention at Al Baath University

44. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The exhibition of best architectural planning project at Al Baath University

45. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The exhibition of best architectural planning project at Al Baath University

46. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The opening of programming competition at Al Baath University

47. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The Project of the Technical Incubator at Hasiaa’ Industrial City

48. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The Incubator of Computer & Telecommunication at Al Baath University

49. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University Some activities of the Skills & Career Center

50. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University Some activities of the Skills & Career Center

51. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University Some activities of the Skills & Career Center

52. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University Some activities of the Skills & Career Center

53. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University Some activities of the Skills & Career Center

54. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The second job affair at Al Baath University, 2010

55. Here are some pictures of the activities done in Al Baath University The second job affair at Al Baath University, 2010

56. Finally …  We have to think always on the knowledge triangle.  Building networks is very important.  Connecting the graduates with the university.  Establishing an alumni community, with some activities, such as an internet website, a newsletter, annual meetings, scientific days, inviting speakers, ….  Establishing to what is called “UNIVESITY FRIENDS”, which can afford support and financial support to the research & innovation in the university.  Work more and more on the quality of the graduates: capability of entering the labour market – future researchers – stories of future success.

57. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION