Official opening of infrastructure and Kenyan LWE trimester 2011

For more than 35 years the Institute for Limnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (AAS) organizes international training programmes in limnology for scientists and professionals in the water sector. These programmes were refined to a joint 18-months MSc-programme "Limnology and Wetland Ecosystems" (LWE) together with UNESCO-IHE (Netherlands) by the end of the 1990ies. After years of successful cooperation the Kenyan Egerton University was fully integrated as a cooperation partner of the international programme in 2010 being responsible for one LWE trimester consisting of 4 modules in Kenya. For the successful implementation of these modules an adequate infrastructure was sponsored by the Netherlands government (DGIS) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

On 10 February 2011, representatives from UNESCO-IHE, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Egerton University, and many invited guests celebrated the opening of new facilities for Egerton University in Njoro, Kenya. The event and ribbon-cutting ceremonies were chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Egerton University, Prof. J. M. Mathooko who welcomed the distinguished guests, Mr. Hans Doctor (Dutch Deputy Ambassador to Kenya), Mr. Matthias Radosztics (Austrian Deputy Ambassador to Kenya), and Ms. Gertraud Findl (Austrian Development Agency).

The facilities consist of refurbished laboratory infrastructure and new equipment, upgraded student housing and a tour bus as well as a water resource center with laptops and a comprehensive scientific library.

IPGL programmes
more details about the opening event
report about the opening ceremony (ADA) in German