DIGITWATER Stakeholder Event 1: Advancing Digital Learning for Water Management

The DIGITWATER project successfully hosted its first stakeholder event, the Co-Development and Co-Learning Workshop, from 9–13 February 2026. Delivered as a hybrid series across hubs in Belgium, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda, the event was led by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and brought together over 50 academics and technical experts.

The workshop created a dynamic co-learning environment, enabling participants to collaboratively shape the project’s Virtual Semester and digital learning framework. A key highlight was the integration of stakeholder feedback and SWOT analyses, ensuring that the programme aligns with the practical needs of the water sector and public institutions. The event concluded with site visits at each host institution, showcasing real-world applications and fostering reflective learning.

Key Outcomes

  • Curriculum Co-Development: Design of Virtual Semester content focused on high-demand areas such as Remote Sensing, GIS, IoT, and AI. 

  • Digital Pedagogy: Sharing best practices to strengthen online and blended learning delivery. 

  • Applied Learning: Integration of real-world case studies to bridge theory and practice. 

  • Inclusivity and Gender Mainstreaming: Embedding inclusive teaching approaches to improve access and participation for women and underrepresented groups. 

Strengthening Collaboration Across Institutions

The workshop provided a platform for partners to align on accreditation requirements, digital infrastructure readiness, and quality standards for online education. Through a distributed hybrid model that combined in-person sessions with virtual collaboration tools, participants engaged in joint discussions, curriculum design, and strategic planning.

This approach not only enhanced accessibility across regions but also strengthened cross-institutional collaboration and shared ownership of project outcomes. Ultimately, the event marks a significant step forward in developing an inclusive, digitally enabled education framework for Water Resource Management.



Some of the online participants during the co-development and co-learning workshop.

 

Staff from University of KwaZulu-Natal (Dr Maqsooda Mahomed [UKZN Digitwater Project Leader] and Vivek Naiken) and PhD student Evania Chetty, together with colleagues from University of Cape Town (Dr John Okedi and Dr David Ikumi), joined Futhi Vilakazi, Senior Manager of Catchment Management at uMngeni-uThukela Water, and Amanzi Champs representatives during a site visit in the Sobantu Community in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.



Collaborative discussions and knowledge exchange among participants at VUB, Belgium.

 

Presentation of the DIGITWATER project to students in the IUPWARE programme at KU Leuven University, followed by a briefing session on the planned fieldwork for the Uganda case study from the VUB, Belgium side

 

Some of the participants attending the stakeholder engagement event at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa.

 

Some of the participants attending the stakeholder engagement event at Makerere University, Uganda.