title: Regional vernetzt: Das Zentrum für Wasser- und Umweltforschung
Creators: name: Eisinger, Michael
name: Schmidt, Torsten
name: Sures, Bernd
Publisher: name: DuEPublico: Duisburg-Essen Publications online, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: 500

description: In den letzten 15 Jahren hat sich die Wasserforschung an der Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) zu einem wichtigen und erfolgreichen Schwerpunkt weiterentwickelt.
Gebündelt wird diese durch das Zentrum für Wasser- und Umweltforschung (ZWU), und zwar nicht nur innerhalb der UDE, sondern auch innerhalb des Ruhrgebiets.
Die klassische Grundlagenforschung spielt dabei eine genauso wichtige Rolle wie anwendungsorientierte Fragestellungen, die in Verbundprojekten gemeinsam mit Praxispartnern aus der Region bearbeitet werden.
description: The ZWU was founded in 2003
with the aim of advancing modern
environmental research, which links
global social changes and challenges
such as population growth, urbanisation
and megacities, climate change,
water availability and sustainable
energy supply with environmental
concerns and integrates their effects
on human life. This kind of research
is primarily interdisciplinary and
ranges from natural and engineering
sciences to medical and social sciences
and economics. The main focus
of the ZWU activities is on water
research, with a broad spectrum of
expertise in the fields of water ecology,
drinking water treatment and
supply (contamination, evaluation,
and purification), environmental
toxicology and chemistry, urban
water management, hydrology,
hydraulic engineering, and water
governance, including competencies
in water economy and law. The
“core” of the ZWU at the University
of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) currently
comprises 22 research groups from
the Faculties of Biology, Chemistry,
Engineering and Medicine, with
approximately 150 researchers.
Besides bringing together water
research at the University of Duisburg-
Essen, the ZWU managed
to integrate the water expertise
of the two partner universities
of the University Alliance Ruhr.
This cross-university cooperation
has proven its value in a series
of running and completed joint
research activities, and many joint
publications. Examples include
the ZWU-coordinated PhD training
program “Fortschrittskolleg
FUTURE WATER” (funded by
the Ministry of Culture and Science
of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia)
and the collaborative research
project “Sustainable Cultural
Landscape in the Metropolitan Ruhr
Region” (funded by the German
Federal Ministry for Education and
Research).
The ZWU is supported in its work
by an entire network of strong regional
partners. Among these are the
IWW Water Centre and the Institute
of Energy and Environmental Technology
e.V. (IUTA), research institutes
associated with UDE which
function as a bridge to industrial
partners in the field of water supply
and water treatment. Together with
the Rhine Ruhr Institute for Social
Research and Political Consultancy
(RISP), they significantly contribute
to the high density of water-related
know-how in the region. The ZWU,
however, is not only the hub of a
regional network of water-related
research facilities, it also integrates
commercial (many SMEs from
consulting agencies to water technology
companies, water suppliers,
and water boards) and municipal
representatives as well as state
authorities (North Rhine-Westphalia)
into common research initiatives
and integrates these partners into
teaching and research.
description: UNIKATE: Berichte aus Forschung und Lehre, no. 51Herausforderung Wasserforschung - lokal, regional, global, p. 8