The International Desalination Association (IDA) and PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, signed an agreement on 2 July 2012 to explore opportunities for mutual cooperation in promising areas of training and education regarding water.
IDA launched its new Desalination Academy at this week’s Singapore International Water Week. PUB’s Academy@WaterHub supports the training and development needs of Singapore’s water industry.
The possible areas of collaboration under this memorandum of understanding include training and education in desalination and water reuse, and the organization of IDA Desalination Academy training programs held alongside key conferences such as Singapore International Water Week and the Saudi Water & Power Forum, Jeddah, where the academy will hold its next set of training courses.
The MOU also allows for PUB to tap into the roster of master teachers who are members of the IDA Desalination Academy’s faculty for desalination and water reuse training courses for the Asia-Pacific region. Likewise, PUB would provide speakers to share insights into Singapore’s public-private-partnership approach on desalination or water reuse in IDA’s training courses and host technical tours to PUB facilities.
“IDA and PUB have established a long-standing, valued and close working relationship. We look forward to exploring ways to further strengthen our alliance through educational programs that will benefit both Singapore and the international desalination community,” said Patricia Burke, IDA’s secretary general.
“This collaboration will tap on the synergies between IDA and PUB to bring more training and development opportunities for the global water community, particularly in the areas of desalination and water reuse practices and technologies. We welcome IDA to conduct courses at WaterHub,” said Ng Han Tong, Director, WaterHub at PUB.