The University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB) has hosted the 2026 NEWW Summer School and Career Fair, bringing together students, researchers, academics, and industry experts from Rwanda, Ghana, and Germany at the Centre Saint Vincent Pallotti in Kigali. The event was held from 1 to 5 September 2026 under the theme “Waste and Water Education for Impact: From Curriculum to Careers.”
NEWW , the Network for Labour-Market Oriented Education in Waste and Water Management , is a partnership between UTAB, the University of Ghana, and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany, working alongside business and industry partners in all three countries. The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (BMZ) special initiative on Training and Job Creation. It rests on three pillars , Teaching, Research, and Transfer , and aims to strengthen employability and labour-market stability in the waste and water sectors by aligning university teaching and research with the real needs of employers.
This year’s summer school builds on earlier editions held in Rwanda in 2024 and Ghana in 2025, which began drafting a set of shared course modules on waste and water management. The 2026 edition in Kigali is designed to consolidate that work into a complete, practice-oriented curriculum that partner universities can adopt into their degree programmes.
Over the course of the week, participants took part in module development workshops, expert lectures and panel discussions from all three countries, a career fair connecting students with employers and internship opportunities, and a field visit linking classroom learning to real waste and water management practice. The programme’s broader goals include deepening collaboration among students, researchers, and industry partners across the three countries; exposing young people to career pathways in the green economy; and sharing current research on circular economy, waste valorisation, water management, and digital innovation in the sector.
Rwandan partners taking part include the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) and Kalisimbi Depot Ltd, alongside academic and industry partners from the University of Ghana and the University of Oldenburg, including the Institute for Sustainable Irrigation and Water Management in Rural Areas (INBW) at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.