The University of Cuenca is an Ecuadorian public university, founded in 1867. Its mission is to train researchers and professionals committed to a fair, diverse, and sustainable society, willing to be transformation agents. The university’s vision is to be an innovative and resilient academic community, integrated into the world through the generation of relevant, quality knowledge, and committed to contributing to the well-being of society.

CNRD is a worldwide university network promoting academic exchange and cooperation in the area of natural resources management, in particular related to water, land, ecosystem and renewable energy resources in the context of the UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs). In teaching and research, CNRD pursues transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to natural resource management which is necessary for understanding and solving the most pressing problems of today.

CNRD aspires to create a worldwide network of postgraduate courses related to natural resources management and development with an interdisciplinary and intercultural orientation. To achieve this objective there are a variety of initiatives, starting with CNRD semester scholarships for Master’s students. The teaching capacities of the members of CNRD are strengthened through individual and didactic staff support and curriculum development workshops. The other CNRD activities in Education include joint development of teaching material and e-learning modules on the four main CNRD topics is supported by CNRD and lecturer exchange between all universities involved.

The CNRD network fosters interdisciplinary research addressing the challenges related to the SDGs. The CNRD-exceed partners engage in consortia to develop competitive research proposals. These proposals target most interesting national and international calls and aim at strengthening the research capacities as well as widening the research portfolio at the partner universities.

Along with education and research, the third pillar of activities within CNRD exceed is capacity development (CD). In addition to generating knowledge by conducting problem-oriented (applied) research, the key role of the universities is to enhance individual capacities, e.g., in post-graduate education. There is a global network of experts providing sound, science-based governance advice and transferring scientific knowledge into applicable management strategies, as well as, contributing to close the gap between academic education and the constantly changing demands experts and decision-makers face in their day-to-day business.

The primary goal of the Braunschweig Competence Centre and its international cooperation partners is to promote capacity building, knowledge transfer, and to develop core proposals for sustainable water management. The latter includes technologies for manifold use and reuse of water. For instance two thirds of fresh water worldwide is currently used in agriculture that literally drains away into the ground. Here, treated wastewater could be recycled and reused for further application, e.g. in agriculture. The water utilized in the industrial sector could also be recycled and reused.
Overall research fields include Sanitary Engineering, Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Water Quality, Waste Management, and Water Governance.

The global project network of exceed-Swindon consists of 29 full member institutions in 15 countries on 4 continents. Each of these institutions is represented by a renowned scientist who has his research focus on water problems. The network considers cooperation, education, and knowledge transfer within the water research and management area to be an indispensable condition for solving present and, in particular, further water-related problems. The mission, first of all, is to inspire and promote exceed-Swindon members in being an international community of academic and practice-oriented professionals, graduated students concerned with water, and a global source of knowledge.

The Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics at the University of Hohenheim provides a comprehensive capacity for research and education in the field of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and develops novel integrated strategies to address the challenges in global food and eco-systems related to the changing environment and the water-energy-food nexus.

With 10 specialized working groups and more than 100 scientists, the Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute offers profound empirical and theoretical knowledge covering the entire spectrum of tropical and subtropical agricultural systems. During the last decade we have been active in more than 200 research and educational projects across 50 countries of the Tropics.

All essential scientific disciplines of tropical agriculture, i.e., crop and animal sciences, agroecology, agricultural engineering as well as agricultural economics and social sciences, are united in one institute.

The main areas of research at the institute are

(1) Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
(2) Ecosystem Services & Agricultural Development
(3) Farming Systems Digital Age
(4) Food Security & Health

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) promotes technological change and sustainable development in the Asian-Pacific region through higher education, research and outreach. Established in Bangkok in 1959, AIT has become a leading regional postgraduate institution and is actively working with public and private sector partners throughout the region and with some of the top universities in the world. Recognized for its multinational, multicultural ethos, the Institute operates as a self-contained international community at its campus located 40km north of downtown Bangkok, Thailand. AIT has three schools, namely, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), and School of Management (SOM). Education, research and outreach activities are carried out through various academic programs in different departments in three Schools. Visit www.ait.asia for more information.The Water Engineering and Management (WEM) program in the Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering in SET imparts education and training towards an understanding of the complexity of water cycle, utilization, and management. It offers a balanced curriculum covering both engineering and management aspects of water resources to meet today’s major challenges for water engineers and managers include securing water for people and for food production, protecting vital ecosystems, and dealing with climate variability and change and uncertainty of water in space and time. Students acquire knowledge and hands-on practice in tools and techniques to come up with viable and sustainable solution for water, food, energy, and environmental security. Students conduct research on country-specific water related problems, and have opportunities to join research and internship programs with industries and partners.

The first “Water security and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia” Conference (WSCC2016) was held from 29 November to 01 December 2016 at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.