This MOOC is coordinated by Grenoble INP and is the fruit of work carried out by seven experts. It proposes robust methods and techniques that can be used both in the North and the South for sustainable management of rivers and risk management. There is no lack of events to illustrate the associated issues.
Some examples include the recent floodings in India and Pakistan, the use conflicts related with the construction of dams such as the Sivens in the South of France as well as the very recent pollution of the Cajititlan lake close to Guadalajara (Mexico).
1,700 people from 30 different countries have already signed up for the MOOC.
A collaborative and multi-disciplinary MOOC on rivers
The “Des rivières et des hommes” (Rivers and people) MOOC stems from an innovative co-construction approach between several institutions and cooperation between seven experts in this field, who contributed their complementary perspectives. The MOOC, led by Grenoble INP (Florence Michau and Franck Meunier) and under the scientific coordination of the Institute of research for development (Nicolas Gratiot), in conjunction with École normale supérieure of Lyon, the Université catholique de Louvain, the Hô-Chi-Minh City University of technology and the Université Lumière Lyon 2, falls within the scope of the Network of excellence in engineering sciences of the French-speaking community (RESCIF). This network implements cooperation between 14 universities of technology with the aim of addressing certain major challenges of emerging and developing countries.
The goals of the MOOC are:
- To enhance knowledge in the field of hydrology, hydraulics and river geomorphology, applied to sustainable management of rivers
- To offer methodological and technical know-how to assess the condition of rivers and to consider initiatives that can be applied to the various environments both in the North and the South.
Target audiences
The “Des rivières et des Hommes” MOOC is intended for technicians and practitioners who would like to gain a better understanding of the meaning of their day-to-day actions. It is also designed for engineers who would like to refresh their knowledge or who are changing their career path.
It will provide students trained in the field of environment engineering, water management and river hydraulics with an approach geared towards examples and applications highlighting the environmental and societal issues. In addition, it will raise the awareness of the general public to the core issues surrounding rivers and the stakes of sustainable management.
Grenoble INP partner foundation offers an excellence scholarship associated with the “Des rivières et des hommes” MOOC
The Grenoble INP partner foundation has decided to support the involvement in the “Des rivières et des hommes” MOOC by associating with it an international excellence scholarship awarded to applicants who would like to do a Hydraulic Engineering Masters at Grenoble INP – Ense3.
Accordingly, this scholarship will be open to the students admitted to the Masters programme and who have passed the MOOC. A jury will determine the winner(s) of this scholarship based on the MOOC results, the quality of the project handed in and the applicants’ motivation to continue training in the field of hydraulic engineering.
For more information on the MOOC and to register:http://petitlien.com/des-rivieres-et-des-hommesFor more information on the Masters in Hydraulic Engineering:http://master-hydraulic.grenoble-inp.fr/For more information on the scholarship offered by the Grenoble INP partner foundation:http://www.fondation-grenoble-inp.fr/The project obtained funding from UNIT, a digital thematic university (Université Numérique Thématique) and the Rhône-Alpes region within the context of the CEDES, the UNRRA as well as the OSUG. It is supported by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne as part of its strategy to develop cooperative MOOCs for the RESCIF network.
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