The collaboration of three institutions namely; ZEF, WASCAL and PAUWES complements the efforts of building capacity and research in the field of Water, Energy and Climate Change in Africa, thanks to the ZEF- WASCAL- PAUWES Cooperation project.
The overall aim of this collaboration is to strengthen African institutions through capacity building in the above areas and to increase the effectiveness of German support on the African continents. It is in this context that the 3rd ZEF-WASCAL-PAUWES workshop was held in Niamey (Niger) from 24th September to 5th October 2019. Twenty (20) students from different nationalities pursing Energy Policy and Engineering options at PAUWES and the host institution (Abdou Moumouni) at the WASCAL Graduate Research Programme on Climate Change and Energy, attended the workshop. The workshop was facilitated by lecturers and scientists from the WASCAL region and partner countries.
Students were trained in research proposal writing, oral and power point presentation and literature review which were useful especially to students who are starting their master thesis research in the coming months. The students were also guided on solar panel installations and the making of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. They were introduced to the research opportunities with Germany Higher Education and Research Centre (JULICH).
They also had the chance to interact with stakeholders in Energy and Agriculture sectors. One important component of this workshop was field visits to firstly Sekoukou, a village being powered by renewable energy and interacted with the inhabitants. They also visited Yandalux solar GmbH, the National Agency of Solar Energy (ANERSOL) in Niger.
The 1st International Forum on SDGs was launched by Climate and Sustainable Development Action Club (CSDAC) and hosted by the master’s students of the West African Centre for Sustainable Rural Transformation. They also received support from PAUWES Climate Change and Gender Club and Youth Volunteers for Environment (JVE) in Niger.
Overall, the workshop helped the students to improve their knowledge in energy field, in theory and in practice. The laboratory tasks, the field visits and solar panel installation were particular benefits to the PAUWES energy students who have never had practical experiences so far at PAUWES. The workshop was an opportunity for the students to exchange and share experiences in energy and sustainable development and to enlarge their network.
Indeed, the Ten days spent in Niamey created an opportunity for the students to know about the culture exchange with the local people in Niger and proposed development initiatives to local rural communities.