The population of the African continent is growing steadily. Supplying them with clean water and sufficient energy is a challenge for the states. Membrane technology could provide innovative and sustainable solutions. In the international project ‘WE-Africa, Membrane Knowledge Hub’, researchers and partners from industry want to establish a university-industry platform for sustainable water and energy management in Africa. It is led and coordinated by the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is funding it for four years with almost 800,000 euros.

Membrane technology plays a central role in sustainable water and energy management. For example, the use of membranes in desalinating seawater is more energy efficient compared to other methods. Membranes are also used to filter pollutants out of wastewater, and when used in fuel cells, they efficiently convert hydrogen into electricity.

In the project, which is coordinated by the Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU) at the UDE, a Membrane Technology Knowledge Hub is now to be established at partner universities in Egypt, Ghana and Morocco. Online courses on membrane technology in water and energy management will be offered there for students and professionals. At the same time, students will gain practical experience in companies. In intensive courses on entrepreneurship, they learn how to develop a business model from their ideas and introduce it to the local market. ‘With this project, we are supporting knowledge exchange, capacity building and technology transfer,’ explains Dr Stefan Panglisch, UDE professor of mechanical process engineering/water technology and head of the project. ‘In doing so, we are making an important contribution to socio-economic development and environmental protection in Africa.’

The UDE is part of the Ghana-NRW University Alliance. ‘WE-Africa, Membrane Knowledge Hub’ is making an important contribution to intensifying this cooperation, emphasised Prof. Dr. Karen Shire, Prorector for University Culture, Diversity and International Affairs, at the project's recent kick-off event. Representatives from partner universities in Egypt, Ghana and Budapest were in attendance at the Essen campus for the event.

Further information:
https://www.uni-due.de/zwu/we_africa.php
Prof. Dr. Stefan Panglisch, Mechanical Process Engineering/Water Technology, Tel. +49 203/37 9-3477, stefan.panglisch@uni-due.de

For the editor:
A photo of Prof. Dr. Michael Eisinger, managing director of the Centre for Environmental and Water Research (ZWU) at the UDE (left), and Hasan Idrees, research assistant at the Chair of Mechanical Process Engineering/Water Technology at the UDE (centre), during a visit to a drinking water treatment plant in Ghana (photo credit: KNUST/Ghana). We provide you with the following link for reporting on this message: https://www.uni-due.de/de/presse/pi_fotos.php

Editor: Ulrike Eichweber, Tel.: +49 203/37 9-2461, ulrike.eichweber@uni-due.de