Access to clean water and sanitation in Liberia is completely inadequate, according to the WHO. The electricity supply also poses a significant challenge. To sustainably improve the living conditions of the local population, OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with the Bowier Trust Foundation Switzerland, has launched the educational project Swiss-Knowledge-Exchange-Hub, or CHub for short, as part of its platform for Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Sustainable Development in the Global South (GSC). The goal is to train and empower experts on-site through practical training, enabling them to develop their own solutions and create long-term perspectives.
First Local Projects Launched
In February, the inaugural Winter School titled «Water & Sun» took place at the United Methodist University in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The event saw participation from 28 students and 10 lecturers from five educational institutions across Liberia. Dorothee Spuhler from the UMTEC Institute for Environmental and Process Engineering at OST led the ten-day school alongside Andreas Reber from the SPF Institute for Solar Technology. The focus was on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), as well as solar technology. "We concentrated on the necessary theory, practical training, train-the-trainer programs, and the development of real facilities and systems on-site," explained Dorothee Spuhler.
Now, the first projects from the school are being put into practice: recently, five Liberian students have begun their work. Three students are focusing on rainwater collection and treatment, as well as hand pumps in communities. A solar technology project is reliably supplying electricity to four classrooms at Margibi University, and a fifth project is addressing the wastewater infrastructure of a clinic.
The foundation for these projects was laid, among other things, during the Winter School. In the coming months, the students will apply the knowledge they have gained with the help of local lecturers, professionals, and small businesses. This network of contacts from the CHub on-site will, in turn, be advised by OST lecturers from Switzerland.
Educational Exchange for OST Students
A bachelor student from OST and a master's student from ETH also participated in the Winter School in February. 'The Swiss students - but also we experts - benefit greatly from this exchange. It is an extremely valuable experience to implement innovative technology under local conditions. This knowledge also helps us in Switzerland,' says Dorothee Spuhler.
OST students are invited to participate in projects and to write study or bachelor's theses within the framework of GSC