S & P realizes first blended learning workshop with specialists from the Ashghal Public Works Authority (Doha, Qatar)

The so called Blended Learning Workshop was a first of its kind for the aspiring Emirate of Qatar and included the stimulating participation of 24 engineers from the Road and Drainage Department. "Blended Learning" refers to a form of learning that originates from a didactically sensible combination of traditional lectures and modern forms of e-learning. The technical director of the workshop was Dr.-Ing. Robert Stein, C.E.O. of S & P Consult GmbH and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stein Partner GmbH in Germany.

The three day training focused on the integral planning and management of drainage systems and the development of sustainable rehabilitation strategies. Two days were devoted to the topic of utility tunnelling, where the focus was placed on geo-technical and procedural principles, problems and risks, the selection and design of jacking pipes and quality assurance during construction.

The e-learning portion of the event was provided through the Internet platform www.UNITRACC.com. UNITRACC stands for "Underground Infrastructure Training and Competence Center" and is the world’s most comprehensive, multimedia, Web-based e-learning platform in the field of pipeline construction and pipeline maintenance.

In addition to the three day blended learning workshop, the multiple international award winning educational provider (European E-Learning Award, No-Dig Award, etc.), UNITRACC also administered a three-week web-based advanced course on Utility Tunnelling for the workshop participants.

This e-learning component is part of a German-Arab Education initiative called AQWA Academy, and is presented in association with the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), and is supported by the academic partners of the German Water Industry and Arab educational institutions.

Through the positive response of all the participants, the first realization of a blended learning concept at such a high technical level in the Arab region can be considered a complete success.

A special thanks for this positive conclusion goes particularly to the participants, who through their active interaction initiated exciting in-depth technical discussions. It was hence easy to establish a correlation between theory and practice, which is essential to the constructive transfer of knowledge. In addition, the Human Resource Department deserves special gratitude for the arrangement and organization of the blended learning workshop, and for the opportunity to implement such a shining example in the Arab region.

All in all, S & P Consult GmbH is very pleased with the outcome of this pilot project, and looks forward to future cooperation with the civil engineering experts of the Emirate of Qatar.

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