Page 30 - WATER SECTOR MAGAZINE VOLUME 3

WASHTED: INTEGRATING APPLIED AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

TO ADDRESS WATER AND SANITATION CHALLENGES

drawing upon the skills of all five faculties a range of qualifications in all disciplines.
within the institution, namely: Applied The academic body is active in research
By STAFF WRITER Sciences, Engineering, Built Environment, and many members of staff have gained
Commerce and Education, and Media their expertise and experience through
Malawi, like many other developing Studies. scholarships and programmes coordinated
countries, struggles to provide adequate by the Centre. These scholarships and
access to water, sanitation and hygiene This framework enables WASHTED programmes benefited from several
(WASH) services. The government, to achieve sustained and effective grants including the Association of
with the help of local and international improvements by drawing upon Commonwealth Universities Institutional
non-governmental organisations, has multidisciplinary skills in the WASH Capacity Grant (2003-2012) and the
been working to address the ongoing sector using innovative and appropriate Health Research Capacity Strengthening
challenges, however, sustainable solutions technologies. The diverse background Initiative Institutional Grant (2013-2015).
are still elusive. of Centre staff also puts WASHTED in a
unique position to meet the multi-faceted WASHTED’s Strategic Plan covering 2017-
To address this gap, the Centre for Water, needs of the WASH sector and society at 2022 speaks to the vision and mission of
Sanitation, Hygiene and Appropriate large. The team has extensive experience the Centre and aligns itself to the Strategic
Technology Development (WASHTED) in securing and completing projects from Plans of both the University of Malawi and
(established in 2003) has been working to both national and international funders. The Polytechnic and has five key strategic
provide innovative technological solutions pillars: Research; Capacity Building;
that integrate applied and social science Currently, the Centre has three permanent Consultancy and Outreach; Finance and
issues and influences to achieve sustained staff members, and is Directed by Dr Resource Mobilization; and Governance
and effective improvements in the sector. Salule Masangwi. However, all academic and Management.
WASHTED is a semi-autonomous unit staff at The Polytechnic are affiliate
within the University of Malawi based members and can engage and undertake In keeping with these goals, WASHTED
at The Polytechnic. The Centre was their research, consultancy, outreach hasembarked on a number of projects and
established within the Faculties of both or capacity building work through activities that it aims to build and extend
Engineering and Applied Sciences, and WASHTED where appropriate. The throughout the Strategic Plan period.
hosts a multidisciplinary team of experts, affiliates are PhD and Masters holders with In terms of research, the Centre has been

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