2017 US-Netherlands Connection's Professional Program
Published on by Stan Bronson, Director of Partnerships at the Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth (ACRE) in Non Profit
The US-Netherlands Connection's Professional Program brings professionals to The Netherlands to participate in a global knowledge exchange in water management, infrastructure and resilience. The Dutch have dealt with water-related issues and challenges for over 1,000 years and have accumulated an extensive record of successful ways in which to deal with difficult and, at times, seemingly impossible circumstances. Begun in 2007, with over 130 alumni, USNC Pro provides opportunities for delegates to engage Dutch planning, engineering, government and business experts in some of the most innovative places where innovation is the word of the day. This opportunity to connect directly with those responsible for the planning, design, implementation and operation of those solutions gives rise to sharing that knowledge to help solve similar problems throughout the world.
USNC Pro 2017 Itinerary
| Day and Date | Morning and Afternoon Themes | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Sept 4 AM | Orientation and the History of Dutch Water Management | IHE Delft |
| PM | Exploring Dutch Governance in Water and Planning | RWS, The Hague |
| Tuesday, Sept 5 AM | Case Studies on Existing Knowledge Exchange Collaborations | Deltares, Delft |
| PM | Connecting Knowledge by Connecting People | Deltares, Delft |
| Wed., Sept 6 AM | Room for the River: The Nijmegen Case for Stakeholder Engagement | City of Nijmegen |
| PM | Using Public-Private Partnerships in Solving Large Challenges | Biesbosch National Park |
| Thursday, Sept 7 AM | Historical Perspectives Illustrating Need for Knowledge Sharing | Watersnood Museum |
| PM | Zeeland's Estuaries: Integrating Science, Engineering & Policy | Oosterscheldt, Zeeland |
| Friday, Sept 8 AM | City and Port of Rotterdam: The Business Case for Resilience | Port of Rotterdam |
| PM | Debrief and Next Steps | IHE Delft |
What USNC Pro Alumni have said:
As a coastal ecologist and the director of a non-profit policy research organization that conducts considerable research in protecting and restoring the U.S. Gulf coast and waterways around the world, I attended USNC Pro with an expectation that I would struggle to understand an engineering-heavy curriculum. To the contrary, the engineering was well explained and fascinating, but what I didn’t expect was the immense value of the entire program. Learning the Dutch perspective and emphasis on flood protection, green infrastructure, and novel design was incredibly valuable to my understanding of what is possible elsewhere. The priorities explained about how their novel, impressive efforts – for a small fraction of GDP – meet the top needs of their economy, culture and society have already informed our research elsewhere. Just as importantly, the networking opportunity has endured in the intervening years: I met new colleagues at USNC Pro that I continue to consult and seek new opportunities and insights with them... Gary Cecchine, Director, Rand Institute for the Gulf States
Information
- Website: http://floridaearth.org/usncpro2017
- Location: Delft, Netherlands
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