Study Visit to University of Western Ontario

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This proposal is to support a study visit to The University of Western Ontario to engage in discussions with Prof. Ernest Yanful.The study visit will focus on two areas of research. The first of these is to develop Dr Crapper's existing work on simulation of bioremediation to encompass composting, a phenomenon that is related to bioremediation, but different, in that it encompasses more significant changes in particle and pore size and shape than does a soil undergoing remediation. The collaboration will take advantage of Prof Yanful's extensive and unique experience working at the interface of geotechnical engineering, fluid mechanics and environmental engineering to further understanding of simulating composting, and will also exploit his international background to focus the research on the potential application of composting as a low cost waste management strategy in the developing world.The outcome of this part of the visit will be an agreed strategy for future research, extending Dr Crapper's previous work on simulation of bioremediation to composting, accounting for change in material properties due to degradation and focusing on applications in the developing world. The agreed strategy will include the conclusions of pilot model runs tests, identified research questions to be addressed, with priorities, a view of resources required to make progress and plans for funding and recruitment of researchers.The second part of the visit will focus on Dr Crapper's research on the effective provision of engineering education to empower local communities in the developing world to implement solutions to water and sanitation issues. It is postulated that a traditional approach to engineering education is not always effective, with there being a requirement, in addition to teaching the technologies, for more practical and business oriented skills to allow local people to deal more effectively with their problems in an economically sustainable way.During this part of the visit, Dr Crapper will be joined by PhD student Alison Furber, who is researching this area. Collaboration with Prof Yanful will take place to establish the likely contribution of developed world universities in making more effective educational contributions to solving water and sanitation problems. The outcome of this part of the visit will be a clear identification of the likely role of developed world universities such as The University of Western Ontario (UWO) and The University of Edinburgh (UoE) in the provision of engineering education on water and sanitation to the developing world, an assessment of the current state of distance learning provision in these and other developed world universities and how this might be optimized for the application in question, and a review of current subject teaching available in UWO and UoE, with a view as to how suitable parts of it might be for incorporation into a education research pilot programme.Prof Yanful provides a unique opportunity to focus these two research activities within a single study visit, given his outstanding track record, research interests and background in international development issues.