US-Benin Cooperative Activity: Research Opportunities in Water Resources for Undergraduate Engineering / Geoscience Students

该项目涉及西非贝宁的本科科学家/工程师与同行合作，重点是通过国际合作研究来管理水资源。圣母大学的学生将在2005/ 2006学年为此做准备；培训内容包括水文技术、统计学、社会科学方法和语言技能。他们将前往贝宁，与贝宁研究生合作，完成一门地质统计学课程和一个关于贝宁农村水质的研究项目。学生们将通过互联网与贝宁的同龄人合作，在接下来的学年继续他们的研究。该研究涉及：(i)确定污染源，（ii）使当地居民能够制定地下水监测计划，以及（iii）分析并编写结果数据。这个项目将加强美国和非洲研究人员和工程师之间的国际合作。学生将在两个主要方面受益：(i)完成研究经验和（ii）在发展中国家与国际同行合作。这两种好处都将加强这些学生的教育经验。此外，这项工作将通过印第安纳州和贝宁之间正在进行的计算机交换计划与美国的K-8学生分享。具体而言，小学生将听取参与该项目的本科生的演讲，并在这些本科生的指导下编写适当的材料，与贝宁的同龄人分享。

Silliman 0526128This project involves undergraduate scientists/engineers working with peers in Benin, West Africa, and focuses on management of water resources through international collaborative research. The Notre Dame students will prepare for this effort during the 2005/6 academic year; training will include hydrologic techniques, statistics, social science methodologies, and language skills. They will travel to Benin to complete, in collaboration with Beninoise graduate students, both a geostatistics course and a research project on water quality in rural Benin. The students will continue their research through the following academic year in collaboration (via the internet) with their peers in Benin. The research addresses: (i) identifying source(s) of contamination, (ii) enabling the local population to develop a groundwater monitoring program, and (iii) analyzing and writing up the resulting data. This project will strengthen international collaboration between U.S. and African researchers and engineers. The students will benefit in two primary ways: (i) completion of a research experience and (ii) working with international peers in a developing country. Both benefits will strengthen the educational experience of these students. In addition, this work will be shared with K-8 students in the U.S. via an ongoing computer exchange program between Indiana and Benin. Specifically, grade-school students will hear presentations by the undergraduates involved in this project and will be guided by these undergraduates in preparing appropriate materials to be shared with their peers in Benin.