A new director to the Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (IEWS) at Birzeit University, Palestine

Dr. Maher Abu-Madi has been appointed as new director to the Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (IEWS) at Birzeit University, Palestine. Dr. Abu-Madi is an associate professor in water and environmental studies with a vast experience in wastewater reuse and water economics. The IEWS is a well known center of excellence in water and environmental education, research, and consultancy services. The institute is has important partnerships with many global universities and institutions, especially with UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands.

--
The Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (IEWS) was established at Birzeit University in the hopes to alleviate much of the resulting pressures on Palestine's water and environmental sectors. The IEWS was established in September 2007 to replace the Water Studies Institute (WSI) which was established in the year 2001. The main objectives in establishing the IEWS were meeting the urgent need for capacity building by developing local skills in research, design, planning, and implementation of water and environmental policies. The IEWS provides post graduate education (Master level), research, advisory services, and continuous education through short-term training in water and environmental related issues. The Institute is the product of longstanding cooperation starting in the year 1994 between Birzeit University (BZU) and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (formerly the International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, IHE- Delft, the Netherlands).