Water Security and Global Change Dresden University of Technology

The Joint Master's programme in Water Security and Global Change immerses students in a dynamic educational environment that addresses the urgent and vital issue of water security, bridging perspectives from both the global South and global North. Drawing on the collective expertise of all partner institutions, the programme adopts an integrated and comprehensive approach to meet the needs of regional, national, and international stakeholders.

Building upon existing modules, the programme features a modular structure with opportunities for specialisation. Student mobility is coordinated as part of this collaborative effort, while courses are taught by the participating institutions, ensuring a high standard of education.

Through a joint curriculum, the programme is established across three degree-awarding universities (RWTH Aachen, IIT Madras, TU Dresden), with two associated partners (UNU Flores and AIT Bangkok). Upon completion, students receive a joint degree.

What does this programme offer?

• Gain comprehensive insight into the hydrological cycle, water system components, and their interactions with the environment, society, and ecosystems.
• Explore the repercussions of global change on water resources and ecosystems. Gain an understanding of the effects of temperature shifts, precipitation patterns, and sea level rise on water availability and quality.
• Learn about water resource governance structures, policies, and regulations at various levels and their implications for water security.
• Study water pollution sources, their impacts on human health and the environment, and strategies for monitoring and enhancing water quality.
• Develop skills in managing and optimising water resources, including sustainable water use, conservation, and integrated management strategies.
• Learn to assess and mitigate water-related risks such as floods, droughts, and water scarcity, and build resilience in water systems.
• Collaborate across disciplines, integrating knowledge from environmental science, engineering, policy, economics, and social sciences to address water security challenges.
• Enhance research skills and analytical abilities to investigate complex water-related problems and propose evidence-based solutions.
• Explore ethical, social, and equity aspects of water security, acknowledging access to clean water as a fundamental human right.

The Joint Master's programme has a scope of earning 120 ECTS points / 213 IITM credits in total. It consists of three semesters of course work with 90 ECTS points / 159 IITM credits in total and a fourth semester of thesis of 30 ECTS / 54 IITM credits. Each semester consists of 30 ECTS points / 54 IITM credits of course work with courses of 5 or 7.5 ECTS points. 30 ECTS (approx. 51 to 54 IITM credits) per semester may change according to the agreed schedule (see programme timeline table). Coursework consists of mandatory and elective courses, which are offered equally by all three partner universities and sum up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits provided by each partner university. The programme enables to define up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits elective courses.

Study contents of RWTH Aachen University, Germany

• Climate Adaptation in Coastal & Hydraulic Engineering
• International Project Management
• Technological Modernisation and Globalisation
• Flood Protection
• Environment, Local Economies & Resource Conflict
• Geographic Information System in Water Management I
• Hydrodynamic Simulation
• Hydraulic Engineering
• Numerical Modelling in Water Resources Management
• Global Changes and Sustainable Development
• Geographical Information Systems in Water Management II
• Flood Risk Management
• Sediment Transport and Morphodynamics
• Industrial Waste Water Treatment
• Sanitary Engineering in Developing Countries

Study contents of Indian Institute of Technology Madras IITM, India

• Physics-Chemical Processes for Water & Wastewater Treatment
• Sustainability in River Basin Management
• Water, Health and Hygiene
• Water Resources Planning & Management
• Contaminant Transport Modelling
• Ocean Environment Policy & Coastal Zone Management
• Technology & Sustainable Development
• Coastal Engineering
• Numerical Techniques in Ocean Hydrodynamics

Study contents of Dresden University of Technology TUD, Germany

• Ground Water
• Urban Water Management
• Water Extremes – Risk Management and Adaptation
• Hydraulic Engineering
• International Water Issues
• Climate Systems and Climate Modelling
• Natural Forest Management & Restoration in the Tropics
• Environmental Perspectives on Resource Nexus (UNU-FLORES)
• From Concept to Policy and Practice Impact: Advancing the Resource Nexus (UNU-FLORES)

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen)

Depends on IITM
Open from January until March

Admission to the programme may be granted to applicants who have received a Bachelor's or comparable degree that fulfils the following conditions:

• The qualifying degree needs to have a major focus in one of the academic subjects listed below:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Hydro Science Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering
  • Computational engineering
  • Agricultural or Landscape Engineering
• The qualifying degree needs to encompass a minimum workload of 180 ECTS points or must have been awarded by a higher education institution officially recognised by at least one of the following institutions: AICTE, AIU, ACU, IAU, Central Office for Foreign Education
• The accumulated grade point average of the qualifying degree shall not be below 60% aggregate marks or “first class”.

• Fees at IIT Madras: 36,400 INR per semester
• Fees at TUD: 356 EUR (total)
• Fees at RWTH: 338 EUR (total)
• The fee for the last semester depends on where the thesis is conducted.

Note:
Medical insurance is included with IITM fees. Students need to acquire insurance for the proposed period of stay in Germany. Accommodation, living, and travelling costs are not included in the fees.

Dresden and Aachen (as well as Chennai) offer high quality of living at very moderate costs. Currently, students should expect to pay around 850 EUR per month including rent, food, insurance and basic expenses. This figure is relatively low compared to other big German cities.

In order to top up their budgets, some students may want to look for temporary work in Dresden and Aachen. If so, different regulations apply for students from EU member states, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and students from outside the European Union and the EEA area. In addition, restrictions on the duration of employment may apply. Professors, lecturers and group leaders involved in the Master's programme may offer students the possibility of working as academic assistants. However, living expenses can be financed only partially through a job as an academic assistant.

TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen offer plenty of counselling and training within its Career Services to help students with finding professional orientation. They offer workshops to equip students with professional skills and aid to optimise their CV. Furthermore, they support students who want to connect with potential employers.

Additionally, there are special workshops for international students to get to know the German and Saxon job market and network.

It is still relatively easy to find affordable accommodation in Dresden. Accommodation is available either via the "Studentenwerk Dresden" or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 250 EUR per month.
Private housing can be found online. We recommend that you move into a hall of residence at the beginning of your stay in Dresden. Subsequently, you can look for a place on the private market or in a shared apartment, which is known as a "Wohngemeinschaft" in German.

TU Dresden is one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany and is among the top universities in Europe: strong in research, it offers first-rate programmes with an overwhelming diversity, with close ties to culture, industry and society. As a modern comprehensive university with five schools (17 faculties), it offers a wide academic range of programmes. With around 29,000 students (20% international) TU Dresden is the largest technical university in Saxony. It enjoys an outstanding national and international reputation for research in natural and engineering sciences.
One of the most prominent characteristics of TU Dresden is its dynamic development – a process that has been going on for years and will continue into the future. As a "synergetic university", TU Dresden closely cooperates with external research institutions as well as cultural, industrial, and social organisations. Students also benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration with a focus on practical outcomes. Teaching and research follow the principle of involving both students and graduates into current research early on.

The capital of the Free State of Saxony, Dresden, stands majestically on the river Elbe. The fourth-largest city by area in Germany, Dresden is home not just to riverside palaces, Baroque churches and world-class museums but also to a proud history of science and technology. This finds continuity into the present with the DRESDEN-concept, an alliance of 41 research institutions in and around Dresden of which TUD is a proud and prominent member. Whether you are interested in theatre, opera, cabaret or cinema, or if you enjoy a stroll through museums or a night out at the pub, Dresden has something to offer for everyone. Students also get an opportunity to be active in the many sports facilities in Dresden, including TU Dresden’s own, or in the surrounding nature of the Elbe landscape, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Elbsandsteingebirge) or the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge). The surroundings of the city have plenty to offer and the city is an excellent hub from where to explore Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Wrocław.