​ The Dutch are experienced in water management

"I am a Chinese student at Shanghai Ocean University. Our university has cooperated with HZ for many years and this Summer School is part of this. I was interested in the topic ‘Delta Challenges’ so I decided to join in with nine other students of our university. I sincerely recommend this programme. It was even better than what I imagined.

Solving problems in deltas
I chose this programme because the topic is kind of related to my major Aquaculture. I learnt how to solve problems in delta areas in the Netherlands and other regions in the world, such as the Yangtze River Delta in China. This will be beneficial for my future studies. Furthermore, I knew that the Netherlands has one of the highest education systems in the world, especially in water management. Dutch people have a lot of experience in managing water. This way, I could learn something I could not learn in China. And the course was taught in English, so I could improve my English skills.

Analysing situations
At the beginning the teachers taught us some basic knowledge about water management, ecology, environment science, environment engineering and aquaculture. Then they taught us how to analyse an existing situation in a delta area with regard to the problems and its potential development. We also learned how to plan appropriate routes for possible different challenges. At the end of the three weeks we gave a final presentation about a specific delta area. We worked together in small groups. Although we were from the same university, we did not know each other, and it was a fantastic chance to make new friends.

Impressed by the fish farm
I have experienced a lot. Firstly, I learned new basic knowledge. I now know how to analyse the situation of one area and plan for a route to solve the problems more scientifically. And working together with classmates, I now know how to finish a task more efficiently and how to cooperate with others. Apart from the theory, it was interesting to visit companies that are related to my major. The fish farm we visited impressed me the most. They used an advanced aquaculture engineering technology - Recycler Aquaculture System- to culture fish. I had learned about this from the book at my Chinese university, but it was the first time that I saw it for real!"