Water Engineering

At INES-Ruhengeri, there is a prograrmme of Civil Engineering that has a mission of “Providing professional skills to the students to solve realistic problems in Building, Highway, Water, and Environmental Engineering or anticipate disasters linked with Civil Engineering Infrastructure Development through project-based learning, innovative research and technological services in the region”.

After analysing the market and realizing that there is a gap in infrastructure and hydraulics networks, INES-Ruhengeri decided to contribute to covering this gap by designing a new programme of Water Engineering (WEN). This program provides the student with a thorough knowledge ground in Civil Engineering together with a proper appreciation of the role of the engineer in society so that the students have the skills needed for a wide range of professional careers as leaders in engineering practice and business, technology research and development. The programme has a degree structure that is relevant to students, industry, and staff, and responsive to changes in technology and the needs of the industry.

Students are prepared for professional practice in the major areas of Civil Engineering with specialization in Water Engineering namely appropriate sanitation technology, fluid mechanics, engineering hydrology, hydraulic structures, irrigation and drainage engineering, groundwater engineering, urban drainage and sewerage, environmental impact assessment, water quality analysis and treatments, water supply, and distribution, pumping systems design, dam engineering and hydropower, water resources management, wastewater treatment, storage, and water regulation works.

The programme for Water Engineering is designed in 54 modules distributed throughout four years of 490 credits (4 900 hours) offered in conformity with the Rwanda National Qualification Framework.

The programme is designed in conformity with National and International Civil Engineering programmes to allow the student of the programme to have creativity in Water Engineering conception, data collection, planning, designing, constructing, evaluating performance, and maintaining physical systems that sustain the human enterprise. Students are prepared for professional practice in the major areas of Water Engineering namely: Water Resources Engineering (Hydraulics, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Irrigation, Water Supply, and Sanitation Engineering) with a strong basis in civil engineering.

The modules taught are clustered under mathematics, physics, chemistry, information and communications technology, technical drawing, technical and support courses such as dams, weirs and reservoirs, drinking water supply, sewage disposal, stormwater drainage, irrigation, architectural and factory sites, and their mutual cohabitation which include vocational training and design project (group and individual).

The curriculum emphasizes the provision of a firm theoretical and practical basis in specialty fields. It is envisaged that lead to the production of responsible and well-rounded water engineers. The programme prepares the student for the recognition and collection of field data relevant to water engineering projects and takes him/her through the project stages of concept, feasibility, preliminary and detailed design, construction, monitoring, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

The programme defines the profile of the graduate in Water Engineering as the following:

1. The graduate engineer will work in project design, i.e. in the initial conception and design of water engineering projects.

2. He/She will work towards improving existing techniques and developing appropriate technologies nationally, regionally, and globally.

3. He/She will be versatile in the domain of water engineering and will be able to design and manage water projects. He will be able to easily specialize according to market needs and demands.

4. He/She will be competitive, nationally and internationally.

5. He/She will go on to pursue graduate studies such as a master's and doctorate in the area of water engineering.

At the end of the training programme, laureates of Water Engineering are involved in designing, supervising, and executing water supply, irrigation and drainage, water quality assessment, rural and urban drainage, and land and water management projects.

At the end of the training programme, laureates of Water Engineering are involved in designing, supervising, and executing water supply, irrigation and drainage, water quality assessment, rural and urban drainage, land and water management projects.