YWP Get-Together - Career Skills – Session 5: Bridge the gap between academia and industry

The IWA Young Water Professionals (YWP) Steering Committee, together with the IWA Secretariat, warmly invites members of the global YWP community to join an upcoming online Get-Together. This event is part of an ongoing series of interactive sessions designed to support, connect, and empower Young Water Professionals across the IWA network.

While YWPs often develop strong technical expertise in academic or professional settings, many face challenges when navigating the interface between academia and industry. Differences in priorities, timelines, and communication styles can limit collaboration and hinder the translation of research into real-world impact.

This session will focus on bridging academia and industry, providing practical insights into how YWPs can effectively operate across both spaces. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, participants will explore partnership models, co-creation approaches, and the key skills needed to engage across sectors. Participants will gain actionable tools to strengthen collaboration pathways, enhance the visibility and applicability of their work, and maximise their impact within the water sector.

The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, fostering cross-sector dialogue and practical takeaways.

This online event is an excellent opportunity to strengthen your journey within the IWA network, connect with peers from around the world, build confidence, and engage in conversations around what unites us all: advancing towards a water-wise world.

Please note: the event is exclusive to YWPs and will be hosted in English, with no translation available. Participation is free of charge, and no certificate will be provided.

YWPs, practitioners, academics and researchers, utilities, students

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognise key cultural, structural, and practical differences between academia and industry in the water sector;
• Reflect on common challenges and opportunities when working across academic and industrial settings;
• Identify practical ways to engage, communicate, and collaborate more effectively across sectors;
• Gain insight from women’s lived experiences to better navigate career paths and partnerships between academia and industry;

Panelists

• Hayat Raza, IWA YWP Steering Committee/IWA YWP Canada Chapter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayatraza1990/
• Francisca Braga, IWA YWP Steering Committee/IWA YWP Denmark Chapter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscasousabraga/
• Ines Breda, Grundfos/ IWA Strategic Council member - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ineslbreda/
• Beatrice Cantoni, IWA YWP Italy Chapter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrice-cantoni-b8661514b/
• Yumeng Zhao, IWA LeaP/IWA YWP China Chapter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yumeng-zhao-baaa7aa4/

Past IWA YWP events: explore them on the IWA Treasure Chest at www.iwaconnectplus.org.

If you have any questions regarding the IWA YWP Community, please contact Isabela Espindola, IWA Membership Engagement Senior Officer, at isabela.espindola@iwahq.org.