Israel – Global Engineering Trek (GET): Water Program Description
This summer, a group of Northwestern freshmen and sophomores traveled to Israel as part of Northwestern University’s Institute for Sustainability and Energy (ISEN) Global Engineering Trek (GET) Water trip to Israel. Water management is a highly interdisciplinary field, and all majors, particularly in engineering, science, and social policy, will contribute to addressing critical water needs in the 21st century. Based on the successful GET Sustainability program model in Germany, the GET Water program enables Northwestern freshmen and sophomores to see Israel’s critical water infrastructure, experience its culture of innovation, and tour diverse historical and archaeological sites. GET Water features an immersive program in three regions in Israel: the populous and vibrant Tel Aviv / Dan region, the temperate and historical region around Haifa and the Northeast, and the Negev Desert in the south.
As part of the GET Trek to Israel, students will explore transboundary water issues, ancient infrastructure, and modern emerging solutions through discussions with diverse water experts, explorations of technological innovation, and visits to major water utilities, infrastructure facilities, and research centers. Trekkers will also gain exposure to global internship, research, and job opportunities including those related to startups, water desalination, water reuse, and hyper-efficient precision agriculture systems.
This blog series will feature the Trekkers’ report on each site visit and their interactions with the experts and speakers they meet on the GET Water trip. These blog posts will also feature their various student activities and highlight the key information gained.
2019 GET Water Trekkers pose with Dr. Elie Rekhess (center)