By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK American students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will tomorrow present their findings and recommendations on co-operative projects they have conducted with Namibian organizations. This was announced in a press release by the American Cultural Center. The following project reports will be presented: The Cuvelai-Etosha Basin Management Approach: – Assessing the Perceptions of Water Resource Management in the Iishana sub-basin in conjunction with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN); – Energy Profiling for Off-Grid Energization Solutions in Namibia also with the DRFN; – Communication and Sanitation: The Case of the Informal Settlements of Windhoek, Namibia; with the City of Windhoek, Department of Infrastructure, Water and Technical Services; – Rainwater Harvesting in Informal Settlements Outside Windhoek, Namibia, with the Polytechnic of Namibia’s Department of Land Management; – Improving Domestic Tourism in Namibia, with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and the Polytechnic of Namibia’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management; – HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Assessment with the Polytechnic of Namibia’s Office of the Dean of Students. According to the press release the Polytechnic of Namibia signed a partnership agreement in 2002 with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Massachusetts, USA. “As part of the agreement, WPI sends students to Namibia every year to conduct Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQPs) as components of the institution’s Project Based Learning initiatives. IQPs are designed to be used for complex issues that require students to investigate and address problems that lie at the intersection of science, engineering or technology and societal or human needs. In essence, the objective of the IQP is to enable graduates to understand, as global citizens and professionals, how their careers will affect the larger society,” it said. A group of 22 students led by professors Rob Krueger and Fred J. Looft arrived in Namibia in March to work on their projects. “WPI and the Polytechnic are proud to make the findings of these valuable academic projects available to the public. Moreover, IQPs are crafted to provide the students with opportunities for significant international and pre-professional experience that are unique in technological education,” the statement concluded.