The Continental Water Sustainability Master’s program is a two-year international program dedicated to the sustainability of continental waters. This excellence-oriented program leads to the award of a double degree.

Master Sciences de la Terre et des planètes, environnement
Parcours Continental Water Sustainability

Partenaires

Langue d'enseignementAnglais
Credits120 crédits
Durée2 ans
Catalogue2026-2027

Training future professionals in sustainable socio-hydrosystem management

The Master in Continental Water Sustainability is a two-year international programme, fully taught in English, dedicated to understanding and addressing the major challenges related to the sustainability of continental hydrosystems (rivers, lakes, wetlands etc). This programme of excellence leads to a double degree, awarded on the one hand by the University of Strasbourg, co-accredited by the National School for Water and Environmental Engineering at Strasbourg (ENGEES), and on the other hand by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Designed to respond to global water management challenges (such as water governance, ecological restoration, urban hydrology, climate issues, pollution, water use conflicts, etc.), the programme trains professionals capable of analysing socio-hydrosystems, designing innovative solutions, and implementing them in diverse environmental, social and institutional contexts.

From Science Fiction to Academic Vision

Born out of science fiction, nexialism refers to an approach that connects fields of knowledge rather than compartmentalising them. It is this vision that underpins the Master in Continental Water Sustainability (CWS).

“ Nexialism is the science of joining together in an orderly fashion the knowledge of one field of learning with that of other fields. It provides techniques for speeding up the processes of absorbing knowledge and of using effectively what has been learned. ”

The Voyage of the Space Beagle, A.E. van Vogt (1950)

Nexialism, as defined by the novelist A. E. van Vogt, is the very DNA of the CWS Master’s programme: the curriculum is entirely designed to train experts capable of a holistic approach to continental socio-ecological hydrosystems.

Beyond providing a strong academic foundation, our ambition is to develop students’ ability to think interdisciplinarily, to collaborate across cultures, to adopt approaches that may lie outside conventional frameworks, and to remain strongly oriented toward problem-solving.

Innovative, solution-oriented teaching

An interdisciplinary approach

The programme combines:

  • Natural sciences and engineering (hydrology, ecology, etc.),
  • Human and social sciences (sociology, communication strategies, etc.).

This approach enables students to understand the interactions between the physical, biological and social dimensions of aquatic ecosystems and to develop sustainable responses to complex water management challenges.
 

Learning by doing

The programme places a strong emphasis on practice-based learning.

Students develop key skills in:

  • teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration,
  • communication, negotiation and conflict management,
  • complex project management.

Innovative teaching methods such as hackathons, applied projects and case studies with real stakeholders allow students to build on an international pool of existing solutions, adapt them to different socio-ecological contexts, and assess their long-term efficiency.
 

Key highlights

  • A unique interdisciplinary approach, combining water sciences, engineering and social sciences
  • A solution-oriented and field-based programme
  • A strong international approach
  • A recognised double degree

Preparing Your Arrival

Preparing for your mobility is an important step towards a successful stay. Here you will find a selection of useful resources from the University of Strasbourg and KIT to help you before your arrival, including administrative procedures, accommodation, welcome services and practical information.

A Strong International Framework

This master’s programme is supported by EUCOR – The European Campus, which promotes cooperation and mobility among five universities in the Upper Rhine region.

It is also part of the framework of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, as well as its Youth Programme in Ecohydrology, and is recommended by the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education.

The programme is implemented under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair “Rivers and Heritage” and the EUCOR Chair of Excellence “Water and Sustainability.”

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