Summer Workshop 2026

2026 INTERNATIONAL WATER ACADEMY

From Data to Diplomacy

Gain rare, hands-on insights from global leaders in water science, law, conflict management & cooperation, and elevate your expertise in safeguarding the world's most precius resource. 

Workshop Goals and Content:

• Providing these concentrated offerings collectively and onsite, we hope to promote an atmosphere of commonality and community to help build towards a sustainable, equitable, and peaceful future.

  This program is designed for:

  • State or federal agencies

  • NGOs

  • Advocacy groups

  • Development partners or development banks

  • Professionals and graduate students in any water-related field

  • All sessions will be held on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, Oregon, with supplemental online coursework.

What You'll Learn:

• Techniques for managing and transforming water-related conflicts
• The state of the art in monitoring and assessing water resources

In Person - Oregon State University Campus

     Choose one course per session, up to two total

• Session 1: June 22-26 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m)

  • Water Conflict Management and Transformation - Lynette de Silva & Dr. Aaron Wolf

• Session 2: June 29 - July 10 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m )

  • Water Measurement & Interpretation - Dr. Dror Avisar

•  WRP 521 - Water Conflict Management & Transformation taught by Lynette de Silva and Aaron Wolf
  
  “Water Conflict Management” offers an opportunity for water resources professionals and graduate students to learn about current and leading-edge ways to work effectively in contentious water situations. It explores conflict tolerance, prevention, management, and transformation through collaborative structures as well as through models of negotiation and dialogue. This week-long session emphasizes experiential learning. We offer a place to learn and practice new skills that are applicable from the individual level to the societal level and across a range of real-life situations. Additionally, the workshop helps students understand just how creative, messy and inelegant workable solutions are likely to be.
   

Instructors: 

Lynette de Silva

Lynette de Silva directs the Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation at Oregon State University (OSU), which includes: the graduate/professional certificate program; the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, an information technology/outreach program; and the University Partnership for Transboundary Waters, a collaborative research program. This involves contributing to issues of topical scientific and societal importance; adding to state, national, and international visibility; consolidating programmatic cores and teaching missions; and recruiting graduate students and evaluating student applications.

de Silva teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in water resources management, and water conflict management. Her principal areas of interest include water conflict management, integrated watershed management, and the study of transboundary waters. Ms. de Silva’s research interests include gender issues in transboundary freshwater dispute resolution, particularly as it relates to the role of women.
 

Dr. Aaron T. Wolf

Aaron T. Wolf, PhD is a professor of geography at Oregon State University, USA, with an appointment as professor of water diplomacy at IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands. He has acted as consultant to the US Government, the World Bank, and several international governments and development partners on various aspects of water resources and conflict management. A trained mediator/ facilitator, he directs the Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation, through which he has offered workshops, facilitations, and mediation in basins throughout the world.

Workshop Registration and Costs

• How to register

  •  Early Bird Pricing Available - get more information, secure your seat and save $200 at http://workspace.oregonstate.edu/water-academy

    •  

      Step 1: Apply

      Visiting students during summer will need to apply for “non-degree” status before registering. (Note: this does not apply to degree-seeking students already admitted to OSU, or to visiting students who previously applied for non-degree status and took an OSU class within the past year.) To apply for "non-degree" status visit Non-Degree Student Admission Information(Link is external). Within three to seven business days of online application submission, you should receive an email from the OSU Office of Admissions with confirmation, an OSU Student Identification Number and helpful registration information.

      Step 2: Register

      To register for the Course: WRP 521 - Water Conflict Management and Transformation, visit the Registration Instructions(Link is external). To access the web registration system, go to MyOSU(Link is external) and login using your ONID user name and password. Need help registering contact: OSU Registrar's Office(Link is external). 

• Participants interested in taking these courses for the University credit-option, reach out to the WRGP department with any questions.

  Non-US or non-credit seeking participants, reach out to Rachael Weber at [email protected] with PACE with any questions regarding non-credit workshop options.

• Travel and Accomodation

• virtual tour of Corvallis and Oregon