TreatRec project launches its first training course, entitled “State-of-the art in wastewater treatment, challenges and opportunities”. The course, hosted by LEQUIA research group, is being held at ICRA headquarters (UdG Science Park, Girona) from 15th to 17th September 2015.

TreatRec (Interdisciplinary concepts for municipal wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Tackling future challenges) is a European Industrial Doctorate (EID) project funded by Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions program of Horizon 2020. The project involves two academic partners (ICRA-Catalan Institute for Water Research and UdG-University of Girona) and two non-academic partners (ATKINS and AQUAFIN) with a clear aim of producing a group of young researchers capable of conducting high quality research, but also able to address industrial and societal needs and implement wastewater-related directives in practice. In order to reach this ambitious goal, 5 PhD research projects on key wastewater treatment challenges such as nutrient recovery or microcontaminants removal will be carried out.

This first advanced training course started on Tuesday 15th September. Dr Joaquim Comas (UdG principal investigator) and project coordinator Dr Mira Petrovic (ICRA) welcomed the attendants. The opening speeches were followed by a class on “Academic Writing and Publications” by Dr Gustaf Olsson (Lund University, Sweeden) that brought together numerous PhD students willing to learn writing tips for academic works. The second part of this class, also by Dr Olsson, will close the course on Thursday 17^th September. Also on Thursday 17^th LEQUIA researcher Dr Jesús Colprim will talk about best available techniques for biological wastewater treatment processes.