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Lab in a Bag: a water teaching lab for Arusha

The "Lab in a Bag", or teaching lab on water, is a complementary teaching concept for experience-based university teaching in hydraulics, hydraulic engineering and urban water management applied in Arusha, Tanzania.

Africa

Tanzania

Arusha

Funding period: 2023-2024

The Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustauschs e.V. , Munich (International Knowledge Exchange Association) has been implementing various water-related projects in recent years, primarily in Africa, but also in Latin America and Asia. In its projects, it is using the "Lab in a Bag" teaching concept that was invented by the chair of the association, Christoph Rapp, at the Technical University of Munich. The concept uses experience-based learning through simple experiments that enable students to better understand complex physical relationships.

Ein Schüler macht eine technische Skizze — In the coming years, the focus will be on finalizing the hydraulic and hydraulic engineering experiments. Photo: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V., Munich, Credit: Dr. Christoph Rapp

Mehrere Schüler tüfteln an einer Konstruktion — The teaching concept was initiated at the Technical University of Munich, further developed over the years and implemented at various universities in Asia, Latin America and
Africa. Photo: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V., Munich, Credit: Dr. Christoph Rapp

Eine Konstruktion wird überprüft — The teaching concept is based on the idea that a discovery always begins with an observation. Photo: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V., Munich, Credit: Dr. Christoph Rapp

The association focused its activities on the "Lab in a Bag" project that was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and implemented, with academic support from the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, at Arusha Technical College (ATC) in Tanzania. The aim is to design experiments in such a way that they are cost-efficient and simple to set up and are small enough for packaging. In this way, experience-based teaching on water issues will enrich the curricula for future engineers who study at universities worldwide, including in Africa.

As a first step, a teaching room was set up in January at Arusha Technical College with financial support from the Wilo-Foundation. This room uses a cost-efficient modular construction system with lightweight construction elements and plastic bottles as filling material. Therefore, it is just as easily “exportable” as the "Lab in a Bag" itself.

Das Wasser-Lehrlabor "Lag-in-a-bag" — The new external course room consists of construction and plastic bottles as filling material. Photo: Vereins zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V., Munich, Credit: Markus Heinsdorff

The room for the lab-in-a-bag was designed by Markus Heinsdorff (here at the camera) on the campus of Arusha Technical College as part of a workshop with students. Photo: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V., Munich, Credit: Dr. Christoph Rapp

Schüler im Kursraum — The laboratory is equipped with a mobile 3D printer. Photo: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustauschs e.V., Munich, Credit: Markus Heinsdorff

The water training lab is equipped with a mobile 3D printer, which is especially useful for mechanical engineering students at the college. The lab was designed and built by Munich-based artist Markus Heinsdorff who has received the Federal Cross of Merit and whose works include the German-Chinese House at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and, in collaboration with the association, successful projects in the rainforests of Ecuador and in Zanzibar, for example.

The water training lab has many advantages. First of all, it will raise students’ awareness of environmental protection, and also teach them how to use recycled materials for construction. It also enables users the cost-efficient application of one of the latest technologies for building prototypes of consumer goods, industrial, medical and health products.

In July and August 2023, four students of Arusha Technical College visited Erfurt University of Applied Sciences and Technical University Munich in order to work on the Lab in a Bag concept, develop it further and prepare installations in Arusha. The Wilo-Foundation provided funding for the training material during this project phase, among other things.

Photo Header: Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustauschs e.V., Munich, Credit: Markus Heinsdorff

Our funding partner

The goal of the Munich-based Verein zur Förderung des internationalen Wissensaustausches e.V. (International Knowledge Exchange Association) is to contribute to positive development and improved understanding by promoting and fostering knowledge exchange at all levels between Germany and other countries. Questions relating to functioning infrastructures in regions and countries are the association’s area of expertise. The association has a broad thematic focus and has acquired vast technical experience over several decades that it wants to use to make a real difference.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:

What are the SDGs?