Next year, between the 11th of September and the 15th of September, IWRA and the Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China will host the XVIII World Water Congress in Beijing, China.

This Congress is the largest event linking water researchers and policy practitioners in the world. With the theme "Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature," the XVIII World Water Congress will focus on the need to promote coordination and balance between the water needs of humans and nature.

To better understand the existing challenges and solutions around water management, IWRA is looking for  twenty (20) rapporteurs (between the ages of 18 to 35) who will help ensure the smooth running of Congress sessions and who will be tasked with providing summary reports on the different Congress sessions, including regular and special sessions, high-level plenaries, and discussions throughout the week.

Rapporteurs can be students or young professionals with skills that will be invaluable for distilling the content of the various sessions and panels. Rapporteurs will be the decisive instrumental part of the reporting and conclusions process.

What does it mean to be a rapporteur?

Rapporteurs will be in charge of reporting on the content of the Congress (typically two sessions per day). This content will then be used to develop daily summaries that will feed the daily Newsletter of the Congress, but also form the basis for the Congress Final Report. Rapporteurs will be divided in three categories: the Reporters team, the Editors team, and the Newsletter team. You can find more information about their different roles, the terms and conditions, and application guidelines here.

In exchange for working as a rapporteur, the selected individuals will receive:
  • Free registration to the XVIII World Water Congress, including:
    • Full access to the Congress
    • Complementary lunches and dinner (including Gala Dinner）
    • An invitation to join field trips in Beijing  
  •  A 12-month IWRA Silver Membership.
  • A certificate recognising their contribution to the XVIII World Water Congress on the final day.
  • Acknowledgment in the Congress Report.
Please note that rapporteurs will receive no financial remuneration for their participation in this programme and will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation.

What are the conditions to become a rapporteur?

The candidates should be between 18 and 35 years old and be proficient in English. They should have good knowledge of at least one water topic and ideally be enrolled in a university-level water area of study. Candidates who study or work in China during the Congress period with the knowledge of Mandarin are desirable but not essential.

To learn more about the application review process and other details, please click here.

We look forward to your submissions by December 31, 2022!