Knowledge Graphs
for Water Management
An intensive, in-person academic program uniting environmental engineering, sustainable water governance, and advanced semantic technologies.
Target Audience
Designed for Doctoral (PhD) and Postdoctoral researchers working at the intersection of:
- Environmental Science
- Water & Waste Infrastructure Management
- Data Science, Semantic Web & Knowledge Graphs
- Affiliated to EULiST Universities
Fusing Theory, Practice, & Interdisciplinary Projects
To address critical global issues and reporting targets on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) indicators, the EULiST Alliance presents an immersive, hands-on scientific camp hosted at Leibniz Universität Hannover.
In the first half of the program, participants will collaborate on sharing and integrating water-related data from diverse disciplines and repositories. In the second half, intensive group project sprints will empower participants to apply semantic models to resolve complex environmental challenges. Informal evening sessions create an open environment for discussing research, networking, and exchanging innovative ideas.
Vision for Intelligent Water Systems
Accelerating the digital transformation of water management with integrated, sustainable semantic technologies.
Topics and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, participants will have acquired robust framework skills and practical knowledge in semantic system design:
Semantic Water Interoperability
Conceptual understanding of how Knowledge Graphs (KGs) and semantic models enhance water data integration across complex disciplines.
Real-world Resource Applications
Insight into water resource management, decision support frameworks, and regulatory sustainability policies using water metadata structures.
ORKG Infrastructure
Hands-on experience in structured scientific mapping and semantic research comparison using the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG) tool and LDM.
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Knowledge Graph Construction & SPARQL
Practical development skills in ontology design, semantic triples construction, graph architectures, and writing robust SPARQL data queries.
Personal Research Mapping
A customized, personal conceptual model applying knowledge graphs directly to your own PhD thesis or postdoctoral research work.
Interdisciplinary Project Sprints
Collaborative teamwork experience in building, resolving, and presenting team-designed semantic models for municipal water systems.
Summer School Weekly Program
September 13 – September 19, 2026 · Leibniz Universität Hannover
| Day / Date | Sun 13.09 Arrival |
Mon 14.09 Day 2 |
Tue 15.09 Day 3 |
Wed 16.09 Day 4 |
Thu 17.09 Day 5 |
Fri 18.09 Day 6 |
Sat 19.09 Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Lange Laube 28 | Room 3416.000.001 (HB A Musiksaal) · Callinstraße 30 | Fieldtrip Hamburg | Gebäude 3408 (Hochhaus), 5th Floor · Appelstraße 9a | |||
|
Morning 9:00 – 12:30 |
Arrival of participants to Hannover |
9:00
Opening Speech
Prof. Dr. Regina Nogueira (VP LUH)
Keynote
Wastewater Surveillance (PIA-Monitor)
Dr. Andreas Gericke (German Environment Agency)
Coffee break
Guest Speaker
DigitalPani-App: Nepal Citizen's Science
Amrita Gautam (Gateway TH Cologne)
|
9:00 Keynote
Introduction to Knowledge Graphs
Prof. Dr. Maria-Esther Vidal (L3S-LUH & SDM-TIB)
Coffee break
Guest Speaker
Water Health Open Knowledge Graph (WHOW-KG)
Dr. Anna Sofia Lippolis (Univ. of Bologna)
|
Hamburg Fieldtrip
Breakfast from 7:00 at hotel
Meeting Point: Central Train Station
Time: 08:20 Train: RE2 08:40 via Uelzen |
9:00 – 12:30
Hands-on Exercise
Building and querying a simple water knowledge graph
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9:00 – 12:30
Group Project Work
Designing a KG for a selected water management challenge
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Hotel Check-out
Presentations
Presentations of Group Work
Wrap-up
Emerging directions & funding opportunities
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Lunch 11:30 / 12:30 |
- | Lunch at Mensa | Lunch at Mensa | Lunch in Hamburg | Lunch at Mensa | Lunch at Mensa | Lunch in our room |
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Afternoon 13:00 – 18:00 |
Welcome Meeting
Icebreaker, logistics & meals
Lange Laube 28 (SDM Group)
|
13:00 – 15:00
Field Trip: Klärwerk Herrenhausen
WWTP visit (travel: 30 min)
Guest Speaker
PhD in Hydrology & Water Security
Dr. Marisela Uzcategui (URJC)
Session block: URJC
|
13:00 – 14:00
Tour: TIB Library
TIB Leibniz Information Centre
Guest Speaker
Hyperspectral Imaging
Prof. Dr. Georgiana Amariei (Univ. of Alcalá)
Coffee break
Session block: NTU Athens
|
13:00 – 14:30
WasserKunst Guided Tour
Free afternoon in Hamburg
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Afternoon Sprint
Group Project Work
Designing a KG for a selected water management challenge
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Excursion
Hannover Blue-Green Infrastructure
LUH, Maschsee, Rathaus
Free afternoon: Work in groups & finalize project outputs
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Departure to Airport
Transit to Airport (HAJ)
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Evening 18:00+ |
Welcome Dinner
Lavash (7:00 PM)
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Dinner (18:00)
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Dinner
Spätzle-Haus (18:45)
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Dinner in Hamburg / Return |
Last Dinner
18:00
|
Free Evening | - |
Full Summer School Schedule (PDF / Document)
Download the complete, official schedule with room numbers and daily agendas.
Syllabus Details: University Lecture Blocks
Institute of Sanitary Engineering (Leibniz Univ. Hannover)
- Drinking Water Quality Data: Integration methodologies and standards for clean drinking supply.
- Water Consumption Patterns: Exploring data metrics for municipal, industrial, and agricultural usage.
- Water Emission & Discharges: Tracking sewage output and monitoring regional processing emissions.
- Public Health Data Models: Environmentally acquired illness statistics (e.g. Legionnaires') and sewage monitoring (EU Directive).
Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain)
- Wastewater Reclamation: Photochemical, electrochemical and membrane disinfection under Regulation (EU) 2020/741.
- Global Reuse Opportunities: Identifying reclamation frameworks in low- and middle-income countries.
- Wastewater Reuse Technologies: Biological and chemical purification of municipal effluents for agriculture.
- Advanced Monitoring Tools: Exploring modern software and sensory tools for wastewater treatment systems.
National Technical University of Athens (Greece)
- Risk Management Plans (RMPs): Technical guidelines under Regulation (EU) 2020/741 and Directive (EU) 2024/3019.
- Nature-Based Solutions (NBS): Constructed wetlands, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and coastal systems (HYDROUSA, CARDIMED).
- New Regulatory Directives: New stringent parameters under the Revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (EU) 2024/3019.
- WWTP Upgrade Prioritization: Developing structural scoring grids to coordinate regional treatment plant upgrades.
TIB Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology
The TIB is the German National Library of Science and Technology as well as architecture, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics, providing literature and information primarily for national and international science, research and industry.
- University Integration: TIB ensures the supply of information to Leibniz Universität Hannover.
- Scientific Infrastructure: Setting global standards in Open Science, metadata management, and research data repositories.
Scientific Field Trips
Bridging environmental theories with real-world infrastructure operations through guided technical excursions:
Hamburg Water Excursions
REMONDIS TetraPhos®-Verfahren
Operates the first large-scale plant in Hamburg using the patented TetraPhos process. Participants will learn how sewage sludge is converted into phosphoric acid (marketed as RePacid) alongside recovering valuable materials for the construction industry.
WasserForum Museum
Northern Germany's largest water museum. Explores the physical journey of water from the Alster river to clean drinking supplies, alongside wastewater processing pathways. Features a true-to-life physical sewer model walking tour.
Hannover Water Systems
Klärwerk Herrenhausen
One of the primary wastewater treatment operations in Hannover and the oldest of its kind in Lower Saxony. Explores purification cycles before water is safely released back into the Leine River.
Blue-Green Infrastructure Walk
Explore Hannover's progressive urban architectural sites combining green elements (vegetated parks, green roofs) with blue infrastructure (rainwater capture basins, local stormwater retention systems) to mitigate urban heat islands and boost climatic resilience.
Local Organizers
Co-Organizers
Dr. Elena Koumaki
CO-ORGANIZER
Postdoctoral Researcher & Environmental Scientist, PhD in Environmental Engineering.
National Technical Univ. of Athens Website
Prof. Dr. Francisco Carreño
CO-ORGANIZER
Responsible for the Interuniversity Doctoral Program in Hydrology and Water Management.
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos WebsiteTutors
Mentors
Keynote Speakers
Summer School Code of Conduct
To guarantee a productive, stimulating, and welcoming academic environment, the EULiST summer school committee is fully committed to providing a harassment-free learning experience for everyone.
Questions about the program?
If you are interested in participating or have any questions about the EULiST Summer School, please reach out to our organizing committee. We look forward to welcoming you to Hannover!
How to Reach Hannover & LUH Venue
The summer school primarily takes place at the main campus of Leibniz University of Hannover (Welfenschloss) and the TIB Leibniz Information Centre.
By Air (Hannover Airport — HAJ)
Hannover Airport has direct connections to major European hubs. From the airport, take S-Bahn line S5 directly to Hannover Hauptbahnhof (central station) in approximately 17 minutes.
By Train (Hannover Hauptbahnhof)
Hannover is a major ICE high-speed rail hub. Frequent connections from Hamburg (~75 min), Berlin (~100 min), and Frankfurt (~140 min).
Local Tram to Campus
From Hannover Central Station, walk ~5 minutes to Kröpcke. Take tram Line 4 (direction Garbsen) or Line 5 (direction Stöcken) to stop "Universität" — approximately 5 minutes, 3 stops.
Physical Coordinates
Welfengarten 1, Hannover
Leibniz Universität Hannover
Main Building (Welfenschloss)
Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Consortium & Alliances
