The 6th class 2015-2016 of the International Executive Master OPT, dedicated to the training of managers of urban drinking water and sanitation utilities, is composed of 36 students including 28 sub-Saharan Africans. Their training began in theMontpellier AgroParisTech Center, and relates to the assumption of responsibilities in the management of an urban service provider. This Master’s degree is based on the postulate that difficulties regarding the access to water and sanitation are related to a deficiency in senior executives and leaders in general management teams of public service operators, and in the necessary management capacity building of the supervisory staff and management as well.

This program is organized over a twice, three month period in alternation (in accordance with the utility of the student), over a total period of 16 months, and the diploma is delivered after defending a professional thesis evaluated by the official jury of AgroParisTech. In September 2015, 4 lecture weekswill be organized in Kampala for the English-speaking people and in Ouagadougou for the French-speaking ones, with lectures relating to customer management and the access to water and sanitation in the informal and outlying districts.

Since 2009 and with the 6th class 2015 included, there have been more than 120 studentsfrom about 35 African, Asian, Central Europe and America and the Caribbean countries who have been trained. The 6th class will be named after SDE (Sénégalaise Des Eaux) Managing Director, Mamadou Dia. Candidacies for the 2017-2018 program are already opened with the support of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, AFD, Water Agencies and other financial donors training scholarships for the best files.

For further information, go tohttp://www.agroparistech.fr/Mastere-Specialise-Eau-pour-Tous.html