Haniyeh Jalalipour
Chair of ISWA Germany
In September 2022, members of the ISWA YPG met in Singapore for the 2022 ISWA World Congress.
As the chair of ISWA Germany, I am an active member of the ISWA community, and have been involved in the Young Professionals Group for several years.
The concept of the Young Professional Group enticed me to participate from the start. YPG seeks to connect young people in order to enable them to share knowledge and experiences and help them develop their careers. In fact, it encourages Germany’s two primary waste management platforms (RETech and DGAW) to share responsibility for national membership.
With the support of the national members, we have attempted to reactivate the young professional group in Germany. By attending the largest Scientific Waste Management Conference in 2021 in Dresden, we reached out to young researchers and invited them to join the group. With the support of a German company (HiiCCE) and ISWA YPG, we officially launched the YPG-Germany at IFAT Munich this year. Young people come together to network and exchange ideas in the form of a brainstorming session.
We currently have a mailing list of roughly 25-30 people and a WhatsApp group where members can interact. A core team has been formed, which includes me and two young professionals who work in companies that support national membership. As active members, we are always looking for ways to promote the group. Networking with active members of other regional YPGs often inspires
The ISWA World Congress 2022 was my first ISWA Congress, and I was really pleased to finally meet a lot of people in person, notably my mentor Dr. Jane Gilbert, the chair of the Working group on Biological Treatement of Waste.
In addition to the fascinating and instructive talks, the networking part of the event was really fruitful for me. I had the chance to have a conversation with several active members of ISWA Working groups and benefit from their advice for my YPG activity. I got to know the friendly team of “The Oman Environmental Services Holding” which motivates me to book my ticket for the next World Congress.
Examples of worthwhile experiences include attending the ISWA-SWIS winter school and the ISWA world congress. Not only did I get to know some incredible people and gain insight from their experiences, but I also realized that creativity is the key to unlocking many career doors. One should, of course, be eager to listen and open to fresh perspectives.
Play an active role in the waste sector of tomorrow
Are you a waste professional or academic under the age of 35?
Join ISWA’s Young Professionals Group now, and take part in the events, working groups and campaigns.
