USM Hosts Public Lecture on Water Governance and Expertise
March 10, 2026
The University of St. Martin will host a public lecture by Dr. Shahnoor Hasan exploring how power, expertise, and knowledge shape global water governance and development practices.
The University of St. Martin will host a public lecture titled “Hierarchies of Expertise: Whose Water Knowledge Counts and Why?” on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. USM Lecture Hall 202.
The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Shahnoor Hasan, a Bangladeshi academic and Senior Researcher in water governance and development at Deltares in the Netherlands. Dr. Hasan’s research focuses on the politics of water governance and climate adaptation, examining how knowledge, expertise, and decision-making power influence water policy and development outcomes.
Drawing from Science and Technology Studies and the anthropology of development, her work explores how different actors, including farmers, engineers, policymakers, and donors, shape water technologies and governance systems. Her research also highlights how power dynamics can influence whose knowledge is valued, and whose voices may be excluded in decision-making processes.
Dr. Hasan’s work on the Dutch Delta Approach in Vietnam and Bangladesh has contributed to international discussions on water governance, knowledge exchange, and the global influence of Dutch water management expertise.
During the lecture, Dr. Hasan will engage the local community in exploring how hierarchies of expertise affect water governance and development, and why recognizing diverse forms of knowledge is essential in addressing global environmental challenges.
USM invites students, faculty, researchers, policymakers, and members of the public to attend this important discussion and participate in the dialogue on water governance, climate adaptation, and the role of knowledge in shaping sustainable futures.
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The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Shahnoor Hasan, a Bangladeshi academic and Senior Researcher in water governance and development at Deltares in the Netherlands. Dr. Hasan’s research focuses on the politics of water governance and climate adaptation, examining how knowledge, expertise, and decision-making power influence water policy and development outcomes.
Drawing from Science and Technology Studies and the anthropology of development, her work explores how different actors, including farmers, engineers, policymakers, and donors, shape water technologies and governance systems. Her research also highlights how power dynamics can influence whose knowledge is valued, and whose voices may be excluded in decision-making processes.
Dr. Hasan’s work on the Dutch Delta Approach in Vietnam and Bangladesh has contributed to international discussions on water governance, knowledge exchange, and the global influence of Dutch water management expertise.
During the lecture, Dr. Hasan will engage the local community in exploring how hierarchies of expertise affect water governance and development, and why recognizing diverse forms of knowledge is essential in addressing global environmental challenges.
USM invites students, faculty, researchers, policymakers, and members of the public to attend this important discussion and participate in the dialogue on water governance, climate adaptation, and the role of knowledge in shaping sustainable futures.
Latest News →
