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A research work on AI in the water sector wins the CIHEAM Prize for Best Masters Thesis 2022
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > A research work on AI in the water sector wins the CIHEAM Prize for Best Masters Thesis 2022
  • The prize has been awarded to Mohamed Hamitouche, student of the 2020-2022 edition of CIHEAM Zaragoza’s Master in Sustainable Water Management and Governance.

Mohamed Hamitouche has won the CIHEAM Prize for the Best Masters Thesis 2022 for his research study on the use of artificial intelligence in the water sector conducted in the framework of CIHEAM Zaragoza’s International Master “Sustainable Water Management and Governance in Natural and Agricultural Environments”.

The Governing Board of CIHEAM, upon the proposal of the Scientific Advisory Committee, awards this prize every year to the best masters thesis arising from the programmes delivered respectively by the four institutes of the organisation (Bari-Italy-, Chania-Greece-, Montpellier-France- and Zaragoza-Spain), in support of the students’ scientific careers.

The research work in question “Hydrological modelling using artificial intelligence to characterise and predict extreme hydrological events”, was carried out at the Polytechnic School of Avila run by the University of Salamanca in Spain, under the supervision of Dr José Luis Molina (Research Group in Water Engineering and Management).

Besides being Hamitouche’s thesis supervisor, Molina also lectures in the first year of CIHEAM Zaragoza’s Master on Sustainable Water Management and Governance in Natural and Agricultural Environments. He explains that this study and its related publications are an example of how data science and IA algorithms can be used to characterise and improve predictions of extreme hydrological events. He adds that this line of research is particularly useful and effective in catchments with highly irregular flow regimes, where the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall is very heterogeneous.

The academic coordinator of the Master, Maite Aguinaco, has underlined the importance and impact of Hamitouche’s research work. "Mohamed chose a topic of great relevance today – artificial intelligence – for the management of extreme hydrological events such as flooding". She also referred to Hamitouche’s outstanding accomplishments as a student, being top of his class in Algeria, and in Zaragoza during the 2020-2022 edition of the Master.

Aguinaco also highlighted Hamitouche’s enthusiasm, curiosity and work capacity, and remarked that his achievements would serve as an inspiration to those who are now beginning a masters programme.

Hamitouche is currently doing research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the doctoral programme in sustainable development and climate change he is pursuing in Italy.

The winner of the Best Thesis Award was officially announced during the inauguration ceremony at CIHEAM Zaragoza to mark the 2023-2024 academic year. Hamitouche gave his acceptance speech via recorded video message.