As part of the CROSS-REIS capacity-building programme, the second online training module “Digital Skills for Waste Management Projects” was successfully held on 9 December 2025, led by Prof. Wendy Tan and hosted by Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). This session followed the first module delivered in December 2024, which focused on digital tools for circular economy research. Together, the two modules form a comprehensive training curriculum designed to strengthen digital competences among scholars and researchers from widening countries.
The curriculum aims to equip participants with practical skills for applying spatial analytical and modelling approaches in circular economy and waste management projects. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, hands-on labs, and self-assessment, participants learn to distinguish between digital methods, analyze and interpret spatial data, and create visualizations that effectively support decision-making in real community contexts.
The training adopts a learner-centred and active learning approach, inviting participants to collaborate, reflect, and interact through tools such as Miro, Mentimeter, and peer-based activities. The pedagogical design emphasizes problem-solving and real-world application, ensuring that newly acquired technical skills translate into practical project competencies.
The second module opened with an introduction to the waste management hierarchy, covering reduce–reuse–recycle strategies and the challenges cities face in transitioning toward more circular practices. In the first practical laboratory, participants explored material flow analysis and discussed location choices for waste management sites in Serbia, engaging in an interactive demonstration and collaborative workflow design.
During the afternoon session, attention shifted to location analysis using GIS, where participants learned how to identify optimal locations for waste segregation bins and recycling collection points at the urban scale. Using ArcGIS and QGIS, participants worked with spatial datasets, practiced mapping techniques, and discussed how these methods can support municipal planning and environmental policy. The training concluded with a quiz for self-assessment, reinforcing key concepts and learning outcomes.
By the end of the module, participants strengthened their capacity to apply digital mapping tools, evaluate waste flows, and use spatial decision-support techniques that are increasingly essential for effective waste management planning. This training represents another step in the CROSS-REIS mission to enhance research excellence and empower widening institutions with tools that support regenerative and sustainable urban development.