On 4 May 2024 in Kigali, upon the introduction of AETDEW President Dato Lee Yee Cheong, AETDEW Fellow Papias Kazawadi met with AETDEW Fellow Professor Mu Rongping, Director of the Institute for Innovation and Policy of the Chinese Academy of Science. Papias is the President of the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO) and a Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO).
They discussed areas of collaboration and support to enhance the Tasks Africa’s initiative to establish the virtual Centre of Excellence for Green Urbanisation by sourcing experts from China. This will foster the development of a smart and innovative environment in Rwanda and beyond.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:ap:c17b8cc0-8a6e-48ac-bf54-052b5378355a
AETDEW President Lee Yee Cheong was requested to give his opinion on the Centre. His initial reaction to the concept of the Centre is that it is too high in aspiration and too low in sustainability! The budget has no income forecast only expenditure. In his experience, WFEO, AETDEW and FAEO are international organisations with little financial and necessary institutional and human resources to set up and maintain in operation such a Centre. The strength of such international organization is their influential and impressive international networks that can best be applied to matchmake engineering and innovative projects by partners that have the necessary resources to sustain such projects. He would like to see the Concept Note mention the buy-in if any from Rwanda engineering industry and institutions of high learning and from Rwanda government. If possible, support is not forthcoming from such local entities, it is not possible for foreign entities to support such a project. The project will remain as a Papias’ dream. As the advisor to FAEO, Dato Lee Yee Cheong has proposed FAEO to focus on doing projects like the Africa, Asia and Pacific Accord on engineering education accreditation with FEIAP and the African Engineers Register with ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO). Both FIEAP and AFEO have their permanent secretariat in the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM). Dato Lee Yee Cheong arranged for WFEO President Mustafa Shehu to visit IEM and other bodies like the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT) in July 2023 and had him and Martin Manuhwa invited as honoured guests to the Convention of AFEO (CAFEO) in Bali, Indonesia in September 2023. Though the link was established on FAEO/AFEO collaboration on African Engineers Register based on the successful model of the ASEAN Engineers Register, no follow-up action has resulted. In his opinion, the ball is in FAEO’s court as the project is for African engineers and for the development of Africa! Instead we in Asia are asked to support the Centre! Dato Lee Yee Cheong urges FAEO to work with AETDEW to get more Luban Workshop established in more African countries as the Luban Workshop is supported by both the Chinese Government and the host governments in African countries. The host university in each African country offers sustainability in establishment, faculty and training programs.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202309/1297616.shtml
