SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS, Focus on Africa

The importance of sustainability is recognized on a global level. However, developed and developing nations must confront different issues on the road to sustainable development. Many would argue that the Western world consumes much more than its fair share. On the other hand, developing nations still face enormous challenges related to poverty, diseases, governance, environmental conditions, social unrest, rapidly increasing populations, and gender inequality. Africa is a special case, because in contrast with countries in Asia, standards of living in Africa have risen only relatively slowly during the last five decades.

What are the reasons that problems remain unsolved? What contribution can Universities of Technology make to global issues? To help answer questions like these, the University is organising a quinquennial year symposium, 'SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS: Focus on Africa', on the 1st and 2nd of November 2007.