Seoul National University Center for Appropriate Technology opens in Tanzania

-The first appropriate center in Africa that was built by Korea


▲ The ribbon cutting ceremony of SNU center for appropriate technology in Arusha, Tanzania
 

Seoul National University College of Engineering (President Kunwoo Lee) announced on August 10 (local time) that the Seoul National University opened the first center for appropriate technology in Arusha, Tanzania. It was part of the government issues that is supported by National Research Foundation.
The opening of the center for appropriate technology in Tanzania is the fourth center after Cambodia, Laos and Nepal and is the first center in Africa that was built by Korea..

This is a project to help sustainable development of developing countries through the necessary scientific and technological support beyond one-time material aid as part of Korea's Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Tanzania is located in the eastern part of the African continent and is rich in resources such as gold and coffee and is considered to have higher growth potential according to the 2013 KIEP since Tanzania is politically stable. The Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), where the center is located, is a leading science and technology university founded by the World Bank under the direction of Nelson Mandela.

Professor Sunghoon Ahn of Seoul National University, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering lead the project as a chairperson. Total 26 organizations including Seoul National University College of Agriculture and Life Science, College of Education and Instutute for Global Social Responsibility and Hanyang University, Gyeongsang University, Woosong University and Handong University and local NGOs such as e3empower.

The project will focus on new and renewable energy, agriculture and agricultural products distribution, vaccine and health, entrepreneurship and ICT education for four years from 2017 to 2020. In addition, Dr. Heopseoung Lee, who has profound experience in engineering and start-up education, will serve as head of the center and will be sent to Arusha, Tanzania for four years.

Africa, USA, European countries and Korea will have academic exchanges through the Energy and Sustainable International Conference (ICES 2017), that will held together with the center opening ceremony. In addition, in January next year, the SMART (Startup Mission on Art / Design, Responsibility, and Technology) International Initiative Competition will be hosted by the Center for the Appropriate Technology to establish appropriate technological entrepreneurship and international cooperation. The Korean and African students will hold the competition together.

Professor Sunghoon Ahn, the chairperson of the Center for Appropriate Technology, said, "In the past seven years, the global volunteering group of dept. of mechanical and aerospace engineering has supplied the electricity to the alpine area of the Nepal through appropriate technologies. It is very meaningful since we could utilize that experiences. It would be great to develop the center as a platform that will help SNU to enter Africa by intimately collaborating with various organizations that participated in this project.