Jan 18~20, 2008

St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago

Background And Scope

This conference will address issues relating to construction in developing countries and economies. The conference is particularly topical now, with the Agenda 21 on the table and the Millennium Development Goals ahead. The message of the Inconvenient Truth is particularly relevant when facing the construction of the buildings, infrastructure and other facilities required by the Developing Countries. The main themes will be related to the development and transfer of appropriate and sustainable technology, the encouragement of invention and innovation in construction, the effective use and upgrading of the human resource and all the issues surrounding effective public sector procurement and the avoidance of corruption. This meeting as an opportunity to exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas in front of these issues and, hopefully, to create research initiatives that would join researchers from both, developed and developing countries, to address needs that would benefit from the contribution of both perspectives.

Topics

Click here to download Symposium Topics

The overriding themes are, of course, the issues relating to the construction sector and the construction process in developing countries and economies. These issues may be similar to those that have already been faced by the sector in the more developed countries, but they may be different too, because of changed international political, social and economic circumstances and changed technological capabilities.

One theme of the conference that is particularly topical now, is the need for attention to the sustainability of construction and development, especially with the Agenda 21 on the table and the Millennium Development Goals ahead. The message of "The Inconvenient Truth" cannot be ignored and is particularly relevant when addressing the future construction of the buildings, infrastructure and other facilities required by the Developing Countries. Built around these main themes are the related issues of economic, physical and social underdevelopment and how change can be effected without social and environmental dislocation. Given that the process of development will almost inevitably be driven by the public sectors of the countries invoilved, there are serious issues surrounding the effectiveness of public sector procurement and the need for transparency to avoid the threat of corruption. These are not simple issues that can be left to sort themselves out; if they are not prepared for, they will almost inevitably deteriorate, and their impact will not only be felt in the developing world.

Development itself will depend on the selection and transfer of appropriate and sustainable technology, the encouragement of invention and innovation in construction, the effective use and upgrading of the human resource, and these are all also relevant issues to this symposium.

This meeting will be an opportunity to address mutual problems and share solutions, to exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas relating to these issues and, hopefully, to create research initiatives that will join researchers from both developed and developing countries, to address the outstanding needs - a collaboration that will benefit from the contribution of both perspectives.

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Posted by pichu at January 18, 2008 3:17 PM