UNESCO

Engineering education
in support of the SDGs
© UNESCO
pioneering Book of Optics was published
in about 1028 CE. The conference, which
took place at UNESCO Headquarters on
14-15 September, provided new historical
insights and informed discussion of
the current trends and challenges of
research and education within and
beyond the Arab and Islamic world.
It was accompanied by an exhibition on
Ibn Al-Haytham with digital replicas and
facsimiles of documents and works of
scholars from the Islamic Golden Age, and
featuring an exceptional 17th-century
microscope.
All countries need scientists and
engineers to help them find their own
solutions to sustainable development
challenges. It is crucial to build capacity
by providing facilities for study and
attracting young students to these fields.
The Vice-President of the Republic of
Zimbabwe, E. D. Mnangagwa, attended
the Africa Engineering Week organized
in September in Victoria Falls by UNESCO,
in cooperation with local organizations
including the Engineering Council of
Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Institution of
Engineers and the Federation of African
Engineering Organizations (FAEO).
Students from 1,000 African schools
participated in hands-on activities
designed to increase the visibility of
engineering and its role in sustainable
development, and to encourage them
to choose this field by getting a clearer
sense of what engineering involves and
what career paths exist.
UNESCO and the African Network of
Scientific and Technological Institutions
(ANSTI) partnered with the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka, to organize the
Sixth Biannual Regional Conference
of Vice Chancellors and Deans of
Science, Engineering and Technology
(COVIDSET) in October in Nigeria. Over
80 vice chancellors, deans, principals,
development partners, individuals from
the private sector and policy-makers
from 12 countries (Ethiopia, Ghana,
Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, United
States of America, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe), attended the conference,
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