- May 2006 Speakers -
SPEAKERS
Dr Shailaja Fennell is a University Lecturer in Development Studies attached to the department of Land Economy, a Fellow of Jesus College and an affiliated lecturer in the Faculty of Law. She was awarded her degrees of BA, MA and MPhil in Economics from the University of Delhi, then went on to read for her MPhil and PhD at the Faculty of Economics and Politics, University of Cambridge. Her research work has examined the relationships between output, population, technology, and the division of labour in China and India, with specific focus on the role of the household and community in determining issues of agricultural productivity and technology choice. Her major research interests include agrarian transformation, specialisation and trade; the dynamics of household decision making; technology choice; comparative economic development; and economic history.
Mohammad Stanekzai is an electronic/communications engineer, and did his Masters in General Business Administration at Preston University. He is currently doing an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development here in Cambridge. He has worked with various Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations in Afganistan, Pakistan and Iran. He is currently advisor to the president of Afghanistan and Vice-Chair of the D&R commission responsible for Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-integration of ex-combatants. He was the Managing Director of the Agency for Rehabilitation and Energy Conservation for Afghanistan and Minister of Telecommunications in the Transitional Government of Afghanistan as well as serving on several working committees responsible for reform and restructuring of government institutions. He was a member of the steering committee for the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) and first to serve on the Afghan Human Rights Commission.
Dr Heather Cruickshank worked as a civil engineer for ten years before joining the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering as a Research Assistant and is one of the founding members of the department's Centre for Sustainable Development. Heather has degrees in Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences and in 2004 completed a PhD, entitled 'Embedding the Concepts of Sustainable Development into Practical Civil Engineering' after winning the Mott McDonald Charitable Trust PhD Scholarship in 2000. In 2003 Heather spent 6 months working for Irish aid agency Concern in Afghanistan, and also has experience in Nepal, Albania, South Africa and Mongolia. In 2005 she was part of the international relief programme for people affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Heather is on the board of trustees for Engineers Without Borders UK and has a special interest in the teaching of development issues in higher education.
Nicholas Ray, principle of Nicholas Ray Associates Chartered Architects, lectures at the Cambridge University Department of Architecture and is a Fellow of Jesus College. He teaches on 'Sustainable Humane Habitat' in Cambridge and in India under the EU funded programme Asia Link. In 2003 Nicholas became the senior treasurer of the student-led group Architects Sans Frontiers and organised a design studio addressing the inhuman living conditions of the Alang Shipbreaking Yards in India. He has recently published a book: Architecture and its Ethical Dilemmas. He is also concerned with the development of new buildings in conservation areas, and the adaptation of historic buildings. His most prominent buildings in Cambridge are Quayside, on the banks of the Cam opposite Magdalene College, and the extension to the Garden Hostel for King's College.
WORKSHOP LEADERS
Priti Parikh studied engineering in India, where her first degree was followed by a postgraduate diploma in urban and regional planning. She worked as a development engineer in India for some years, including slum improvement projects in the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, and as a volunteer engineer in the aftermath of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. She later worked for UK-based multi-disciplinary consultancy Buro Happold and was winner of New Civil Engineer's "Outstanding Contribution" award, 2004. She is now chartered and completed the MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University last year. She is now a PhD research student focussing on water and environmental sanitation in slums in India and South Africa.
Andrew Lamb graduated from Cambridge last June after completing an engineering degree, focussing on electronics and information engineering. Andrew was active volunteer for Engineers Without Borders UK and became a chief executive for the charity whilst in his final year. He has been involved in European and international initiatives on engineers' contributions to development and humanitarian work and attended several key conferences including the UN Summit on the Information Society. Andrew is one of the founders of the Humanitarian Centre and is currently working for the University of Cambridge and RedR-IHE, a disaster-relief expertise charity in London.
Mohammed Ali took part in an Engineers Without Borders placement in Ecuador and later, in 2004-05, became EWB-UK research co-ordinator. He is now doing an MPhil here in Cambridge at the Institute for Manufacturing, working on vaccine supply chains with the World Health Organisation.
Liz Fearon has been volunteering for Aidworld Information and Communication Access for 8 months, currently through an Engineers Without Borders placement. Last year she completed her BA in Development Studies in the U.S., having focused on democratisation and development programs in Southeastern Europe, particularly in Eastern Croatia where she did her fieldwork.
Hamish Downer is a volunteer at Aidworld having become dissatisfied with work as a software engineer in the commercial world. Hamish managed to fit his engineering degree into gaps between environmental campaigning at university, and still spends out of work time campaigning about a variety of causes.
Matt Sims became involved with Cambridge University Kenya Project in 2004 as a project worker in Kenya. He is currently on the steering committee of Kenya Project Partnerships UK. Whilst studying medicine at Robinson College Cambridge he also managed to find time to co-ordinate One World Week and play an active role as CUSU green officer.
Jaime Royo Olid is the founder of ASF-Cambridge (2002). He has completed a BA and Diploma in Architecture, and is now a Research Assistant in Sustainable Humane Habitat in Development Context, at Cambridge University Department of Architecture similtaneously studying for a MPhil in Development Studies. Jaime has completed a Specialisation course on International Cooperation for Development and 'Basic Habitat', (Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, 2005). He has development experience in a number of projects; Addressing Alang Shipbreaking Yards slums (2004), Study of slums in Mumbai (2005) and Post-Tsunami construction in Tamil Nadu as a volunteer for 'Architecture & Development', 2005. In 2004 Jaime worked as coordinator of ASF-International Network facilitating the creation of: ASF-London, ASF-Paris, ASF-Diepenbeek (Belgium) and ASF-ETSAM (Architecture School Madrid) and participated in UN-Habitat World Urban Forum II (Barcelona 2004) and Shelter Peer Review, UNDP, (Geneva 2004).
Alison Walsham: After a philosophy degree and 3 years in a Fabian-led engineering business (an 'unusual' grounding in industrial relations and personnel management) Alison spent 4 years in Africa doing a variety of voluntary work. Returning to the UK, after producing four offspring, she joined the University Careers Service representing fields of work 'for-more-than-profit', driven by the principle that everyone should both enjoy and passionately believe in the work they do, and be helped and encouraged on the way. Continuing to visit projects, organisations, and colleagues in developing countries at every possible opportunity affords essential insights ranging from impressive examples of local efforts, to the ethics of development and the rewards, frustrations and difficulties for those trying to contribute towards solving global inequities.