Class of 2006 begins 28th annual session at UNU-GTP

Twenty-one UNU Fellows from 12 countries prepared to participate in six months of specialized courses as the 28th annual session of the UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP) opened in Reykjavik May 2.

They come from Azerbajan, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Philippines, Tanzania, Turkey and Uganda and will take courses in geological exploration, borehole geology, geophysical exploration, reservoir engineering, chemistry of thermal fluids, environmental studies and geothermal utilization.

Between 1979 and 2005, 338 scientists and engineers from 39 countries have completed the six-month courses. The fame scientist from Azerbajan in this year’s class brings the total number of countries to 40. In many countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and Central and Eastern Europe, UNU-GTP graduates are among the leading specialists in geothermal research and development, making significant contributions to energy development in their regions.

Three former UNU Fellows have been working this year on their MSc projects under the cooperation agreement between the UNU-GTP and the University of Iceland. Mr. Kizito Opondo (geochemist from Kenya) started his MSc studies in February 2005 and plans to defend his thesis in the late summer 2006. Mr. Joshua O’Were (environmentalist from Kenya) and Mr. Iderbat Lkhagvadorj (mechanical engineer from Mongolia) started their MSc studies in September 2006.

Six former UNU Fellows (from China, Djibouti, Iran, Kenya and the Philippines) have been accepted for MSc studies at the University of Iceland starting in September. They will all receive Fellowships from the UNU-GTP. Eight former UNU Fellows have graduated since the MSc programme was started in cooperation with the University of Iceland in 2000.

The class of 2006 of the UNU Geothermal Training Programme (from left): Yang Quanhe (China), Nyambayar Tsend-Ayush (Mongolia), Joseph Patrick Odong Okedi (Uganda), Evanson Munene Nyagah (Kenya), Jorge Isaac Cisne Altamirano (Nicaragua), Alejandro Rodriguez Badilla (Costa Rica), Manuel Antonio Barrantes Viquez (Costa Rica), Irada Ibragimova Shamar (Azerbaijan), Ali Ahmadi Nassirabad (Iran), Wang Wei (China), Ali Rakhshani Moghaddam (Iran), Özge Can Atas (Turkey), Dan Mainza (Uganda), Sukhgerel Javzan (Mongolia), Johnson W. Ndege (Kenya), Ronaldo R. Pendon (Philippines), Ahmad Yani (Indonesia), Jacob Manoni Mayalla (Tanzania), Tesha (Indonesia), Roy Bandoro Swandaru (Indonesia) and Erlindo Angcoy (Philippines).