Local Community Advertising
The School of Engineering at UBC’s Okanagan campus is leading a four-year interdisciplinary project that could change transportation infrastructure around the world.
UBCO researchers are leading the $1.13-million research project to look at sustainable and climate resilient transportation infrastructure in the South Asia Region (SAR). Funded by the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship program, the project will involve students from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Over the four years, the projects will let 24 graduate students, 16 undergraduate interns, and 20 international graduate students work together on research projects on efficient and well-developed transport infrastructure.
Engineering, Management, and Education (EME) building at UBCO. (Photo Credit: UBC Engineering - Okanagan)
“Transport infrastructure is the backbone of economic productivity and social well-being in any country, and it must enable the delivery of goods to markets, as well as labour and leisure mobility, without undesirable economic or environmental impact,” says Professor Rehan Sadiq, acting director of the School of Engineering and the principal investigator.
Canada and countries in the South Asia Region face similar challenges with transport infrastructure because of material erosion accelerated by climate change. Canada is forecasted to invest about $70 billion in public infrastructure projects in the next decade. Sadiq says that an infrastructure gap of more than $2.5 trillion needs to be addressed in the South Asia Region by 2020.
“This program will bring unique opportunities to educate and train young Canadian and Commonwealth students through learning partnerships across the countries that are facing these challenges,” says Sadiq. “The students will gain great awareness about our global community.”
Rehan Sadiq meets with fellow School of Engineering professors to discuss the four-year plan for their research project.
The team has already worked on projects on infrastructure management, innovative material development, socio-economic studies, and life-cycle thinking. These new projects will then look at ways to improve, support, and protect transport infrastructure and systems in consideration of climate change.
“The diversity of perspectives and challenges facing Canadian and SAR partners offers an unprecedented opportunity to engage students from developed and emerging economies in a mutually advantageous research program,” says Sadiq.
Local Community Advertising