The 27th Annual Session

The closing ceremony of the 27th annual session of the UNU-GTP was held on October 28th 2005. Twenty UNU Fellows from 11 countries completed the traditional 6 month specialized courses. They came from China 4, Djibouti 1, Egypt 1, El Salvador 2, Ethiopia 1, Eritrea 1, Indonesia 2, Iran 2, Kenya 2, Russia 3, and Uganda 1. They received specialized training in: Geological Exploration 2, Borehole Geology 1, Geophysical Exploration 1, Borehole Geophysics 1, Reservoir Engineering 3, Chemistry of Thermal Fluids 3, Environmental Studies 3, Drilling Technology 1, and Geothermal Utilization 5.  During 1979-2005, 338 scientists and engineers from 39 countries have completed the annual six month courses. Of these, 44% have come from countries in Asia, 26% from Africa, 16% from Central and Eastern Europe, and 14% from Latin America. There have been 53 women (16%).

Speeches were given by Dr. Ingvar B. Fridleifsson, Director of the UNU-GTP, Valdgerdur Sverrisdottir, Minister of Industry and Commerce, and Ms. Sun Caixia, engineer from KenGen in China (see photo below), who spoke on behalf of the UNU Fellows who were graduating. Dr. Thorkell Helgason, Director General of Orkustofnun (National Energy Authority) also addreesed the graduates as they received their UNU Certificates.

Back row from left:  Wang Liancheng (China), Clety Kwambai Bore (Kenya), Sun Ying (China), Peter M. Wameyo (Kenya), Daher Elmi (Djibouti), Victor Aníbal Rodriguez (El Salvador) Kiflom Gebrehiwot (Eritrea), James Francis Natukunda (Uganda), Vitaly Taskin (Russia).
Middle row:  Dradjat Budi Hartanto (Indonesia), Solomon Kebede (Ethiopia), Yu Yuan (China), Svetlana Yourchenko (Russia), Blanca E. Minervini (El Salvador), Svetlana B. Strelbitskaya (Russia), Aref Adel Lashin (Egypt),  Hossein Hossein-Pourazad (Iran), Behnam Radmehr (Iran).
Front row: M. Achyar Karim (Indonesia), Gudrun Bjarnadottir, administrative assistant, Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson, director, Sun Caixia (China), Ludvik S. Georgsson, deputy director.

Sun Caixia giving her speech at the closing ceremony