7th International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries

http://www.pianc-copedecdubai.com/

The 7th International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (COPEDEC) will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 24th to 28th February 2008. Given the ambitious pace of development projects in the region, and most particularly in the Gulf, this conference is highly significant as it is aimed at bringing together international scientists, engineers and coastal managers to discuss the latest achievements and developments of relevance to coastal and port engineering in the developing countries.

The meeting will also enable developing countries to have a sustainable human resource pool of coastal and port development and marine environment professionalsThe event, which will attract nearly 1000 professionals, is organised by Dubai Municipality in cooperation with the Brussels-based International Navigation Association (PIANC), which is a non-profit organisation that merged with COPEDEC to promote the maintenance and operation of inland and maritime navigation.

I hope the upcoming conference would be a major boost to international coastal and port engineers as well as scientists and it will provide them an opportunity to showcase coastal projects in their countries and build capacity in countries in transition in this important field of engineering. We look forward to your participation in this important conference in the dynamic city of Dubai.Hussain LootahActing Director General Dubai Municipality

www.dm.gov.ae

The success of the First International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (COPEDEC), held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in March 1983, resulted in the creation of a Permanent Secretariat to organise this special conference once every four years. Subsequent Conferences were held in Beijing, China (1987), Mombasa, Kenya (1991), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1995), Cape Town, South Africa (1999), and Colombo, Sri Lanka (2003).

During the COPEDEC VI conference in Colombo on September 19 2003, a Merger Agreement between PIANC, the International Navigation Association and COPEDEC was signed and consequent to this agreement, a new International Organizing Committee (IOC) was formed in order to continue the proud tradition of the former COPEDEC conferences.

The Seventh International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (PIANC-COPEDEC VII) being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 24 to 28 February 2008, will be the first COPEDEC Conference to be held under the aegis of PIANC.

The active mission of the PIANC-COPEDEC Conferences isa) to provide an international forum where coastal and port engineers from developing countries can exchange know-how and experience amongst themselves and with their colleagues from industrialised countries; andb) to enable the developing countries to have a sustainable human resource pool of coastal and port development professionals.

The overall theme for PIANC-COPEDEC VII is" Best Practices in the Coastal Environment".The emphasis on technical subjects remains. Papers will focus on practical applications and managerial and environmental aspects of coastal and port engineering in developing countries, including documentation of case studies. Provision will be made to accommodate poster papers and hold an exhibition pertaining to the scope of the Conference.


Fellowships ......

To meet the main objective of the conference a greater number of fellowships than at previous conferences will be made available by the main sponsor.

All professionals and scientists living and working under a local labour contract in a developing country, as well as students from developing countries, are entitled to apply for fellowships. The fellowships will only be provided to individuals on application, not to institutions. Fellowship Application Forms may be downloaded from the conference website. Prospective Fellows are encouraged to solicit other local funds first, as in principle only part funding will be given. Participants able to partially support themselves through own or other funding will be given preference by the Fellowship Awards Committee.

Exceptions are possible for needy participants. Funding is restricted to international air transport, conference registration fee and accommodation. Funding will be provided primarily for authors and emphasis will be on young active professionals.

Chairmen of technical sessions and invited key persons are also eligible for fellowships.The former Permanent Secretariat has decided to use surplus funds from previous conferences to award five fellowships in the memory of the late Summa Amarasinghe, to authors of Sri Lankan origin living and working under a local labour contract in a developing country. Each application will be evaluated by the Fellowship Award Committee against a set of criteria to determine the level of funding to be granted.

Those interested are requested to fill and submit the Fellowship Application Form which can be downloaded from the conference website to the given address before 10 February 2007. Applicants will be informed in mid-May 2007 whether their applications were successful. Additional Fellowships are being arranged by PIANC and other sponsors.