Press Room
VIAP conducts 1st ACI Certification Exams in Kurdistan, Iraq
VIAP and the American Concrete Institute (ACI) in cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held the first ACI Certification examinations in Kurdistan, Northern Region of Iraq.
Prior to this activity, VIAP conducted a week-long training course for 26 Iraqi professionals in Erbil, capital city of Kurdistan in May 2007. The training prepared the participants for the ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician - Grade I examination. It was successfully conducted despite increased security threats in the area.
In spite of the billions of U.S. reconstruction funds being spent in Iraq and Kurdistan, the lack of standardized engineering skills and substandard materials have raised questions on the quality of the nation’s rebuilding efforts. Thus, VIAP and KRG’s goal is to leverage ACI’s certification program to prevent concrete quality issues on job sites.
Notably, VIAP successfully trained 155 Iraqi engineers in Baghdad with an 86% success rate that matches the average pass rate of the course offered in the U.S. VIAP’s success happened despite the language barriers experienced by Arabic- and Kurdish-speaking students with the lesson plans and examinations in English, the medium of instruction.
The recent course demonstrated VIAP’s success in overcoming logistical, political, and security challenges and in bringing the training to Kurdistan. The engineers’ first day of training came just days after blasts killed 19 and wounded 50 at a Ministry building only blocks away from the training site.
At present, dozens of other hopeful candidates for certification wait for program funding. “I wish there were training classes every week,” said one student, a Senior Engineer Manager with the Kurdistan Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction. With KRG’s commitment and strategy to develop its region’s economy and infrastructure, the partnership with VIAP quickly solidified. “I will never forget this experience. The training was so difficult but professional. I am more prepared to help rebuild my country.” said an Iraqi engineer who participated in the said training.
VIAP joins US-MENA Trade and Investment Confab
VIAP participated in the U.S.-Middle East and North Africa Trade and Investment Conference held at the Kempinski Ishtar Hotel, Dead Sea, Jordan, on February 10-11, 2008. The Business Council for International Understanding and U.S.-Jordan Business Alliance organized said conference.
The conference featured prominent business leaders and officials from the United States, Middle East, and North Africa. It allowed conference participants to exchange ideas on enhancement of trade relations among the United States, Middle East and North Africa.
Conference sessions dealt with the importance of open trading policies; technology commercialization and capital flows to the region’s economic growth and development; and major project opportunities in key sectors such as transportation, logistics, infrastructure, energy, water, information and communications technology and healthcare.
Jordan Prime Minister Nader A. Dahabi and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez welcomed conference participants at a special evening reception. Secretary Gutierrez and Mr. Amer Hadidi, Jordan Minister of Industry and Trade, are the keynote speakers during the two-day event.
Other speakers include the following: Dr. Joseph Vardi, Chairman, International Technologies, Inc.; Dr. Eulian Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Science & Technology Park; Mr. Robert Mosbacher, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); Mr. Paul J. Ostling, Chairman, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU); and Ambassador Karim Kawar, Chief Executive Officer, Kawar Group of Companies.
The event is a timely opportunity to learn about major new projects, policy reforms, and trade and investment incentives. It facilitated exchange of ideas on ways to enhance bilateral and regional commercial ties and to accelerate growth and development in MENA economies.
VIAP joins Global Construction Summit in Beijing
VIAP participated in the 2008 Global Construction Summit held in Beijing China on April 10-11, 2008.
Topics discussed in the sessions were as follows: (1) forging partnerships between international firms and local players; (2) innovative approaches to talent development and management; (3) differences between seeking business in mature economies against developing countries; (4) strategies, risks and rewards of public-private partnerships (PPP); (5) cutting-edge architectural and engineering ideas; (6) rise of renewable energy projects; (7) India’s construction market growth; (8) green building projects in the Middle East; (9) learning the dynamics of US construction market; and (10) inspiring people and building success in the global construction field.
