CBU Hosts 4th Built Environment Conference

Copperbelt University's School of the Built Environment hosted an International conference in Livingstone which brought together local and international experts in the area of the Built Environment.

The Conference, held in conjunction with the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa (ASOCSA) based in South Africa, discussed topics that included;

• Sustainable construction
• Education and professional development
• Service delivery
• Information Technology
• Safety,Health and Quality Management and
• RiskManagement 

The Copperbelt University presented 4 papers done by two lecturers and two students; Mr Chewe Kambole, who was then SBE Acting Dean, Mr Franco Muleya, lecturer, and the students, Gilbert Mbewe and Joseph Malisawa. Notable to mention is that Gilbert got the best paper award for the paper he presented entitled "Investigating Interior Light Design, Colour Rendering and their Effects on Visual Impairment. A Case of Learning Institution."

At the official opening, the Copperbelt University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Juvenalis Tembo, said that at the time when governments, the private
sector, individuals and many other stakeholders were looking for solutions towards achieving a sustainable built environment, the Copperbelt University "is poised to make a contribution towards the achievement of this goal."

Prof.Tembo said the Copperbelt University had for a long time been involved in various consultancies for Government ministries and the private sector that included constructions of clinics in rural districts. The University is also involved in the constructions of its males and females student hostels using in-house staff from the School of the Built Environment that provides consultancies ranging from architecture, structural engineering, quantity surveying to supervision.

Livingstone Mayor, Councillor Joram Mwinda, who officially opened the Conference, commended the Copperbelt University and ASOCSA for organizing the event.

"As institutions of higher learning and associations drawing membership from such high profile sectors, initiating and spearheading activities like this one, is an indication of your utmost concern and commitment to ensuring that you contribute to sustainable infrastructure development, which in turn, is a catalyst to the economic and social development of this country and its people," the Mayor said.

He said the hosting of the conference in his town could not have come at a better time when Livingstone was in need of expertise knowledge and advice as it expands due to its tourism activities.

"We want to believe that your choosing this City as venue for this high profile conference was not in vain but because you recognized the fact that Livingstone is a nerve centre of Zambia's tourism industry and that its sustenance and growth lay in availability of proper and sustainable infrastructure and expertise knowledge in ensuring that this is achieved. As experts, we believe you will impart this knowledge, not only to participants but to the City Council through provision of papers and other materials to be presented here for future use by the Council in its execution of duties as well as ensuring conformity of developers and investors to rules governing construction and development in general," he said