UNB student lends mapping skills to Malawi

A University of New Brunswick graduate student's contribution to map-making processes in Africa might mean more homes for more people.

Robbie Kingdon, a graduate student in the geomatics and geodesy department at UNB, went to Malawi recently to help professors at the Mzuzu University establish a modern geomatics engineering training program.

The work in Malawi is ongoing and next month, one of Mzuzu's professors will come to UNB for six months of instruction.

Kingdon said geodesy relates to the shape of the Earth and the energy fields associated with the Earth.

Geomatics deals with measuring the Earth, he said.

Kingdon said Malawi has a population of 13 million, borders Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania, has 12 land surveyors and two universities that teach geomatics.

He said the country is among the poorest nations in the world.

"There are a lot of people in a relatively small country relocating from rural areas to larger centres," Kingdon said.

He said many people are relocating and squatting on government-owned vacant land in the cities.

"That creates the problem of multiple informal settlements and no official individual rights to the land," said Kingdon.

He said the Malawian government wants to accommodate the influx of people and formalize the land transfer to the new residents.

To do that, he said, accurate surveys have to be made. The problem is the government and survey companies aren't up to date with their technology, he said.

That's where UNB's expertise in geomatics and geodesy comes in.

"UNB has a worldwide reputation for its engineering programs," Kingdon said.

He went to Malawi during the summer, and over the course of three months he introduced students, professors and surveyors to new and modern methods of land surveying.

Kingdon said he talked to all stakeholders in Malawi's land-surveying community and discovered some deficiencies.

"They overlooked the capabilities of surveyors," he said. "Professors taught modern methods, but students and existing survey companies did not have the modern technological equipment like global positioning units available to them."

He said other problems facing the educational institutions are a lack of consistency in instruction and little interaction among surveyors and between surveyors and educational institutions.

"I recommended a curriculum be developed at the Mzuzu University that will complement instruction at other institutions; increase networking skills for those in the surveying community and the development of a plan to obtain modern equipment and to keep it up to date," Kingdon said.

"The Malawi people were very receptive to my suggestions and were anxious to learn more. I pitched some ideas to Malawi's chief surveyor, Daniel Gondwe, and he was very excited about the possibilities."

Kingdon said work in Malawi is far from finished.

"While providing excellent opportunities in higher education here at home for the people of New Brunswick, UNB also has a strong national and international presence," said Richard Langley, UNB professor of geodesy and precision navigation.

"In fact, from the president on down, UNB is actively encouraging international co-operation in teaching, research and community development."

UNB's assistance to the Mzuzu University and the government of Malawi is a prime example of this international activity.

Malawi has a pressing need for qualified land surveyors, Langley said.

"Through the efforts of Kingdon and others, UNB will help the (Mzuzu) university to graduate surveyors with modern skill sets and thereby assist Malawi in its efforts to improve land-management practices," Langley said.

"The department is extremely proud of Robbie and his efforts to help a developing nation improve the well being of its citizens."