Ede and Ravenscroft Prize 2009
Report by John Cunningham
Introduction
Thanks to the Ede and Ravenscroft Prize, I was able to travel to Panama during July and August 2009 with IAESTE, the International Association for Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. I undertook a placement with the Technological University of Panama, working on a renewable energy project.
I have had a keen interest in renewable energy since my school days, which brought me to study Electrical Engineering at LoughboroughUniversity. Having also worked for the international development agency, Christian Aid, during my gap year, this placement offered exploration of both interests, while providing relevant work experience that will surely enhance my studies.
The Project
During my placement, I worked in an energy laboratory at a postgraduate campus outside of Panama City alongside a group of postgraduate and undergraduate students. The team was dedicated to the study and application of small scale renewable energy schemes to supply electricity to rural communities. My work focussed mainly on the design and construction of a small wind turbine. The components of the turbine were quite simple and included wood, steel, resin, magnets, coils of insulated copper wire and even a recycled car hub.
During my first two weeks on the project, I assumed that the main objective of the project was the provision of electricity to a rural part of Panama remote to the electricity grid. While this was certainly the final aim, my main objective while I was working in theUniversity was to exchange knowledge I had of renewable energy and through workingthrough the practical design and construction processes with students, build up afoundation of expertise in this area within Panama.
Panama: A Third World Country?
Owing in large part to business from the Panama Canal and the tourism industry, Panama appeared on first impressions to be quite a wealthycountry, especially in comparison with other Central American countries, such as Nicaragua and El Salvador. However, in reality, Panama isthe most unequal nation in the region with a large population living in poverty. The students I was working with often referred to Panama asbeing a “third world country”. Having spent a short period of time in Nicaragua, I was prepared for this. However, what came as a culture shock to me was the pace at which work is done in Panama. A week before leaving for Panama, I had finished an industrial placement with Northern Ireland Electricity, working in an environment in which I was always under pressure to get the job done. At the University, progress in the project was often slowed by lack of resources or waiting excessive amounts of time to have a request to purchase materials approved.
The Value of Education
Not letting this detract from my placement, I quickly got involved in other work. The students had twice weekly English classes, which were usually based around comprehension of a scientific journal. I took over preparing these lessons, ensuring that these became more fun and included writing, listening and speaking. At one stage, I even had the group performing a short drama sketch at one point. The importance of English should not be underestimated here, since it is an invaluable skill for gaining employment. In addition, several students were in the process of applying for scholarships to study at Masters or PhD level in the USA and were required to pass a difficult English exam. I also prepared a number of classes on the topic of wind energy, to share some of my knowledge of the resource that I had learned at Loughborough.
Culture & Language
Needless to say, my time in Panama was not all work. During weekends, I travelled to different parts of the country, notably to the famous Panama Canal locks and to a nature reserve, consisting of a large island in the middle of the canal. Some of these trips were organised by IAESTE in Panama for myself and the other exchange students, who were in Panama working for various organisations. These others came from Germany, Norway, Brazil, Austria and Columbia. We often met up with outgoing IAESTE students from Panama and their friends.
I was very lucky to live with a host family, who were very generous and did their best to make me feel at home. Their generosity was extended to all the IAESTE students, whom they would often invite out for trips to restaurants, the cinema and even a few weekends away.
All of my work, excepting the English classes, was carried out in Spanish as was the majority of my contact with my host family and other exchange students. Getting used to the accent and many colloquial words and phrases was both challenging and amusing. I'm pleased to say that my fluency and confidence in the language has been enhanced a great deal. Perhaps with a little more study, I will eventually be able to reach my goal of being capable of living and studying in a Spanish speaking country.
Conclusion
My experience of living and working in Panama was an extremely enjoyable and rewarding one, thanks in large part to the friendliness and warmth of my work colleagues, host family and IAESTE local committee. The experience has had a big impact on the way I look at my careerplan, developing countries and even my own country. I would definitely recommend an IAESTE placement to anyone who is interested. A finalword of thanks must go to Ede & Ravenscroft and the University Prizes committee for making it all possible.