18 March 2013

Dundee-Malawi links to be strengthened with Presidential meeting

Professor Peter Cameron, Director of the University of Dundee's Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), will tomorrow visit Westminster to meet with the President of Malawi.

Professor Cameron will discuss issues relating to the extractive industries in both countries with President Joyce Banda at Dover House, headquarters of the Scotland Office, on Tuesday, 19th March, following on from a wreath-laying ceremony at David Livingstone's tomb at Westminster Abbey earlier that day.

Malawi has an abundance of unexploited natural resources, and a significant number of Malawian students have come to Dundee to study at CEPMLP in recent years, including Dr Leonard Kalindakafe, Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Mines.

Professor Cameron is meeting with the Minister and David Mundell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, in Edinburgh today to discuss training Malawian officials in mining contract negotiations.

"I welcome the visit of the Malawian President to Scotland and look forward to meeting Her Excellency," said Professor Cameron. "Joyce Banda is internationally renowned for her untiring work in promoting education and women's rights in Malawi, amongst other issues, both prior to coming to power and now as her country's new President.

"CEPMLP alumni from Malawi have been notably successful in their subsequent careers, acting as role models for their fellow nationals to emulate, and validating the benefits to Malawi and its people of investing strongly in education, regardless of gender.

"The quality of student that CEPMLP attracts from Malawi is consistently impressive. Dr Leonard Kalindakafe holds the highest civil service post in the Ministry, which recently shifted its focus from mining and energy to exclusively focus on mining issues."

President Banda's visit to Scotland coincides with the David Livingstone bicentennial celebrations. She will address MSPs, guests and members of the public to mark the occasion before heading to London.

It is hoped the meeting between Professor Cameron and President Banda will lead to a strengthening of education links between Dundee and Malawi.

Dr Kalindakafe is also Chairman of the Intergovernmental Forum (IGF) on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development, a body committed to enhancing the contribution of mining to sustainable development and poverty reduction.

The organisation has 48 member countries and is a partner of the Extractive Industries Source Book, a multi-agency World Bank-funded free resource for the oil, gas and mining sectors globally and led by CEPMLP.

More information is available at www.eisourcebook.org.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277