On 26 November 2009, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso was awarded his fifth honorary doctorate in recognition of his efforts for the environment. This time, the degree was bestowed by the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou. Director Paul Ginies pointed out that not only had the president founded the Institute in 2006, but he was also actively involved in its future plans. Compaore hopes to make Ouagadougou the African science capital by enticing 5,000 PhD candidates of all nationalities to enroll at the institute, which focuses on climate change and water issues. He has previously received degrees from universities in France, Japan, and Thailand.

Web site: International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE)

Source: Hamidou Ouedraogo, L’Observateur Paalga / allAfrica.com [in French], 29 Nov 2009 ; 2iE, 02 Dec 2009

Tags: africa, capacity development, water resources management