Influential civil servants visit University

Senior figures from the civil service in Bangladesh are visiting the University of Wolverhampton to take part in a training programme focused on delivering government reform.

The 20 civil servants are taking part in a six-week professional development programme based at the Telford Campus.

The initiative, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK and the Government of Bangladesh, aims to equip the participants with experience and knowledge to deliver civil service reforms in their country.

The reforms they are presently concerned with relate to improving the markets in perishable fruits, converting city waste into energy, improving the working conditions of women handloom weavers and improving community health provision in rural areas of Bangladesh.

The current participants are the fifth Managing At The Top phase 2 (MATT 2) group to be hosted by the University’s Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT).

Rachel Roland, Deputy Head of CIDT at the University, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the MATT 2 participants for this six-week programme of experience and reflection to help them plan and deliver innovative reforms in Bangladesh.

“We hope to have an impact on the way the Government of the Republic of Bangladesh develops and implements policies in the years to come.”

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, attended the opening and welcomed the group, who will be in the UK until 26 May 2012.

During the programme, the group will visit a variety of West Midlands based businesses in pursuit of ideas for their reforms, as well as local councils in Wolverhampton, Worcester and Redditch.

CIDT, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is a self-financing, non-profit making centre within the University of Wolverhampton.

The team supports people-centred, sustainable development across the globe.

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736