The professional development internship aimed to raise awareness the professors involved in the project of the North American teaching approach. To do this, the professors attended several sessions with Polytechnique's Bureau d'appui pédagogique (teaching support centre) as well as with various departments, such as Internships and Placement, Student Services, and the Registrar's Office. Polytechnique professors and researchers also presented their research work relevant to the project. 

The Solar Technology for the West African Economic and Monetary Union project is a follow-up to the Applied Solar Technology project in Burkina Faso, carried out as part of the University Partnerships in Co-operation and Development Program from 2005 to 2011. This second project consists of creating a solar technology training institute based at Université de Ouagadougou and serving all Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine (UÉMOA) countries. Twenty engineers and 100 specialized solar technology technicians will earn degrees each year. This specialized labour force will support the implementation of the Initiative Régionale en Énergie Durable (regional sustainable energy initiative) adopted by the UÉMOA countries to increase the availability of electrical energy in the region. This initiative recognizes the importance of solar energy as a pillar of economic growth and poverty reduction in the region. It also addresses the deficit in qualified human resources needed to carry it to term. 

With a budget of $3 million provided by Québec's Ministère des Affaires étrangères, du Commerce et de Développement since its launch in May 2013, the project's goal is to improve the living conditions, particularly for women and children, of the poorest rural and urban-periphery populations in the UÉMOA countries through the increased use of solar energy. More immediately, it aims to improve regional institutions' effectiveness in training human resources qualified in applied solar technology and to boost the use of solar energy in key sectors of national life (health, education, food security and economy) by developing new Master's I and II programs in applied solar technology. Beyond the students, three other groups will benefit from this project: the professors who take part in professional development internships, the people who are trained in managing installed solar systems, and the communities that will enjoy increased energy use. 

The project includes four main components:

• Program development and teacher training;
• Support for the creation and opening of the Institute;
• Carrying out pilot projects;
• Implementing the project.

The project, set to last five years, is being implemented by Polytechnique Montréal and its partners: Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologie and Université de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso; École Polytechnique de Thiès in Senegal; and École Nationale d'Ingénieurs Abderhamane Baba Touré and Centre National de l'Énergie Solaire et des Énergies Renouvelables in Mali. Polytechnique's International Relations Office is handling co-ordination.

See also:

Professor Savadogo's expertise
Polytechnique's International Relations Office website 
UÉMOA website (in French only)