Allam Ahmed
University of Sussex, UK

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the First Sudanese Diaspora International Conference entitle “The Role of Diaspora in Technology Transfer and Achieving Sustainable Development in Sudan”, held in January 2009 in Brighton, United Kingdom.

Sudan like much of the rest of the developing world has toyed with and abided by various approaches or strategies to transfer technology (TT) and achieve sustainable development (SD) without reaping any significant socio-economic benefits.

The Sudanese diasporic community is relatively large and has a significant impact on Sudan development on account of the size and volume of financial remittances. However diasporic contribution is largely neglected within national science and technology policies and strategies.

Adopting a more holistic approach, the conference aims to provide a stimulus for knowledge exchange and discussion that focuses on issues relating to the role of diaspora in TT and achieving SD to critically examine the relations and links between diaspora, Sudan and host countries, and attempts to outline policy and strategies to support the role of diaspora in developing, creating wealth and achieving SD in Sudan. The conference also aims to learn lessons from the successful communities across the world and emulate the ideas and innovations of these communities by Sudan.

The main objectives of the conference are:

• Initiate and establish a network of diaspora and diaspora organisations having a common ground in promoting sustainable development (SD) in Sudan.
• Identify ways in which Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) can enable Sudanese diaspora to contribute more effectively to achieve SD in Sudan.
• Explore global viewpoints on different issues relating to STI and SD and why they are important, and to provoke forward thinking on the role of STI in solving Sudan's problems related to sustainability.
• Address growing concerns for the future of our interlocked ecological, political and economic systems in a highly populated world that is characterised by major social and economic disparities.
• Cooperate with national and international organisations and donors to achieve SD in Sudan.
• Define and implement a learning and collaboration platform that effi ciently supports all interaction and work between different partners.
• Develop a framework for the analysis of the role of academic & research institutions and societies in achieving SD in Sudan.
• And fi nally make the conference into a regular event.

The conference attracted more than 50 abstracts, proposals and papers from academicians, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from Sudan and all over the world. The papers selected for presentation in the conference cover a wide range of research areas and topics.

The 7 main parts of the proceedings are:

PART I: Diaspora Contribution to Home Country

PART II: Technology and Scientific Knowledge Transfer

PART III: Education, Training and Development

PART IV: Medical Sciences and Public Health

PART V: Engineering Applications and Sustainable Business Excellence

PART VI: Environment and Waste Management

PART VII: Abstracts for Oral Presentations

It is hoped that the ensemble of papers presented in this volume will help to stimulate debate amongst scholars, researchers and policymakers and you find this volume interesting and thought-provoking.

On behalf of the organising committee, we would like to congratulate the authors for their valuable contribution and we are grateful to our track chairs and many reviewers for graciously offering their invaluable comments that have enriched the quality of the papers in this volume and also for making available to us their valuable time and efforts. Our most sincere thanks go to all of the keynote speakers and presenters who shared with us their expertise and knowledge.

We are also very gratful to Professor Gordon Mackerron, Director, SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK for his generosity and full support to the Conference; the Holiday Inn Brighton-Seafront, Brighton, UK and most sincerely Ms Bridget Hill (Conference & Events Sales Manager) and her highly professional and dedicated staff for all their help and support during the conference.

We would like also to acknowledge the help and support of Mr. Dhiraj Aggarwal, Director, Prepress Solutions, Haryana, India and Mr. Mark Couch, Sales and Office Manager, Short Run Press Limited, Exeter, UK and their highly professional and dedicated staff in typesetting and publishing the conference proceedings in such a short time.

Looking forward to meeting all of you in the next diaspora conference 2010.

Allam Ahmed

London January 2009