AETDEW Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World

The mission of AETDEW is to mobilise the engineering, technological and scientific community in the developing world to help the South to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 through South-South Cooperation. Developing countries are increasingly being impacted by the global digital economy and the 4th industrial revolution. The movers and shakers are young engineering and technology entrepreneurs. In AETDEW’s membership, emphasis was given to assure that the young of both sexes are represented. AETDEW membership is guided by the following criteria: (i) multi-stakeholder composition from inter-government, national government, industry, academia and civil society; (ii) track record through science, engineering and technology in national development on the ground rather than academic qualification, publication and citation; (iii) gender, generation and geographical balance. The leader of the developing world and the champion of South-South Cooperation is undoubtedly China. The most impactful and significant development initiative for the developing world has undoubtedly been the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. Dato Lee Yee Cheong has been assiduously promoting AETDEW membership in China and offering AETDEW for institutional and human resource capacity development under BRI, especially in the area of maintenance of infrastructure in developing countries. He has therefore been travelling to China several times a year to promote AETDEW in the following areas: (i) widening the membership of AETDEW in China, - establishing AETDEW offices in China and - canvassing for recognition as a key player in BRI.