The Bhutanese Leading the way.
There is good news on the Education City front. It’ll be featured in the upcoming Infrastructure 100: World Cities edition, which will be released on 3 July 2012 at the World Cities Summit in Singapore.
The Bhutan Education City Project (ECP) has been selected as one of the most innovative and remarkable urban infrastructure projects in the education sector in the world.
The high profile publication is commissioned by KPMG, which is a leading provider of professional services including audit, tax and advisory in the UK.
“We are very happy that the education city project will feature on one of the world’s prestigious publications and KPMG has asked us to provide details of the project,” the Chief executive officer of DHI Infra, Kinga Tshering said.
DHI’s PR and media manager Rinchen Phuntsho said project documents such as drawings, maps and 3D images among other will be sent to the publishers anytime soon.
KPMG, through this publication- Infrastructure 100 is aimed at showcasing 100 of the most innovative and thrilling global urban infrastructure projects as examples of great work underway worldwide.
Projects for the publication were selected by a distinguished group of industry judges from hundreds of submissions, based on their scale, feasibility, complexity, innovation and impact on society.
In Bhutan’s case, Rinchen Phuntsho said, it was surprising to be notified that the ECP has been selected to be featured in the publication. He said DHI Infra neither contested nor proposed to be featured.
Kinga Tshering said, “From what they have heard on news and what they have seen on our website, they felt that this is a very progressive and innovative initiative that Bhutan is embarking which is one reason they have selected us”.
Although certain quarters of the nation are skeptical of the overly ambitious Education City Project, Rinchen said, DHI Infra is very optimistic about the success of the project referring to the public private partnership module.
Though neighbors, India and China pose as huge competition against the ECP, Bhutan can bank on its pristine natural environment, Gross National Happiness philosophy and political stability.
“China and India alone cannot cater to all the growing demand,” said the DHI INFRA media manager. The total cost of the ECP has been estimated to the tune of Nu 20 billion.
Specialists and professionals from around the world assisted KPMG in compiling the list through months of research and debate.
Of those 100 projects shortlisted, The Venice MOSE Flood Barrier in Italy, USA’s Green Power Express and Project Mthombo oil refinery South Africa, among others have been highlighted by the independent judging panels as most notable projects in different infrastructure sectors.
The DHI media manager said the publication will help Bhutan to gain prominence and publicity across the world especially in Europe.
Congratulations! DHI Infra.This is a most welcome news. However, let’s not forget what we need more is what goes on inside the infrastructure, which of course (let’s not forget) is yet to be seen. So, it’s good that experts recognize that we have a laudable dream but the reality is yet to be seen.
What is so ‘innovative’? I think KPMG is more keen to have the ‘Bhutan’ brand on its publication thanks to growing interest in Bhutan more than the actual merit of the EC project.
FYI, Bhutan is not the only country that has a ‘pristine’ environment. China’s Yunnan province for example, is all pristine and much much bigger than Bhutan. Case closed, if ‘pristine’ is the issue~!
Success of the ECP depends 100% on success of PM to remain PM post-2013. The only logic to the ECP is JYT.