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local Wednesday 8 February 2023

Symbolic submission of the Maria Convent at the University of Aruba

(Oranjestad)—Yesterday for the building to house
evening at the University of the faculty.
Aruba, an official symbol-
ic act of submission took Minister Geoffrey Wever
place, where the monu- expressed that as the Min-
ment of the Maria Con- ister of Sustainable Devel-
vent was submitted for the opment, he believes that
renovation of this histori- it is essential to focus on
cal building. The purpose sustainable development
of this was to give space of this country, taking in ac-
for the University’s SISSTEM count its people and the
faculty (Sustainable Island rest of the world: “That’s
Solutions through Science, why I’m very happy to hear
Technology, Engineering that the university focuses
and Mathematics). on providing knowledge
and creating capacity for
Among the attendees were the future doctors.”
the Prime Minister Evelyn
Wever-Croes and several He explained that the ex-
other ministers, along with pansion of more classrooms
representatives of the Unit- and ofices for the university
ed Nations Development is an important part of the
Program (UNDP), University development of Aruba,
of Aruba and the Europe- and the cooperation with
an Delegations Committee the UN showed that part-
(virtually). technological innovations, faculty is funded by the the university, arranged nership is important for find-
renewable resources and UN and implemented by several meetings in Octo- ing solutions for future chal-
With help from the Europe- adaptation and mitigation UNDP, in coordination with ber 2021 for the revision of lenges.
an Development Fund, the of climate change,” Noto the University of Aruba and the project.
SISSTEM project received remarked. Catholic University of Leu- Minister Xiomara Maduro
13 million euros in financial ven in Belgium (KU Leuven). The second round of offers explained that the Maria
support in total. The faculty The faculty’s goal is to ed- was launched in February Convent building was con-
of SISSTEM at the university ucate a new generation In July 2019, the UN gave 2020, and even though it tructed in the year 1920
consists of a Bachelor pro- of scientists and engineers the UNDP the task to imple- was a long process, they fi- and the Dominican Sisters
gram in STEM (which start- who will support sustain- ment the renovation of the nally signed a contract with of Voorschoten moved
ed in 2019), a Master’s pro- ability, diversify the local Maria Convent national ALBO Aruba N.V. for the from The Netherlands for
gram and a PHD research economy, reduce the de- monument. Additionally, completion of the renova- the newly constructed
program that focuses on pendency on fossil fuels the organization was also tion. building. In 1946, the first
sustainable development and improve the capabili- given the task of imple- stone was placed for the
in the Small Island Develop- ties of the SIDS to recover menting the construction Prime Minister Wever-Croes chapel.
ing States (SIDS). from disasters. of laboratories for the fac- ratified the importance of
ulty. a higher educational level In the 50s, there were ap-
Mr. Gerard Noto, Resi- The faculty incorporates in the formation and devel- proximately 23 sisters liv-
dent Representative of sustainability management Offer planning for the reno- opment of the community ing in the convent until its
the UNDP for Trinidad and on an academic level, vation of this building start- in order to create more op- closure. The building was
Tobago, Aruba, Curacao while also strengthening ed back in November 2020, portunity for an economic handed over to the gov-
and St. Maarten, indicated the regional labor force and by February, 2021, the development. ernment of Aruba, and
how this project correlates with means necessary. offer was still open. The underwent renovation in
and supports the goals of There is hope that the fac- first round of offers was not At the same time, she 1995. In 1996, the building
the UNDP. ulty could be a center of successful, because of the thanked the UN for their was home to the Depart-
excellence and renown in costs of material and the partnership, which made ment of Culture of Aruba,
“SISSTEM is a strategic initia- the SIDS region around the effects of the COVID-19 financing possible for the the Department of Foreign
tive, and a strong founda- world. pandemic. Nonetheless, development of the pro- Affairs and for a while, the
tion for the development this did not stop the pro- grams’ curricula in colabo- Parlament of Aruba. q
and implementation of The establishment of the cess, and UNDP, along with ration with KU Leuven, and