CommunicationPublished on 4 March 2021

"It's about developing solutions with local people, not for them"

Food security, sustainable energy, the promotion of gender equality – the challenges facing sustainable development today are many and varied, but the potential of engineering in this area is just as diverse. To mark World Engineering Day on 4 March, Christian Frutiger, Head of the Global Cooperation Department at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), explains the role that Swiss engineering plays in international cooperation and why becoming an engineer is a good option for anyone who wants to change the world.

"The challenges are considerable and wide-ranging, but so too is the potential of this profession in development cooperation": in this interview, Christian Frutiger discusses the great potential of Swiss engineering in the context of international cooperation. — © FDFA

The Latin word ‹ingenium› means ‹ingenuity› or ‹cleverness›, and I think we can all agree that the world needs plenty of that.

Creative and flexible working is vital. Learning cycles need to be short so that innovations become available and usable quickly.