Lord Robertson speaks at the Scholarship Programme dinner and certificate ceremony
L-r, Lord Robertson, scholar Shakireh Ispahani, and FIA Foundation Chairman Carlos Macaya
Young road safety leaders, from developing
countries around the world, many of them already driving forward policies to save lives gather in London to take part in the 2010 FIA Foundation Scholarship Programme.
In its second year, the Programme has expanded to include more representatives from Africa and Asia along with delegates from Eastern Europe.
Participants engage in lively discussions with experts in road safety. But it’s not just in formal sessions where they gain valuable knowledge and insights. They benefit hugely from sharing experience among themselves as peers during creative role play sessions in particular, as well as informally, outside the main programme.
During interactive sessions, they present overviews of the road safety challenges and successes experienced in their own countries. Leading experts such as Kate McMahon, the former Head of Road Safety at the UK Department of Transport, and John Dawson, Chairman of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) provide cutting edge insights into their road safety specialisms.
One highlight is the team exercise. Scholars are asked to develop a National Road Safety Plan and to carry out campaigning exercises with prizes awarded to the winning team. Other key sessions include an introduction to Parliament and road safety; a presentation on the role of traffic police in road safety by Sir Keith Povey a member of RoadPol, the World Bank’s initiative; a session on the common lessons learned from tackling police corruption in Georgia and Moldova; and a visit to Essex County Council which involved in depth presentations on the local authority’s casualty reduction strategy.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Chairman of the Commission for Global Road Safety presented each scholar with a certificate at the close of this year’s programme. Of course, the scholars will take back far more to their home countries in terms of the shared knowledge and extra insights to strengthen their already promising careers.