Catalysing Community-Led Engineering for a Sustainable Sudan: The Role of the Community Engineering Response Team (CERT), Dr Tagwa Musa, Ali Alawad, Bakry Mahmoud, Fatima Elsayed, Romysaa Babiker, Dr Ramiro Jordan
Dr Tagwa Musa
Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, 23874 Doha, Qatar
TEES Gas & Fuels Research Center, 77840 College Station, USA
ORCID: 0000-0002-4364-9841
Ali Mohammed Ali Alawad
Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum
Sudan
ORCID: 0009-0006-9327-0131
Bakry Mahmoud
Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum
Sudan
ORCID: 0000-0002-2534-0349
Fatima Elsayed
Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum
Sudan
ORCID: 0000-0002-6516-3930
Romysaa Babiker
Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum
Sudan
ORCID: 0009-0001-5002-3505
Dr Ramiro Jordan
Electrical & Computer Engineering Program
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
USA
ORCID: 0000-0001-5634-6236
Paper Type: Case Study
Received: 8 May 2025 / Revised: 16 May 2025 / Accepted: 19 May 2025 / Published: 30 May 2025
DOI: 10.47556/J.IJSR.12.1.2025.2
Purpose: This paper examines the Community Engineering Response Team (CERT) as a case study to explore how community-driven engineering education and innovation can aid in Sudan’s post-war recovery.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is based on an empirical case study of a capacity-building initiative involving 700 engineering students throughout Sudan. The study employed virtual training (ECHO model), hands-on implementation, and survey data collection.
Findings: The programme improved knowledge of sustainability (94.4% reported enhancement), fostered innovative community-led projects, and showcased the effectiveness of the ECHO model in post-conflict engineering and education in other disciplines.
Value: This paper offers a replicable model that integrates engineering problem-solving and education with post-war recovery efforts, together with policy recommendations for scaling.
Research Limitations/Implications: The study focused on a pilot initiative; future work should explore long-term sustainability.
Practical Implications: The CERT model can be adapted for other engineering and socio-economic projects tailored to address broader sustainability challenges.
Keywords: Community Engineering; Capacity Building; Sudan; ECHO Model; Peace Engineering; Sustainability; Solid Waste Management.
Citation: Musa, T., Alawad, A. M. A., Mahmoud, B., Elsayed, F., Babiker, R. and Jordan, R. (2025): Catalysing Community-Led Engineering for a Sustainable Sudan: The Role of the Community Engineering Response Team (CERT). International Journal of Sudan Research (IJSR), Vol 12, No. 1, pp. 17-40.
