A large group of RAC African technicians, members of the Union of African Refrigeration Associations U-3ARC, travelled to Italy to take part in a dedicated training session delivered by Centro Studi Galileo. It took place from 29 May to 1 June, and it was the first of its kind in Italy, taught by expert lecturer Said El Harch under the careful supervision of the examiner Madi Sakandé, and conducted simultaneously in English and French.
Centro Studi Galileo didn’t only deliver the course, but also took care of all the logistical organisation, including the needed support in obtaining visas for the 20 participants from 7 African countries, all members of U-3ARC.
The objective was to enhance the skills of the African engineers and technicians on handling new refrigeration systems, which also use flammable refrigerants, with a focus on safety. The importance of proper training on managing flammable refrigerants was emphasised several times during the course, as the lack of such skills could have extremely dangerous consequences for the operators. The course therefore enabled technicians, who successfully passed the exams, not only to obtain the F-Gas Certification, but also the REAL Alternatives certificate for flammables.
At the end of the course, the delegation travelled to Milan to attend the 20th European Conference on New Technologies for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps. During the event, which took place from 8 to 9 June, U-3ARC and IIR (International Institute of Refrigeration) signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding, which will ensure new collaborations between the two entities and relevant mutual benefits. The participation of the African technicians at the conference was an additional opportunity to share knowledge, exchange experiences and create partnerships within the refrigeration sector.
Some of the attendees will also be in Bologna at the beginning of November to take part in ‘Refrigera’, the main Italian trade fair dedicated to refrigeration, of which Centro Studi Galileo and Associazione Tecnici del Freddo are co-organisers and promoters; at the end of the exhibition, the second edition of the tailored course for U-3ARC will take place, already in the pipeline given the enormous success of the first session.
These training and knowledge-sharing initiatives will promote the development of the RAC sector in the African continent and contribute to the dissemination of sustainable and safe technologies. Since decades, Centro Studi Galileo has been committed to supporting this cause by providing a high-quality educational environment for technicians around the world.
This initiative of training and participation in international conferences demonstrates the commitment of U-3ARC and Centro Studi Galileo to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration between African and European professionals, having the common goal that these efforts will contribute to improving growth opportunities in Africa, fostering sustainable development and the dissemination of state-of-the-art best practices.