In June 2003 the International Institute of Women in Engineering (IIWE) initiated the SudVEL project. IIWE members from different international institutions held meetings during the IIWE 2003 summer program. The objective of those meetings was discussing the possibility for IIWE to implement projects for supporting women Engineers in developing countries. Consequently, Dr. Iman Abuel Maaly , an IIWE member from Sudan,  prepared  the first draft of the project proposal.  That proposal was then  modified and approved by the IIWE's members. Based on a meeting  with UNESCO and WFEO, IIWE submitted the first draft proposal to UNESCO and WFEO in July 2003. With support of SudVEL partners Dr. Iman signed a contract with UNESCO in December 2003 for establishing a prototype version of a virtual library in Engineering to be established in Sudan.  IIWE contributed in implementing this project with library software developed at EPF.   In March 1st,  2004, SudVEL project, sponsored by UNESCO with partners from many international institutes  became a reality.

See other IIWE's technical projects: Nile Countries Hydromanagement Project http://www.odu.edu/engr/iiwe/iiwetechproject.htm

IIWE Members who contributed in initiating the  SudVEL project

Gay Tischbirek: The IIWE's  coordinator, France.

Yvette Ramos: EPF, france

Margareth Gfrerer: Belgium

Iman Abuel Maaly: University of Khartoum, Sudan.

Zdenka Videcka: Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic.

Petra Schmidt: Hochschule Mittweida, Germany

Pam Hazelton: University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Emilce Garcia: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.