Dr. Bopaya Bidanda is the Ernest Roth Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering. He is the founder and lead partner of the Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) program, which trains students and community members for careers in manufacturing at little to no cost to those who participate. There are now MACs in Tuver (rural India), Titusville (rural Pennsylvania), Homewood (Pittsburgh), and there is one currently being built in partnership with Lagos State University in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Bidanda is an award-winning industrial engineer who is responsible for making manufacturing jobs accessible to low-income communities, fostering economic growth and confidence in regions that benefit greatly from his program.
In partnership with Lagos State University, Dr. Bopaya Bidanda is bringing his Manufacturing Assistance Center program to Lagos, Nigeria. Together, Pitt and LASU will establish a Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) and collaborate on research, share innovative ideas and teaching methods, organize events, and exchange students and faculty to create new opportunities for development. The MAC, which will train engineering students and graduates in different aspects of manufacturing, is already under construction on LASU’s Epe campus.
Since 1994, the Pitt Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) has provided workforce development training in skills relevant to contemporary manufacturing employment. The MAC already exists in Homewood, Titusville, and Tuver, India. When Pitt alum, Mr. Adeola Adetunji and member of the Chancellor’s Global Advisory Council toured the MAC in Homewood he immediately recognized the tremendous potential for Nigeria and said “we need this in Lagos!” It was Adentunji’s vision and commitment to make it happen that this partnership has become a reality.
Over the next five years, Pitt faculty and staff will serve in an advisory capacity to the LASU MAC team, sharing the expertise that they gained during the creation of Pitt’s MAC. In return, they will have access to insightful new perspectives and knowledge from the LASU team, a cross-cultural exchange that will strengthen programming at both universities.