MY STORY
Akua Alder is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor certified by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) with a background in Civil Engineering. He is a graduate of the University of Guyana and holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Construction Law with a specialization in Arbitration and Adjudication from Robert Gordon University. These qualifications allowed him to gain membership with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2021. Mr Alder is pursuing his Master of Science(MSc) in Advanced Structural Engineering from Heriot-Watt University. He serves as a Director on the Board of Directors of Meridian Designs and Services Inc, a consultancy specializing in Engineering, Health and Safety and Law.
Mr Alder’s professional experiences and specialization have allowed him to hone his skills in preparing financial cost estimation for various structures, including coastal and inland hydraulic structures, bridges and buildings. He provides financial and technical professional engineering solutions for various capital infrastructure projects ranging from Drainage and Irrigation, building construction and renovation to major highway construction and repairs. Mr Alder prides himself in seeking knowledge and newer technologies to innovate. He is learned and versed in the use of structural Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and other Computer-Aided Modelling software that he uses to efficiently model, analyze and design various structures for his clients.
Mr Alder’s primary goal is to further his knowledge and career in civil engineering and add value to the discipline. He believes that there is a void in Guyana regarding the application of cost estimation and construction law for projects. He also believes that there is a general lack in the prevalence and availability of Arbitration as an alternative means of dispute resolution. This he hopes to change by contributing more to the financial cost estimation and legal field of construction by promoting the standards of the RICS and advocating for the implementation of laws governing the construction industry and the use of Arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution methods as a means of settling construction-based disputes.
Mr Alder affirms the quote, “without standards, there can be no improvement” and advocates for engineering to be practised in accordance with RICS standards.