Structural Engineering Society of British Columbia

Certificate Program Course Listings

Minimum requirements to obtain a Certificate in Structural Engineering

Each student must pass 12 courses; at least 6 of these must be from the list of Core courses shown below. The passing mark in each course is 68%. As the purpose of the program is to help develop professional structural engineers, each student will be encouraged to achieve at least a 75% mark.

For each of the course listings below, click the course name for a more detailed course description.

Course Listings

Core Courses
Elective Courses

Course Descriptions

C1 Analytical Methods in Structural Engineering
Purpose
This is one of two courses intended to provide students with practical and effective means of analyzing a wide range of structural forms. This course will develop the student's ability to solve common structural analysis problems using strength of materials and approximate methods. The focus is on simple hand techniques that will provide the student with the ability to perform analyses for preliminary and conceptual design and to verify the results of direct stiffness and finite element models.
Selected Topics
Beams on elastic foundations; frame analysis by moment distribution method; analysis of braced frames; shear and flexural deformations of walls and diaphragms; modeling building cores; lateral stability of columns and beams; strength and stiffness requirements of bracing; cables and tension structures; flexible piles and footings; shear lag; eccentric loads on welds, bolt and nail groups.

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C2 Effective Structural Modeling
Purpose
This course will develop the student's ability to solve common structural analysis problems using commercial frame stiffness and finite element software. The focus is on building efficient and effective computer models that are truly representative of a structure's behavior under loading. Access to a standard desktop computer is required. Students will receive an educational version of S-Frame® software by Softek Services Ltd. as part of the course materials.
Selected Topics
Frame analysis concepts; introduction to the finite element method; frame structures; walls and diaphragms; roofs, floors and slabs; beams on elastic foundation; foundations and soil-structure interaction; special material property considerations.

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C3 Topics in Practical Structural Design
Purpose
This course is designed to help the student improve their experience in structural engineering. Issues addressed in the course will help familiarize the student with common challenges in the design office. Various typical design problems will be dealt with in class and may become the focus of homework or of exams. Together in class and as homework projects students will develop some systemized approaches for such tasks as column design, beam design, slab and slab band design, etc. Presenters will offer guidance and comments from their experience in consulting practice aimed at helping students understand the world of consulting and their career progression.
Students need to be familiar with building structures, design procedures and consulting office environments to get the most benefit from the class. Access to 2-dimensional structural analysis and spreadsheet programs is required.
Selected Topics
Column load takeoff and design; field issues affecting design; slab and slab band systems; interface shear; deflection compatibility concerns; vibration and sound transmission in structures; drawbacks and problems using finite element and 3-dimensional design programs; detailing rebar in concrete structures; load paths; lateral load issues; specialty engineering responsibilities; over-conservatism in design; significant figures; dead load eccentricity; etc.

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C4(I) Earthquake Engineering and Seismicity
Purpose
This course covers fundamental concepts of earthquake engineering and will provide the student with a background necessary for understanding and performing seismic analyses and design of building structures covered in other courses of this program.
Selected Topics
Causes and effects of earthquakes, how earthquake forces are developed and resisted; seismic response of simple structures and the concept of response spectrum; seismicity of Canada, earthquake hazard, background of uniform hazard design spectra; design philosophy (ductility, seismic vs. wind effects); fundamentals of dynamics for multi-degree-of-freedom systems; NBCC seismic provisions – base shear formula; seismic force distribution; torsional effects; soil effects on seismic response; irregular structures; parts of buildings (nonstructural elements, pipelines); diaphragms and their effect on seismic response, modern technologies for controlling the seismic response of structures.

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C5 Conceptual Structural Design
  • Purpose
    Structural concepts arise in business and commercial development, architecture, process design, mine development, contracting, and many other specialties. Conceptual structural design for this course means the design of concepts within the realm of structural engineering, i.e. after architectural objectives are set and those constraints that are dictated by others are set. The course objective is to develop skills in the initial concept design phase of structural design for the overall structural concept, the choice of materials, and the concepts for details in a structure. Case studies will be used as examples to illustrate.
  • Selected Topics
  • Approximate structural analysis fundamentals; form and function, common proportions, concept evaluation, innovative concepts (Beaver Bridge erection, Prince George); effective building concepts (developing concepts in wood and steel structures); high rise buildings (Shangri-La); institutional buildings (schools), conceptual concrete building design; seismic upgrade (Coquitlam Arena); learning from structural failures (Save-On Foods, Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge and others).
  • Outline
    Download course outline

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C6 Dynamic Analysis of Structural Systems
Purpose
The 2006 British Columbia Building Code recognizes dynamic response spectrum as the default analysis technique for seismic design of buildings; to carry out an effective seismic design structural engineers should have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of dynamic analysis. This course aims to give each participant a grasp of practical issues involved in analyzing/designing structures for dynamic/earthquake loads. The application of Mathcad and commercial structural analysis programs in solving dynamic problems is demonstrated.
Selected Topics
  • Dynamic response of elastic structures (fundamental concepts; single-degree-of-freedom systems, multi-degree-of-freedom systems), hands-on response spectrum analysis, inelastic dynamic response of structures, modal analysis (fundamental periods of building, effect of higher modes), dynamic response of short and long period buildings, response of structures to earthquake ground motion: fundamentals of time-history response analysis.
    Design specifications for buildings and other structures, development of design spectra using BCBC 2006 dynamic analysis requirements, effect of structural configuration, podium structures, dynamic analysis of irregular structures.

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C7 Analysis and Design of Buildings With Hybrid Systems
  • • Interaction of components of hybrid system
  • • Load transfer between systems
  • • Compatibility of materials and systems
  • • Analysis and design of hybrid systems
  • • Case studies
  • • Seismic and wind loads on hybrid systems
  • • Load path and load transmission
  • • Connections between different materials - analysis and design
  • • Pros and cons of hybrid systems for resisting lateral loads
  • • Practical consideration and rules-of-thumb concept analysis
  • • Case studies

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C8 GeoTechnical Aspects of Foundation Design
Purpose
This course is intended to provide the students with an appreciation of the issues involved in design and construction of foundations of structures. Students will be required to undertake geotechnical design of shallow and deep foundations and retaining structures for conditions typical of Lower Mainland soil conditions. Both Working Stress and Limit States design approaches will be discussed and seismic design issues will be included. The course is delivered through lectures, case studies, and home assignments.
Selected Topics
Characteristic behaviour of soils; site characterization and assessment; site preparation including ground improvement; shallow and deep foundation design for ultimate and serviceability limit states; temporary and permanent retaining structures; soil-structure interaction; specification of foundation construction.

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C9 Computer Structural Analysis
Purpose
This course covers the direct stiffness method of structural analysis which provides the basis for most commercial analysis packages. The purpose of the course is to familiarize the students with the underlying concepts of this method and its correct use in engineering practice. This should help the students to better understand the assumptions and limitations of commercial computer analysis programs. The direct stiffness analysis method will be introduced using the general engineering calculation worksheet program Mathcad. Access to the latest version of Mathcad will be provided to all students for the duration of the course. An introduction to Mathcad will be provided and followed up throughout the lecture material. Practical applications will be an emphasis of the course. The course will help the students understand that structural analysis programs are not just "black boxes" that are able to analyze all kinds of structural systems, but that they are useful and powerful tools that, when properly used, can give reliable results and provide confidence on the predicted structural behaviour.
Selected Topics
1) The direct stiffness analysis method: concepts, advantages and limitations, global coordinates and stiffness matrix, geometric transformation;
2) Practical modeling of Structures: selection of Degrees of freedom, discretization of structural systems; local coordinates and member stiffness matrix (axial members, bending members, springs);
3) Structural Loads and Response: nodal loads solving for deflections; solving for member forces; member loads; thermal loads and prestrains.

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C10 Design of Earth-Supported Structures
Purpose
This course will examine several types of foundation and earth retaining structures. For each type of structure, theory and philosophies underlying the common design methodologies will be presented, along with practical design procedures.
Selected Topics
Soil – Structure Interaction; Footings – Design, Code provisions review; Combined Footings, Rafts – Simplified Analysis and Computer Solution; Footings continued; Seismic Design Considerations; Piles and Caissons; Geotechnical Aspects of Foundation Design; Earth Retaining Structures; Slabs on Grade – Industrial Floors, Design and Construction, Specifications; Slabs continued; Construction Aspects; New Foundation Systems.

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E1 Masonry design of buildings
Purpose
This course is intended to provide the practicing engineers with the skills and knowledge required for effective design of masonry buildings according to the Canadian Masonry Standard CSA-S304.1-04. The main focus is on design concepts and practical field applications of Canadian masonry construction. The course curriculum has been revised with an increased emphasis on seismic design issues, including an overview of the NBCC 2005 and S304.1 seismic provisions for masonry structures. The upcoming publication Guide to the Seismic Design of Low and Medium-Rise Masonry Buildings in Canada will be used as the main resource for seismic design portion of the course. Students will be exposed to practical aspects of masonry construction through project examples and a hands-on session. The course is delivered through lectures, design assignments, case studies, and the final exam. The course textbook Masonry Design for Engineers and Architects (including CSA Standard S304.1 on CD), the Masonry Institute of BC Technical Manual, and the new Guide to the Seismic Design, are complimentary.
Selected Topics
Masonry materials and components; basic design considerations for masonry structures per CSA- S304.1; design of masonry beams; design of masonry walls for axial load and bending, including slenderness effects; design for shear; seismic design of masonry shear walls; design of veneer walls; construction and building science issues; detailing of masonry structures; masonry specifications and design notes; MDS 2007 computer software applications for design of masonry structures.

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E2 Timber Design of Light Residential and Commercial Buildings
Purpose
This course is intended to provide the students with the skills and knowledge required for effective design of timber buildings using the Canadian Timber Code. The course covers the key design concepts and procedures for timber design and illustrates their application through design examples and case studies of typical residential and commercial buildings. The course is delivered through lectures and home assignments.
Selected Topics
Introduction to timber construction; timber properties - pros and cons; design of key timber elements: joists, beams, columns, walls, wall plates, decking and sheathing (including design aids); Glulam and proprietary products (engineered structural lumbers and panels); trusses – layout and design; connection design; seismic design – flexible vs. rigid diaphragm, distribution of seismic forces, design of shear walls and their components; analysis and design of residential buildings with a 3-story “walk up” example- layout, practical considerations, shrinkage issues, etc.; analysis and design of commercial buildings, including an example of a 1-story building – layout, practical considerations; case studies.

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E3 Reinforced Concrete Design I
Purpose:
This course provides students with the skills and knowledge required for effective design of reinforced concrete building elements using the Canadian concrete code and to prepare them for carrying out assignments in a design office. Basic knowledge of mechanics of reinforced concrete is required. The course is intended to enhance the students’ knowledge by presenting issues, design requirements, design procedures, and actual examples on several selected topics commonly encountered in building designs. Emphasis is on practical aspects of non-seismic design and detailing. Home assignments will be given. Reference Text: “CSA Standard A23.3-04 Design of Concrete Structures” and “Reinforced Concrete Design” by Brzev and Pao.
Selected Topics:
Specifications; reinforcing steel detailing; flexural design; beams and one-way slabs; deflections; slab bands; shear design; torsion design; building walls; tilt-up panels; columns; footings; shear friction reinforcement; anchorage and splices. Communications to students and questions outside of class will be handled strictly through e-mail.

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E4 Structural Steel Design for Buildings
Purpose
This course is intended to provide students with the skills and knowledge required for effective design of steel buildings using Canadian Limit States Steel Standard CSA S16-01(R05). The course is intended to promote better understanding of the design considerations of steel buildings. The course is appropriate as a code refresher or for recently graduated engineers as it will cover items that are not traditionally part of a steel design course including steel decking, open web steel joists and HSS trusses. Approximately 25% of the course will be directly related to seismic design using NBCC 2005 / BCBC 2006 requirements. Where possible, current design practice will be demonstrated using worked problems including weekly home assignments. The course is fast paced and students should have taken a previous steel course. Possession of the CISC Handbook of Steel Construction 9th edition is required.
Selected Topics
Advantages and disadvantages of structural steel, material grades and section availability, basic beam design, steel deck design for vertical loading, roof deck, composite floor deck, design of roof beams for wind uplift, ponding, snow drifting, conceptual design of steel framing systems, framing for openings in floors and roofs, framing for plan irregularities, beam holes, stability issues, cantilever beam stability, Gerber framing system, open web steel joists, hollow structural section trusses and frames, HSS connections, composite beams, vibration analysis, columns, column base-plates, beam-columns, connection design for the design engineer, shop drawing review, seismic design for steel buildings, computation of seismic forces from NBCC 2005 / BCBC 2006, diaphragm design and detailing, brace bay design and moment frames.

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E5 Seismic Aspects of Reinforced Concrete Design
Purpose
This course will teach the fundamentals of the seismic design of reinforced concrete structures. It will review the code provisions in the 2005 National Building Code of Canada and Chapter 21 of the CSA A 23.3. The program will emphasize practical aspects of design through a series of assignments of an actual building. An understanding of the design of concrete structures for gravity loads is essential.
Selected Topics
Inelastic behaviour of concrete and reinforcing steel, design of wall elements, building layouts and irregularities, selected topics in high rise design, introduction to non-linear static analysis applicable to concrete structures, selected topics on seismic retrofit.

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E7 Seismic Strengthening of Existing Structures
  • • Design philosophy of seismic retrofit
  • • Evaluation and assessment of existing structural system
  • • Strength testing of materials
  • • Discussion of pros and cons of commonly used retrofit schemes
  • • Decision process for selecting retrofit scheme
  • • Implementation of proposed seismic retrofit system
  • • Practical considerations and rule-of-thumb guidelines
Selected Topics/Case studies
Discussion of NBC, NRC, ASCE, FEMA guidelines, and current BC Ministry of Education guidelines for schools; review of case studies by local consultants; evaluation of common existing buildings and material types found in B.C. including institutional, commercial, and historical; performance-based analysis and design including push-over analysis, response spectra, and time history analysis; traditional upgrades involving concrete, steel, masonry, and timber, and “non-traditional” retrofit schemes such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) wrap, dampers, and isolation.

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E9 Design of Tilt-up Concrete Buildings
Purpose
The Design of Tilt-up Concrete Buildings course is aimed at younger design engineers and engineers desiring to learn about the design principles and construction aspects of this method of construction. The course will briefly review the history of tilt-up construction as well as various design aids leading up to the present CSA provisions. The program will then focus on the design requirements and present several examples covering a range of conditions frequently encountered in this type of building. A field trip to observe some real construction is also planned towards the end of the course.
Selected Topics
: History of tilt-up panels in North America; review of design procedures; CSA A 23.3 - Clause 23; design and analysis of panels; construction aspects (panels layout, cranage, slab design); connections; architectural aspects of panels; computer modeling; and example calculations.

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E10 Structural Analysis Fundamentals: A Refresher
Purpose
This elective course is intended to provide a refresher of basic analysis/strength of materials concepts with applications in the design office. Starting from basics, the topics covered will also have direct applicability to other Certificate courses. Emphasis is placed on hand calculations rather than the use of computer programs, in order to allow for conceptual understanding and implementation in spreadsheet or electronic worksheet applications.
Selected Topics
Statics – freebody diagrams, shear and bending moment diagrams, relationship between shear and bending moment, moving loads; Cross-sectional Properties – moment of inertia, transformed moment of inertia, polar moment of inertia; Elastic Stresses in Beams – flexural stresses in beams with different materials, shear stresses and shear flow, shear centre, torsional stresses; Deformations of Structures – curvature and bending moment, the moment-area method, deformations of frames and trusses using energy methods, settlements; Moment Distribution – distribution factors, non-prismatic members, flexible and yielding supports, frames with and without sidesway; Diaphragm and Shear Wall Rigidity Analysis – approximate shear wall rigidity analysis, flexible versus rigid diaphragm assumptions, rigid diaphragm analysis; Case Studies and Applications.

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E11 National Building Code (NBC) Part 4 - Structural Design
Purpose
This elective course will provide structural engineers with a detailed understanding of the Part 4 (Structural Design) provisions of the 2005 National Building Code. Students will learn both Code requirements as well as background information required to implement them. Some prior knowledge of Part 4 requirements is recommended and access to the Code provisions is required. Access to the most recently available Supplement to the National Building Code is recommended.
Selected Topics
Introduction - applicability, organization, climatic data; Limit States Design - theory, limit states, principal and companion load combinations; Live Loads Due to Occupancy; Snow and Rain Loading - Code factors, drifts and accumulations for different roof configurations, special cases, ponding; Wind Loading - theoretical behavior, climatic values, exposure factors, dynamic and gust effects, internal and external pressure coefficients; Seismic loads - seismicity, minimum design forces, base shear factors, analysis methods; Vibrations and Impact Loading; Foundations and Excavations - temporary excavations, shallow foundations, deep foundations, case studies.

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E12 Seismic Design of Steel Structures
Purpose
The 7th edition of CSA standard S16-09 "Limit States Design of Steel Structures" supersedes the previous limit states editions published in 2001. The 2009 Edition contains numerous additions to the Standard that deal with new seismic systems (e.g., restrained buckling bracing systems, protected zones), design of single angles in various situations, steel plate walls with perforated infill plates, steel deck diaphragm behaviour on the seismic design of low-rise steel buildings and new Annexes on topics such as design to prevent brittle fracture. This course seeks to summarize the relevant new information on the seismic design of steel structures into different lectures on materials, plastic sections, capacity design, and component and system response, while providing useful guidance on detailing. Emphasis will be on earthquake-resistant design of steel structures. This is because the provision of ductile structures is crucial to seismic survival. Clause 27 of the code, and all different classes of frames with various energy dissipation capacities or ductility ratios, will be discussed.
Selected Topics
Topics to be covered will include: Common properties of steel materials; plastic behaviour, Hysteresis models; analysis and design of moment resisting frames; concentric braced frames and eccentric braced frames; Capacity design for components including pedestals, anchor bolts, footings, and connections (gussets, bolts and welds).

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E13 Computer Software Applications In Structural Engineering
Purpose
The course provides an overview on the application of computer software tools in Structural Engineering, and is a combination of lectures and hands-on lab sessions. Commonly used computer programs in Structural Engineering, such as Mathcad, ETABS, SAP2000 and S-FRAME, will be used during the course to demonstrate the implementation of concepts/applications discussed during the lectures. Participants will learn the capabilities of the latest computer software for Structural Engineering analysis. Various structural analysis techniques for seismic analysis such as, response spectra, linear time-history and an introduction to nonlinear analyses will be discussed. Throughout the course, simple example problems will allow the students to implement the concepts discussed during the lectures. Topics covered include modeling capabilities and limitations, building/modifying models, viewing and evaluating results. Time will be available during the lab sessions to discuss specific engineering problems that the participants may want to model with one of the software packages. Participants will be required to solve homework assignments using any of structural analysis computer programs. Participants that complete all the assignments in a satisfactory manner will receive a passing mark for this course. Students are expected to have access to a structural analysis software capable of performing dynamic analyses or use the UBC lab facility for their assignments.
Selected Topics
Mathcad tutorials, structural analysis techniques, selected analytical sample building models in ETABS, SAP2000 or S-FRAME, common modeling pitfalls, effect of boundary conditions, debugging/modifying and changing the selected example problems to solve a structural analysis problem.

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E14 Design of Prestressed and Post-Tensioned Concrete Structures
Purpose
This course is intended to provide the participants with knowledge and understanding of prestressed and post-tensioned design and construction. The course will focus on practical aspects of designing elements and structures using prestressed and post-tensioned construction. In situ cast in place and off-site pre-cast construction will be covered. Relevant codes and other industry documents will be reviewed. The course will also discuss seismic aspects of precast and post-tensioned construction. Example problems will be used to illustrate the design theory.
Reference textbooks
Prestressed Concrete Basics, Collins & Mitchell and the Metric Design Manual, CPCI (new edition).
Selected Topics
Principles of prestressed concrete, design of prestressed concrete elements, precast concrete products; design and manufacturing, principles of post-tensioned concrete design, p/t design of elements and floors, bonded and unbonded p/t construction, p/t construction specifications, seismic aspects of prestressed and post-tensioned concrete. A construction field trip is also planned during the course.

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E15 Applications of Dynamic Analysis for Seismic Design of Structures
Purpose
The emphasis of this course will be on the practical aspects of the use of dynamic analysis for evaluating the seismic response of buildings. It will provide an overview on the effective use and implementation of modern tools of dynamic analysis of new and existing buildings. The course was developed in response to the need for structural engineers to better understand how to use dynamic analysis for the design of buildings that will require this type of analysis in accordance with NBCC 2005. It will be a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises to be carried out with modern computer programs commonly used in engineering practice.
Content
The topics to be covered during the course are : 1) Review of basic concepts of structural dynamics; 2) Response spectrum and ductility concepts; 3) Basics of time history analysis; 4) 2D and 3D dynamic analysis of buildings; 5) Building irregularities; 6) Analysis of base-isolated buildings; 7) Analysis of buildings with energy dissipation devices and tuned mass dampers; 8) Analysis of buildings with viscous and friction dampers; 9) Soil-structure interaction; 10) Analysis of equipment and secondary systems; 11) Practical use of time history analysis; and 12) Introduction to the dynamic inelastic response of buildings.
Approach
Participants in this course will receive a set of class notes and a copy of a computer program that will be used to solve the assigned homework problems. Each lecture in the course will include, in general, a review of the basic concept being discussed, a discussion of the practical implementation of the concept and illustrative examples. At the end of the lecture, students will be given a homework assignment that will allow them to implement and gain some experience related to the material discussed in class. Participants who complete all the assignments in a satisfactory manner will receive a passing mark for this course.
E16 Introduction to Cables and Cable Systems
Purpose
This course introduces common cable types used in structural engineering. The exact equations commonly used to deal with cable catenaries will be derived and used to solve single cable problems. An educational program that can be used for single cables and small cable systems will be provided, so that the participants can solve real problems related to cable systems that undergo large deformations. Numerical examples will cover stay cables, suspension systems, moorings and transmission systems. The course will also cover the fabrication of cables and their erection in the field. A discussion of the evolution of cable-supported bridges will also be included. Furthermore, the course will discuss cable vibration issues and their mitigation.
The course will make use of Mathcad for the first half of the lectures, however, the problems can also be solved using Excel. The SEABC C9 course will be an asset, but not a prerequisite, for this course. Students are encouraged to bring their own laptops to class.
Selected topics
The course will be presented in 12 sessions of 2 hours each. Each 2 hour session will be a mix of: 1) In-class derivations of the course notes 2) Numerical examples 3) Presentations of real applications.

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Registration

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More information

For more information, please contact the Program Executive Secretary.