Newsletter #15 - Special Edition

• Congress: “Alternative Energy Applications: Option Or Necessity?(EC2009) – KUWAIT
• Argentine Delegation
• Third Meeting of the International Advisory Council of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA (IAC)
• WFEO General Assembly elected its new President
• Exhibition
• Forum for Young People
• Activities of WFEO Standing Committees
• Intense international promotion of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA
• Promotion of Chapter IPPAI
• Promotion of the Congress in France
• Schedule of Activities for National Preparatory Congress

Kuwait Society of Engineers, with the sponsorship of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), called and organized the Congress: “Alternative Energy Applications: Option or Necessity?” (EC2009). This event took place in Kuwait from 2 to 6 November, 2009, and also hosted WFEO General Assembly.
The Congress had the support of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, who opened the event together with distinguished authorities of that country; among those present were the Crown Prince, His Highness Nawaf Al-Ahmed, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Naser Al-Mohammad, the Kuwaiti Parliament Chairman Jasem Al-Kharafi and other important officials, diplomats and businessmen as well as engineers of 76 countries of the world.
The objectives of this congress were to analyze the latest technological innovations in alternative energy technology and to promote the uses of clean and sustainable energy in the region and in the world.

Among its conclusions, it was pointed out that all available options should be considered to fulfill the demand of energy, including energy efficiency, renewable energies, clean and low-carbon fuels, and nuclear power. Alternative energy is no longer an option but a necessity, whose availability will depend on the resources of each country, its development and possibilities.

Engineers have the necessary knowledge and experience to adapt current technology and systems, particularly taking into account the climate change. Therefore, WFEO urged an active work with governments and with those who make policies to: ensure the access to relevant information about possible options; inform about latent risks and how to better adapt infrastructure so as to avoid the negative effects of climate change; recommend alternatives to mitigate risks and reduce carbon emissions; and to support the promotion of the participation of young and women engineers at all decision levels.

ENGINEERING 2010 - ARGENTINA participated in the event with a delegation presided by Engineer Mario Wiegers, Vice-president of the Central Executive Committee and President of the Chapter Energy and Climate Change of our Congress, Engineer Conrado Bauer, Academic Director, Engineer Luis Vaca Arenaza, President of Chapter Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD), which is organized in conjunction with the 8th World Congress on Engineering Education (in charge of WFEO Standing Committee on Education and Training), Engineer Eduardo Vendrell Vidal, Vice-President of EESD Chapter, Engineer Pablo Bereciartúa, President of the Forum for Young People, Engineer Daniel Morano, in his capacity as public official of the State Ministry of Education, and Bac. Carina Carrasco, coordinator of the Congress. The Argentine Delegation was supported by the National Institute for Tourism Promotion (INPROTUR), the Kuwait Society of Engineers and the sponsors (institutions and companies) of ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA.

Within the frame of WFEO activities, the third plenary meeting of the International Advisory Council of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA was held in Kuwait last November 1.

The event received a large attendance of representatives of engineering organizations of several countries such as Spain, Australia, Bolivia, Tunisia, Kuwait, Ivory Coast (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire), Singapore, Switzerland, Brazil, France, Mexico, United States, Canada, Japan. The preliminary program and the most important technical aspects of the Congress were dealt with during the meeting. The members of the Advisory Council committed themselves to spread the Call for Papers in their own countries. There were discussions about the periods of time for lectures and different alternatives and possibilities of prioritizing international aspects as well as WFEO strategies in the organization of the Congress. Besides, it was suggested that WFEO institutional meetings be limited to October 15 and 16.

The Assembly elected WFEO President-Elect for the next period 2009-2011. The nominated candidates were Engineer Al Kharafi, Past President of Kuwait Society of Engineers, and Engineer Darrel Danyluk, Past President of Engineers Canada. Engineer Adel Al-Kharafi won the election with 57 votes .

Vice-Presidents and national members were also elected. The position of Treasurer was assumed by Engineer Jaime Santamaria Serrano from Colombia.  

According to the Assembly Agenda, Engineer Mario Wiegers introduced ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA with a short speech, with the presence of the Argentine delegation. Engineer Daniel Morano, public official of the State Ministry of Education, and Carlos Salord, in charge of economic affairs of the Argentine Embassy in Kuwait, stated the decisive support of the Argentine Government to ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA. Engineer Conrado Bauer also expressed words of gratitude to the Assembly and to WFEO. The presentation finished with a promotion video of the Congress, which can be seen in its website (www.ingenieria2010.com.ar)

The Assembly closed with the assumption of the new WFEO President, Engineer María Jesús Prieto Laffargue, from Spain, President-Elect during the biennium 2007-2009, who commented on her work schedule for the period 2009-2011.

 ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA was also present with a stand for the promotion of the Congress and Exhibition which was visited by people from all over the world. The stand served as an information centre for the visitors to the exhibition and offered the opportunity of promoting the event from the commercial and academic points of view. Brochures with tourism information of Argentina and the Call for Papers of the Congress were handed in there. 

Within the frame of the Congress in Kuwait, the chapter of Young People received the attendance of 970 engineers from Kuwait and 80 from abroad, representing more than 15 countries. Engineer Pablo Bereciartúa participated in the general activities, as representative of the Forum for Young People of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA, and shared meetings of cooperation with the organizers of the Congress of Kuwait and the future Congress in Switzerland next 2011.

Standing Committee on Energy
Engineer Mario Wiegers, Vice-President of WFEO Standing Committee on Energy, and its President, Engineer Jorge Spitalnik, from Brazil, discussed about the active participation of this Committee to continue with the analysis of the topics dealt with in the Conference of Kuwait in ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA.

Standing Committee on Engineering and the Environment
Engineer Conrado Bauer participated in the meeting of the aforementioned Committee. It was proposed to create a Task Force for Agriculture and Food, taking into account the innovations of the rural development for sustainable development, which would be led by Engineer Sandra Fernández. The proposal was accepted and must be confirmed by the WFEO Executive Council after the reception of the proposal in writing. It was also informed that Engineer Julio García Velasco will become a member of the Committee; this will be confirmed in writing as well.

Standing Committee on Education and Training
The President of Chapter Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD), which is organized in conjunction with the 8th World Congress on Engineering Education, in charge of WFEO Standing Committee on Education and Training, participated in the meeting of WFEO Committee which was held in Kuwait and put under the consideration of its members the advances in the organization of the Congress 2010 in Buenos Aires, the integration of the proposed topics, the appointment of juries, and the expected participation. On his part, the Vice-President of the Chapter, Engineer Daniel Morano, communicated the Standing Committee the purpose of the Argentine Government, expressed through its President, of backing up the realization of the Congress and the interest of supporting from the government those activities that ensure the continuity of the Committee in the area of engineering education. Engineer Eduardo Vendrell Vidal, member of the organizing committee of the chapter and Dean of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, completed the description with information about the development of activities, relations between the academic sector and corporations, and the participation of the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, as key-note speaker.  

For further details and additional information, please refer to the newsletters in the Congress Website: http://www.ec2009kuwait.org/pages.aspx?page=30

Meeting of ISTIC Board in Budapest

The Board meeting of the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC) was also held in November; it has its headquarters in Malaysia and is an active sponsor of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA. The meeting took place on November 4, in Budapest, within the frame of the World Science Forum in the Science Academy of Hungary. Engineer Conrado Bauer, Academic Director of ENGINEERING 2010-ARGENTINA, invited by Engineer Dato Lee Yee Cheong, Chairman of ISTIC, spoke about the advances in the organization of the Congress 2010 to the distinguished audience, formed by relevant representatives of the world of science at international level. He also confirmed, and ISTIC accepted, the invitation to celebrate its institutional meeting 2010 in Buenos Aires. It was also proposed, with favorable opinions, that ISTIC support and sponsor the realization of an international workshop in Buenos Aires to analyze and promote the interaction and complementation between science, engineering and business. 

Participation in the Conference on Rural Development in Agadir, Africa

From 12 to 14 November, the international conference on the Integration of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in the context of climate change, the energy crisis and food insecurity, took place in the city of Agadir, in Morocco. Engineer Sandra Fernández, Vice-President of the Specific Chapter “Innovation of Primary Production and Agro-Alimentary Industries” (IPPAI) participated in the event and had the possibility, given by its organizers, of presenting ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA. A promotion video of the Congress was shown to an audience of distinguished experts in this field. Participants were very interested in the specific chapter to be developed in Buenos Aires 2010.

Within the frame of the agreement made between the Professional Council of Agronomy Engineering and Agropolis International, an interinstitutional network of research and extension in the field of agro-alimentary innovation, the Vice-President of the Specific Chapter “Innovation of Primary Production and Agro-Alimentary Industries” (IPPAI) –and President of the aforementioned Council– travelled to Montpellier, France, to spread and promote the activities of the Specific Chapter of ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA. To this aim, an institutional video was shown to representatives of the Polytech and  SupAgro Universities. Besides, the Director of Institutional Relations, Jacques Riviére, who participated in the meeting together with other collaborators, was very interested and committed himself to make the event known and to encourage the academicians of the network to attend the Congress. http://www.agropolis.fr/

Related Information:

• Sponsors
• Call For Papers
• Schedule
• Press kit

Previous Newsletters:

• Newsletter #13
• Newsletter #12
• Newsletter #11
• Newsletter #10
• Newsletter #09
• Newsletter #08
• Newsletter #07
• Newsletter #06
• Newsletter #05
• Newsletter #04

 

ENGENEERING 2010 ARGENTINA, CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.