Daniel Favrat graduated from EPFL with a diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1972 and a PhD in 1976. He then spent twelve years more in industrial energy research centers in Canada and in Switzerland. Since 1988, he has been a professor at EPFL and director of the Laboratory for industrial energy systems. Since 2001, he has also been successively director of the Institute of Energy Sciences and of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. His primary fields of research and teaching include thermodynamics, the optimization of energy systems, and the design of advanced energy conversion technologies. He is a member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, of the French academy of technologies, and the Vice-chair of the Standing Energy Committee of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. He is also a member of the editorial board of several scientific journals, including Energy and the International Journal of Thermodynamics. He is currently the head of WEC 2011 Program Committee (World Engineers’ Convention 2011) which will take place in Geneva in September 2011.

In this Newsletter, he mentions the perspectives of WEC 2011 which is aimed at encouraging innovative engineering to solve the problem of the use of sustainable energy worldwide.

Why do you think it is important that engineers attend the World Engineers’ Convention 2011 – WEC 2011?
World Engineers Conventions have been established as a broad forum and an opportunity for all engineers from around the World to share their views and methods, across the individual disciplines, to meet the challenges of our societies. Engineers are at the core of the solutions required for a harmonious development of our World. In Geneva the focus will be on energy at large which is one of the crucial bottleneck type of challenge of this century. Engineers attending will have an overview of the most recent and structured knowledge of this field from highly recognized colleagues. As major development often occur at the interface of disciplines they will have a stimulating exposure to new concepts and have the opportunity to contribute in formulating the essential conditions for a coherent progress of engineering in the years to come.

Which are the objectives and main topics to be addressed by the World Engineers’ Convention 2011 – WEC 2011?
The overall objective is to highlight and communicate the crucial role of engineers in an energy intensive World with its environmental, economical and political constraints. The objectives are to provide a holistic synthesis of the challenges facing human activities, give an overview of the current best practice achievements and provide guidance in framing the future actions and methods to be recommended. Engineering education is one of the challenges that will not be forgotten in this context.

Who will be the keynote speakers of the world of engineering at WEC 2011?
Prominent keynote speakers will be primarily engineers and scientists having demonstrated leadership not only in the scientific World but also in the society at large. Worldwide representativity including age and genders, will be respected. While discussions are still underway with some of the invited personalities, we can mention the contributions from the general director of the International Energy Agency, the presidents of WFEO and major engineering societies, high level representatives of universities like the former president of the University of Tokyo and so on.