IACEE PULSE: June 2026

IACEE 2026 Symposium in Cagliari, Italy: A Global Conversation on Engineering Education on June 3rd, 2026 

Anita Chawla, First Vice President and Vice President, Professional Growth and Member Engagement

Thank you to everyone who attended the IACEE 2026 Symposium on June 3 in Cagliari, Italy. The symposium brought together engineers and educators from around the world. The conversations were rich, collaborative, and full of energy. For those who could not attend, here is a summary of the two workshops.

Workshop 1: Shaping the Future of Engineering Education and Practice in Europe

Workshop Leaders:

Dirk Bochar, Secretary-General, ENGINEERS EUROPE, Belgium

Robert Prakash, CTO/COO, Stanford Online, Stanford University, USA (support)

The workshop presented the outcomes of the Engineers4Europe (E4E) Erasmus+ project, which worked to identify the skills that engineers across Europe will need in the future.

This workshop was led by Dirk Bochar, Secretary-General of ENGINEERS EUROPE, Belgium. Robert Prakash, CTO/COO of Stanford Online, StanfordUniversity, USA, provided support.

The workshop presented the outcomes of the Engineers4Europe (E4E) Erasmus+ project. This project worked to identify the skills that engineers across Europe will need in the future. It focused on four goals: developing a European Engineering Skills Strategy, creating micro-credential programs for engineers, establishing a European Engineering Skills Council, and sharing project results widely.

The project identified key competencies for engineers. It also developed four micro-credential programs. It built a network to support continuous professional development and skills recognition across Europe.

The workshop highlighted a shared responsibility among professional organizations, policymakers, universities, vocational training providers, and industry to prepare engineers for 2030. Recommendations included promoting participation in STEM and embedding AI, sustainability, and entrepreneurial skills into programs. The workshop also encouraged more hands-on learning and lifelong learning opportunities, as well as stronger ties between academia and industry.

The workshop also introduced the “10 Commandments for Engineers.” These cover timeless qualities such as technical excellence, communication, ethics, adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning. A lively 30-minute discussion followed, with participants sharing how these ideas connect to programs in their own countries. It was a truly global conversation.

Workshop 2: Meeting of Worlds: Lifelong Learning, Foreign Student Motivations, and Career Paths at Regional Universities

This workshop was led by Dr. Aniko Kalman, Senior Advisor to the Rector at the University of Nyiregyhaza, Hungary. Anita Chawla, Chief Customer Officer, Engageli, USA, provided support.

This workshop explored lifelong learning, international student motivations, and career pathways at regional universities. It examined how universities have evolved, shifting from traditional education providers to service-oriented organizations. They now respond to changing labor markets, globalization, and the knowledge economy.

The University of Nyiregyhaza served as a case study. The university has expanded English-language programs, strengthened multicultural support, improved language services, and grown its global visibility. It has done all this while staying true to its role as a regional university.

The workshop's main goal was to develop research tools to better understand international students. Participants worked in groups and created survey instruments to explore why students choose smaller regional universities, how their studies shape their career paths, and how lifelong learning fits into their future plans.

Groups then shared their findings. Key themes included student-centered learning, workforce alignment, flexible training models, and support for lifelong learning. The discussion was engaging and reflected a wide range of perspectives from across the globe.

Thank you to all our speakers, moderators, and participants. Your collaboration and continued support inspire the IACEE mission every day.

IACEE Council Meets in Cagliari to Initiate Shaping the Future of the Organization

Soma Chakrabarti, Secretary General, Fellow, and Past President

The IACEE Outgoing Council held its final meeting of the 2024–26 term on June 2, 2026, in Cagliari, Italy. The meeting took place alongside the eucen Annual Conference. Council members joined from around the world, in person and online.

The council celebrated several strong achievements during this term. The 2025 Purdue University Symposium was a great success. The 2026 IACEE Symposium in Cagliari brought IACEE and eucen together in a powerful partnership, thanks to the efforts of Tamer Atabarut, Aniko Kalman, and Dirk Bochar, along with President Robert Prakash and First Vice President Anita Chawla.

Two webinars were held, including a popular session in partnership with the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) on AI in education that attracted around 160 attendees. Communications were revitalized through the PULSE and WAVE newsletters, led by the Communications Team.

Chen Xinyi, Secretary General, and David Zhang, Senior Administrator from China Association for Continuing Engineering Education (CACEE )presented four exciting proposals. These include co-hosting a World Conference in China in 2029, partnering on AI education, developing digital skills certification programs, and organizing study visits between members.

Council members present in Cagliari included Robert Prakash, Patricia Caratozzolo, Thilo Harth, Bente Norgaard, Ellen Sjoer, Aniko Kalman, Tamer Atabarut, Anita Chawla, Dirk Bochar, Robert Prakash, and Hans-Ulrich Heiss, among others. Katriina Schrey-Niemanmaa, Camille Howard, and I joined online.

The next big milestone is the General Assembly on September 10, 2026, in Prague, Czech Republic, following the SEFI Conference. Soon after, the incoming Council will hold its first meeting. Do not forget to submit your nomination at Intl. Association for Continuing Engineering Education-IACEE 2026-28 Council Nomination – Fill out form.

IACEE looks forward to a strong future built on global collaboration, innovation, and shared learning.

STAY TUNED....

The Communication Team of IACEE will be back in the summer to inform you about the upcoming elections, new Council, and in the late summer, just when people are coming back from vacations, with the new WAVE, the long form publication with information from all over the world. In the mean time, get in touch with us at info@iacee.org.