IACEE Pulse: August 2024
Letter from the President
As I step into the role of President of IACEE, I want to express my deep gratitude to the outgoing council and leadership, especially to Soma Chakrabarti and Nelson Baker, for their unwavering dedication in guiding our organization to where it stands today. On May 24th, 2024, at the World Conference in the picturesque Comillas, Spain, the new IACEE Council for 2024-2026 commenced its tenure. This Council is a truly diverse and dynamic group, with representatives from 13 countries, encompassing a wide range of educational and professional organizations.
I am both honored and excited to lead our community during this period of remarkable opportunity and transformation. As the world continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the importance of continuous learning and professional development in engineering education and sustainability has never been more critical.
This Council’s aim is to build on our rich history, strengthen our global network, and embrace new challenges with creativity and resilience. Together, we will work to ensure that IACEE remains at the forefront of continuing engineering education, providing the resources, connections, and support that our members need to be successful.
To achieve this mission, we have identified four key areas of focus, each guided by dedicated Vice Presidents:
- Professional Growth and Communications: Led by Anita Chawla, our goal is to re-establish IACEE as a knowledge hub through regular webinars, workshops, and strategic communication initiatives.
- Partnerships: Under the leadership of Chris Smith (Europe) and Steve Ruffin (North America), we aim to rebuild and develop strategic partnerships with peer professional associations.
- Operational Excellence: Sabrina Casucci will lead the effort to revise and update IACEE's bylaws, aligning them with best practices from similar organizations to guide our future operations.
- Program and Research Initiatives: Tamer Atabarut will continue and expand upon initiatives like SERINA, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of the intersection of sustainability and engineering education.
In addition to the roles above, Soma Chakrabarti has been elected to the role of Secretary General and Anita Chawla to the role of First Vice president.
I am eager to collaborate with each of you as we embark on this journey, and I am confident that, together, we will achieve great things. Thank you for your continued membership in IACEE.
Robert Prakash
President
World Conference Summary
Two years ago, during the 18th World Conference, Dr. Patricia Caratozzolo, an IACEE Council member and a faculty member at the Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico, discussed the possibility of hosting the 19th World Conference in a yet-to-be-opened facility of the ITESM’s Institute for the Future of Education (IFE) in Comillas, Spain. After it was opened in late 2022, we started talking, and Dr. Miguel Montoya, the facility's director, presented the details in February 2023. Since then, a large committee comprised of IACEE Council members and IFE faculty, researchers, and administrators were planning a conference for the world’s continuing engineering educators and administrators. This collaborative effort culminated in the 19th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education, held at the IFE Europe facility in the picturesque Comillas, Spain, on May 21-24 this year.
It was a gathering of like-minded people who truly believe that engineering education never stops but evolves with the advent of new technology, talent demographics, and teaching methods. The conference theme was Continuing Engineering Education for a Sustainable Future. Two workshops, held on the 21st, Integrating Technology in Continuing Education: Designing Effective Classroom Activities and Scaled Strategies for Sustainable Continuing 
Engineering Educational Programs, shed light on CEE's pedagogical and technology administration aspects. The three keynotes by Dr. Nelson Baker of Georgia Institute of Technology, Rovani Sigamoney of UNESCO (shown left), and Dr Jose Escamilla of Tecnologico de Monterrey emphasized different aspects of lifelong learning of engineering. Baker’s keynote presentation discussed the evolution of lifetime learning and Georgia Tech's journey in leadership in learning innovation. Dr. Escamilla’s keynote focused on redefining universities as lifelong learning engines and how individuals can adapt, innovate, and succeed throughout their lives with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. But how can we live in such a world if it is inequitable for many people? Rovani Sigamoney gave us a glimpse of UNESCO's work with stakeholders in the engineering space to ensure that our engineers design a sustainable and equitable future for the world.
One of the most enjoyable and informative parts of the conference was the plenary panels, which focused on various aspects of CEE administration and pedagogical innovation, providing practical insights. Ed Borbely of the University of Wisconsin-Madison led one of these panels. 
Four panelists from different parts of the world: Chris LaBelle (University of Michigan, USA), Hans-Ulrich Heiß (Technischen Universität Berlin, Germany), Tamer Atabarut (Bogazici University, Turkey), and Nora Sutton (University of Connecticut, USA) discussed the innovations in CEE administration in the post-COVID, AI era. In another panel, the role of professional societies in CEE was discussed by Dr. Chris Smith (Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom), Dirk Bochar (Engineers Europe, Belgium), and Dr. James Gazzard (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom). The technical sessions were filled with excellent research presentations, many of which will be published in a special issue. The extended abstracts of these sessions can be read here.
Left to Right: Xavier Fouger, Katriina Schrey-Niemenmaa, Soma Chakrabarti, Amy Moore, Kylene Perras
The IACEE awards are an important part of this conference. Dassault Systemes, France, received the IACEE Award for Corporate Leadership in Continuing Engineering Education, given in memory of Glen L. Martin. Xavier Fouger, Senior Director of Academic Programs of Dassault Systemes, accepted it on behalf of his organization. Amy Moore of the University at Buffalo, USA, received the IACEE Award for Individual Leadership in Continuing Engineering Education, given in memory of Joseph M. Biedenbach. Kylene Perras of the University of Connecticut, USA, received a special recognition award for her contribution to continuing engineering education. The IACEE Fellow Award was bestowed upon Dr. Soma Chakrabarti and Dr. Katriina Schrey-Niemenmaa for their contribution to IACEE.
The breaks and evenings were not just for relaxation, but also full of networking and fun activities that left the audience feeling connected and engaged. The conference ended with a visit to El Capricho, a remarkable building designed by Antoni Gaudi. The participants left the meeting with memories of meeting old and new friends and unparalleled hospitality from the hosts, IFE Europe.
IFEES & IACEE: September 18 Workshop
Register in advance: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsde2spjwqHd18kjqrOlDyj4J5dxxfwxGm
We are witnessing a rapid paradigm shift toward AI-enhanced teaching. AI can be leveraged to support teachers as they design instructional needs for learners. Implementing strategies like differentiated learning can be streamlined using AI to engage learners and meet them where they are in their learning spectrum.
The International Federation of Engineering Education Association (IFEES), in collaboration with its member organization, the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE), presents an experiential learner experience workshop on September 18 from 9 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, where practical examples of AI tool usage will be demonstrated. Learn the tools of the trade, which will include syllabi, quiz generators, tutoring, and student success coaching that will help scale learning and allow educators to focus on higher-order thinking. There will also be a panel discussion on AI tool evolution and the latest news trends shaping AI's educational future.
The workshop will be held on Engageli, a platform that facilitates learning. It allows participants to sit at tables, network with peers in the industry, and work on group exercises with their tablemates. This is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and build a network to support your future endeavors.
Our workshop leaders are Roger Kohler and Ayat Sweid, two prominent educational evangelists leading AI initiatives at Arizona State University. With their extensive knowledge and experience, they are not just well-equipped, but also passionate about guiding you through the world of AI in education. Sign up today to reserve a seat at a table and learn from these industry leaders.
SEFI 2024 Conference - Educating Responsible Engineers
European Society for Engineering Education [SEFI] is Europe’s premier academic meeting for sharing and discussing research and teaching practices in Engineering Education. It is a unique opportunity to exchange research and educational innovations, and to meet colleagues from across Europe and the globe. IACEE and SEFI will be collaboratively providing programs and workshops to the global continuing engineering education community. Find out more: https://sefi2024.eu/
Save the Date - Oct 24 Workshop
Mark your calendars for a SEFI workshop on October 24th at 9 am EST where SEFI will summarize the events and learnings from the SEFI conference for members of SEFI/IACEE, followed by a design thinking/solution activity on a certain challenge to spark other forms of collaboration. Stay tuned for further details.