Chile convenes deans of engineering from around the world
The international conference demonstrated the experiences of engineering schools from 30 countries in confronting climate change, women’s training in the sciences and student entrepreneurship.
For the first time, Chile was the host of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), the most important gathering of engineering deans in the world. This year it welcomed more than 250 representatives from educational institutions in the discipline.
The international gathering, organized by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC), demonstrated the experience of engineering schools from 30 countries with confronting climate change, the training of women in the sciences and student entrepreneurship, as the main topics.
Furthermore, under the slogan “Engineering minds, hearts and hands: Impact with a purpose” the eleventh conference, GEDC 2019, emphasized the advances in engineering which change people’s lives through science and technology.
The PUC’s dean of engineering, Juan Carlos de la Llera, who applied for Chile to be the host of the GEDC, said that during the event “we discussed how to make our institutions more robust with the main actors in the industry, motivated by a desire to contribute to the inclusive and sustainable development of our countries”.
The academic authority added that engineering schools play an important role in the creation and progress of knowledge. Also, they play a role of ever greater meaning and importance in the way people interact with technology.
The conference prompted important discussions regarding social transformation through engineering, talent diversity for better engineering, and entrepreneurial development in the discipline in its programmed sessions.
For ten years, the GEDC has coordinated a support network for deans of engineering in order for them to play a leadership role in terms of quality of education, as well as regional and national public policy which supports national development.
