The Senior Vice Dean of Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), Soulaymane Kachani, visited Chile end-October to participate in the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) annual conference.
The “Engineering Minds, Hearts and Hands: Impact with a Purpose” forum addressed issues such as sustainability, entrepreneurship promotion, women in engineering, the link between academia and industry, and interdisciplinary approaches. The event – sponsored by GEDC, Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María – brought together nearly 200 engineering deans from numerous universities and countries. Kachani joined in the meetings as a special guest.
During the conference, Columbia Global Centers Santiago Director Karen Poniachik moderated a panel on Sustainability in Engineering. Panelists included Francisco Martínez, Dean of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Universidad de Chile; Wilson Babu Musinguiz, Dean of the School of Engineering at Busitema University in Uganda; and Rebecca Teasley, Vice-Dean of the Swenson School of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the US.
The GEDC’s vision is to enhance the capabilities of engineering deans to transform schools in support of societies in a global economy. The event aims to generate instances of reflection and experience sharing on best practices and strategies from engineering schools throughout the world, in order for the schools to contribute to their home country’s development.
On this particular occasion, participants proposed that adopting science and having authorities, industry and opinion leaders work together in research and education programs, are key elements in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
