2nd IAJES Conference Cali July 2019
July Wednesday 17th - Thursday 18th - Friday 19th, 2019
Welcome in Javeriana Colombia
From July 15th to the 19th, the IAJES conference took place over three days in Javeriana Cali with a two-day pre-conference in Javeriana Bogota.
The conference gathered 50 participants representing 30 Jesuit Engineering colleges. This illustrates a good progression since the conference in Bilbao last year where 20 universities were represented.
We enjoyed a wonderful welcome from our friends of Javeriana in Bogota and Cali.
They shared both their projects and expertises with us and a contagious enthusiasm through colourful aspects of the Colombian culture.
The first observation was the pleasure and communicative energy experienced by the participants through the contacts and the mutual knowledge.
Sharing of numerous rich proposals and paths of collaboration
The conference led us to reflect about policies and directions both for Academic and Research within IAJES. For example, we discussed models for collaborative PhD training with inter-university courses. The conference led to the emergence of clusters around essential engineering issues.
Collaboration among Laboratories
Public Health and Healthcare
This large domain of research offers numerous opportunities of connections between the JES. The decision was made to create the IAJES health network. Artificial intelligence for Medicine, Biomedical instrumentation, Sustainable production of a biopolymer for nanoencapsulation...and also logistics for an efficient public health system...were some issues tackled during the conference.
Energy
Energy is another field where synergy among JES appears very promising. The speakers called for collaboration on Data Analytics for the Energy Sector, High Power converters for renewable energies, electric energy transportation, affordable solar energy systems for remote locations...
Infrastructure
It constitutes an important field of cooperation. From Cali to Madrid, how to invent sustainable and safe mobility and transport policies? Universities are located in countries exposed to seismic risks. How earthquakes be simulated and the dramatic consequences prevented?
Water
Access to safe water is a crucial issue for a large part of humanity. Climate change brings serious disturbances in the water cycle. Researchers of IAJES propose to share their field of expertise to design for example water quality controlling sensors, fight the contamination of water resources by pathogens and provide clean water in remote areas.
Humanitarian Engineering and frugal innovation
Humanitarian engineering and frugal innovation are connected. For low income populations, sustainable solutions to improve daily life have to be designed and implemented with the creativity of the local communities themselves. It implies a specific humanitarian project management and the use of all resources of frugal innovation: local materials, low cost and local hightech, circular economy including waste recovery, management, treatment and valorization.
A decision was taken in Cali to create a global humanitarian engineering task force. It will aim to develop frugal Innovation in the curricula, social and technological exchange programs, promotion of collaborative projects (for example SUGAR Network - Cali).
Another aspect of the frugal innovation aims to promote a desire for “healthy sobriety” (Laudato Si 126) within wealthy populations. The challenge is to change high consumption habits into resource efficient practices. For example the project FLW in Mexico gives solutions for the quantification and characterization of all the Food Loss and Waste.
Engineering & Social justice
A large number of JES are motivated to make progress on the following questions: How to improve social sensitivity and skills and promote committed engineers for greater social justice.
The HOPE project guided by DEUSTO is an inspiring example. It aims to create a multi-stakeholder platform that focuses on the social sustainability of the electronic supply chain (from the extraction of raw materials to the smartphone).
A IAJES task force wants to constitute a repository of learning situations crossing multiple domains through which students experiment interculturality, and equip themselves as engineers for social change.
Science Engineering and Spirituality
The first proposal around this topic is based on excellent courses “Science and Religion” already done in several universities in Asia, Latin America, and the US. The key principle is to use the relationship between science and religion as a platform for interreligious dialogue. A task force has been formed to pursue the work, enrich the training offer intended to students and faculty.
Laudato Si and the ecological transition
In resonance with the 4th Universal Apostolic Preference, the pedagogy "Laudato Si" is likely to give a greater amplitude to some fundamentals of Jesuit Engineering schools. For example: The necessary discernment of our actions and projects for the common good implies strengthening training in personal and collective discernment. Pastoral care will be receiving a revitalizing drive and becoming an invitation to a fourfold alliance: with oneself (personal ecology or daily life), with others and in particular with the poor (social ecology), with our common house and the creation (environmental and cultural ecology) and with the Creator.
And "Everything is linked" [leitmotiv of "Laudato Si"]. Entrepreneurship (or intrapreneurship) is given a reinforced breath. Because it is a call to creativity and initiative that predominates in "Laudato Si" facing crucial issues for our future. And our engineers with an enlightened vision, a capacity for discernment and technical skills will be major actors of change.
Incentive proposals are shared in Cali: Integration of the integral ecology in the academic programs, creation of summer programs specifically aimed at Integral ecology, Networked Data Devices to strengthen persuasive Eco-awareness.
Multi-domains Proposals
Our Colombian friends from Javeriana have set very high standards!
Team of students serving the meeting with constant good mood and attention!