Eng. Nathaniel Omwolo Matalanga has been elected President of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya - IEK for the 2020/2022 period. Owner of NGASI Consulting Engineers, he specializes in Structural engineering with over twelve years experience in the structural design of buildings and surrounding infrastructure has designed projects in Kenya and Uganda mainly. Eng. Matalanga holds Bachelor of Science (Civil Engineering) Hons from Nairobi University. Registered Engineer since 1993, he holds membership of several professional societies: Institution of Engineers of Kenya, Architectural Association of Kenya (E) and Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers.
Former Honorary Secretary of IEK's Council, he was elected to the Executive Council of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations as a national member representative during WFEO's last General Assembly in November 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. From WCCE, we congratulate Eng. Matalanga for his election and we expect that IEK would increase its collaboration with WCCE on the achievement of UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
President Alfonso González has held meetings with the Executive Board of Sociedad de Ingenieros de Bolivia - SIB's during his visit on early June. The theme of these meeting has been how to enhance SIB's contribution to WCCE joint initiatives with UNESCO and UN-Water, how to enable WCCE communication with SIB's members and how can SIB's news and activities and deliverables can be disseminated to WCCE member organizations and the civil engineering community as a whole.
President González declared that "WCCE principles bring all organizations on equal foot to address society's needs and is committed to contribute to enhance life standards globally. On such grounds, all contributions are welcome and participation is open to any organization or its professionals". SIB President, Marco Antonio Fuentes Villa, confirmed the sound commitment of his organization to contribute to WCCE's current standing committees and his intention to attend our next General Assembly to be held in Antalya, Turkey on October 2017.
Sociedad de Ingenieros de Bolivia joined WCCE in 2011 and is the first member of the Andean region to join WCCE.
Following, we enclose some photos from the meeting.
On June 1 and 2 the 65th General Assembly of the European Council of Civil Engineers was held in Antalya, Turkey, hosted by the Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers. During this Assembly, WCCE President Alfonso Gonzalez was unable to attend the ECCE meeting and was represented our Executive Board member, Professor Tügrul Tankut.
This meeting has endorsed the first activities of the new Board elected last October in Athens. This meeting was chaired on interim basis by the Polish engineer Wlodimiercz Sczymczak, due to current responsibilities assumed by President Massimo Mariani in the Italy's Government Committee for Reconstruction of the seismic episodes ocurred by the end of 2016. This meeting has also consolidated initiatives undertaken by the 2014 - 2016 Executive Board as well as new initiatives to make the profession visible naming 2018 European year of Civil Engineering, in which several anniversaries of our professional chambers will take place such as the celebration of the bicentennial of the Institution of Civil Engineers in October with WFEO's and FECIC's 50th anniversary.
Autumn is the time of engineering events and this year, Italy's Consiglio Nazionale degli Ingegnere is honoured to host the 2017 edition of the World Engineering Forum - WEF, due to take place from 27th of November to 2nd of December, 2017, at the Congress Center “La Nuvola”, in Rome (WEF2017 - www.wefrome2017.com). This World Engineering Forum will take place on the ocassion of WFEO's General Assembly.
Engineers coming from all over the will have the opportunity to meet and share each other's experiences. These forums are nothing without the contribution of all our profession. On such grounds, we make a call for papers, in order to enable the dissemination of ideas and proposals to all the engineering community.
The main theme of the Forum will be:“Safeguarding Humankind’s Heritage".Engineering’s commitment is to help material wealth within a sustainable development perspective. Technological research and smart applications should support countries in safeguarding material, social and cultural heritage of each community of people.
In late June, our Cuban member, National Union of Architects and Construction Engineers of Cuba – UNAICC organized the Civil Engineering International Convention held in Varadero. WCCE delegation comprised our President, Alfonso González Fernández, together with President Elect Carlos Mineiro Aires and Past President Tomás Sancho.
President González participated as a speaker to the Session “Civil Engineering: Lessons learnt and challenges”. In addition to this, Past President Sancho participated as a speaker at the Round Table ("the Hydraulic Engineering for integrated water management and environment"), organized by the Society of Hydraulic Engineering UNAICC.
Past October 4th, ECCE Past President Vassilis Economopoulos passed away in Athens, Greece. An enthusiastic and dedicated worker towards the highest professional standards of the engineering profession and its efficient commitment to society, he has seeded with his contribution his legacy, not only in Greece but throughout the world. He has been was a teacher, mentor, professor, colleague but mostly a friend, impacting and making a difference wherever initiative in which he became involved.
Current Chairman on ECCE's Standing Committee on Associate Membership, his commitment to ECCE has been total since its inception in 1985, bearing ECCE's presidency during the period 2008-2010. He has held all its different posts and has been member of ECCE's Executive Board uninterruptedly since 1995.
