Texas A and M University at Qatar to host international engineering congress

The event, sponsored by Maersk Oil Qatar, will attract engineering leaders, educators and innovators from top engineering institutions around the world and is set to become the preeminent gathering for engineering professionals and academics.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University President, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Thani, is the congress' honorary chair.

WCEE will act as a catalyst to foster engineering and engineering technology education in the region and beyond, and will provide a forum for researchers, engineers and academics from all over the world to present and disseminate their research results and development activities concerning modern engineering education. It also will support Qatar's goal to become a knowledge-based society with world-class academic institutions.

Texas A&M at Qatar Dean and CEO, Mark H. Weichold, congress general chair, noted, "WCEE is an unprecedented gathering of engineering professionals and academics, and the first congress of its kind in Qatar. The three-day event will feature speakers from five continents, five members of the National Academy of Engineering, five heads of professional engineering societies, four heads of engineering education societies and over 80 speakers."

WCEE will present three days of workshops, panels, invited talks and peer-reviewed papers, as well as 30 different sessions and workshops that address a diverse range of topics across the engineering field. These include a leaders' track, educators' track, and a partnerships and collaborations track that address the role of industry, critical thinking, ethics and entrepreneurship to the future of engineering education. There is also a workshop for final year high school students featuring hands-on activities. Vendors showcasing innovations in engineering equipment and software for labs will participate in an exhibition that is open to the public.

Mr. Lewis Affleck, Managing Director of Maersk Oil in Qatar said: "Maersk Oil Qatar recognizes the importance of nurturing and developing local talent and are pleased to work with Texas A&M University on WCEE, which will help to share good practices in engineering education, and, therefore, benefit educational institutions - and future engineering students - here in Qatar. Maersk Oil Qatar currently employs around 170 Qatari personnel which is close to 25% of Maersk Oil Qatar employees. Around 50% of Maersk Oil's Qatari employees work in technical and engineering positions."

"This event also support Qatar's goal to become a knowledge based society with world-class academics institutions. It will also provide a platform to exchange ideas about effective techniques and pedagogies to prepare the new generations of engineers for the global challenges," added Affleck.

Registration for this event is open at engineeringleaders.org.


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About Texas A&M University at Qatar

Texas A&M University, recognized as having one of the premier engineering programs in the world, has offered undergraduate degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering at Qatar Foundation's Education City campus since 2003, and graduate courses in chemical engineering since fall 2011.

Almost 300 engineers have graduated from Texas A&M at Qatar since 2007. In addition to engineering courses, Texas A&M at Qatar provides classes in science, mathematics, liberal arts and the humanities. All four of the engineering programs offered at Texas A&M at Qatar are accredited by ABET.

The curricula offered at Texas A&M at Qatar are materially identical to those offered at the main campus in College Station, Texas, and courses are taught in English in a co-educational setting. The reputation for excellence is the same, as is the commitment to equip engineers to lead the next generation of engineering advancement.

Faculty from around the world are attracted to Texas A&M at Qatar to provide this educational experience and to participate in research activities now valued at over $135m, and that address issues important to the State of Qatar.