World Engineering Day was recently celebrated by the Institute of Engineers (India) Qatar chapter in association with the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), Unesco.
The WFEO Committee on Engineering for Information & Communication (WFEO-CIC) has set its objectives in the area of technological evolutions in order to identify suitable technologies for sustainable development, especially in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Bali Action Plan. This year, owing to the unusual circumstances and prevailing
restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was conducted in hybrid mode.
More than 200 members and engineers from Qatar, India and other parts of the world joined online via Zoom.
Abdul Sathar, chairman of Institution of Engineers (India) - or IEI - Qatar chapter, welcomed the delegates and opened the World
Engineering Day 2021 with an inspiring address, calling upon all members of the engineering profession as well as the wider community to utilise their skills, knowledge and efforts for the welfare of society and humankind.
Dr T M Gunaraja, chair of WFEO-CIC, delivered the presidential address on the occasion. He said the Committee on Information and Communication has a duty to help take Information and Communication Technology (ICT) forward for it to be applied globally, and focus on developing countries where narrowing the gap has become essential.
The chief guest was Indian ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal, who is also the patron of IEI Qatar chapter. In his inaugural speech,
Dr Mittal lauded the contribution of Indian community members living in Qatar, including engineers, towards strengthening and furthering the friendly relations between Qatar and India through their work. He noted that nations will come together to deliberate on the progress made towards achieving the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change, which India is not just meeting but exceeding across several fronts.
E Narendra Singh, president, of the Institution of Engineers (India) emphasised, as chief guest, that World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development was proclaimed by Unesco at its 40th General Conference in 2019. It is celebrated worldwide on March 4 since 2020. The day offers an opportunity to highlight engineers' and engineering’s achievements in the modern world and improve public understanding of how engineering and technology are central to modern life and sustainable development.
The guest of honour, Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai who is fondly known as the 'Moon Man of India' for having led various prestigious Indian space exploration missions such as Chandrayaan 1, Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan 2, also graced the occasion. Ingenuity, innovation and adaptability were the three key words of wisdom he shared with attendees to ponder upon and consider
Jassim Ahmed al-Jolo, president of the Arab Engineers Forum, another guest of honour, recognised and applauded the contribution of Indian engineers towards Qatar’s national vision and the part they have played in building the nation.
Dr H P R Yadav, secretary & director-general, IEI HQ, and a guest of honour, highlighted the efforts of IEI Qatar as a high-performing chapter of the organisation, and also complimented the Government of Qatar for supporting the cause of the engineering profession in a big way.
Other guests of honour were Prof Dr Rafid M Alkhaddar, dean of Academic Affairs at Oryx Universal College-Liverpool John Moores University; Mark Anthony P Abendan, president, Philippines Engineers Association - Qatar chapter; and Mahendra Prasad Chamlagai, president, Nepal Business Association – Qatar.
A panel was organised by IEI Qatar chapter on the World Engineering Day theme of 'Engineering for a Healthy Planet'. Dr Luai El Sabek, executive director – Operations LCI-Qatar, was the moderator. Dr Maqbool Ahmed, Shyam Sundar, K M Salihdueen and Syed Raziulla were the speakers.
Sunitha Shyam, CEO and founding partner of Veritadyne Strategic Consulting, was also one of the panel speakers,
As part of International Women's Day, the IEI Qatar chapter women's wing organised another panel speaker session on the topic 'Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world'. It was moderated by M K Sabeena, president, IEI Qatar chapter women's wing.
Dr Abdul Hameed Pathiyil, secretary of IEI Qatar chapter, compered the event while Anand Nadgir, executive member, delivered the vote of thanks.
Oryx Universal College-Liverpool John Moores University was recognised for its support to IEI Qatar and the event.
