December 1,1999
Attendees: W. Aung* (USA), J.F. Chang*(Taiwan), J.W. Chen* (USA), W.T. Chen (Taiwan), T. Clausen* (Norway), P. Hicks* (UK), S.J. Hsieh (Taiwan), C.S. Hsu (Taiwan), J.Y. Jou, T.Y. Kam, P. Lee*, J.J. Miau, S.H. Ou, R. Palmgren* (Norway), V. Roubicek* (Czech Republic), L. Sanchez Ruiz* (Spain), L. Scavarda* (Brazil), V. Schutz* (USA), W.Z. Shen (Taiwan), C.B. Tsay (Taiwan), J.F. Wang (Taiwan), C.T. Wang (Taiwan), C.H. Wei* (Taiwan), H.S. Yan (Taiwan), M. Yen (USA)
* ICEE-IST members or representing members
Action Items from meeting:
C.H. Wei, Technical Program Co-Chair for ICEE-2000, opened the meeting at 9:30 AM. After welcoming remarks and introductions, he turned the meeting over to W. Aung who called the meeting to order.
In his opening remarks, Aung described the history of ICEE and pointed out that the first conference in the series, ICEE-1994, was held in Taipei. He emphasized that since then, ICEE has evolved into a two-part format as described in the attached "ICEE Concept" (see below). He also thanked the organizers of the present ISC meeting for the excellent arrangement. In addition, he reported the following information items:
Aung summarized the draft document on "ICEE Concept" which was circulated to member in advance of the meeting. Following a brief discussion, the document was adopted, subject to changes based on the discussion and comments. The updated version is appended to the end of these minutes as Appendix.
P. Lee pointed out that there has been a number of other international engineering education conferences with names similar to ICEE and wondered how ICEE could be differentiated. It was concluded that the Committee should obtain more details and then look into the next course of action. Lee will provide additional information on these other conferences.
J. Chen, L. Scavarda, and V. Roubicek, respectively conference chair (or representing the conference chair) for ICEE-1997, ICEE-1998 and ICEE-1999, commented on the significance of and experiences gained from these conferences.
Chen reported that ICEE-1997 saw a major leap forward in internationalization in terms of participation. The workshop on international cooperation was initiated at ICEE-1997 leading to the two-part format embodied in the current ICEE concept.
Scavarda commented that ICEE-1998 was the first major international conference in which was showcased the Brazilian accomplishments in the recently instituted national reform program for engineering education. Started in 1995, the reform is driven by the need for highly trained technical personnel in the emerging economy of Brazil. Scavarda mentioned a number of collaborative programs, between Brazilian institutions and those in the U.S. and Europe in particular have resulted from ICEE-1998.
Roubicek reported that the Czech Republic, having shaken off its isolated status, depended on ICEE-1999 to provide a platform for future progress through international partnerships in engineering education and research. It was reported that though only 3-1/2 months had elapsed from the time of ICEE-1999, he is seeing concrete results in new partnership programs. These programs can be traced directly to the opportunities for networking accruing from the conference. The tangible results to-date benefit not only the Czech Republic, but also other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. To underscore the importance of careful planning and attention to details, and to help future conference organizers, Roubicek made available copies of the following reports:
R. Roubicek reported that, at the 150th anniversary convocation of the university held in November, 1999, the Technical University of Ostrava awarded the honorary doctorate degree (Doctorem Honoris Causa) to W. Aung for his research achievements in the discipline of Heat Transfer Engineering, and for conceptualizing, developing and continuing to contribute to the ICEE conference series.
C.H. Wei and J.F. Wang provided a detailed report of the status of preparation for ICEE-2000. It was indicated that the ICEE-2000 website has been set up for direct submission of abstracts. The usage of the website was demonstrated at the meeting. In answer to a question, Wei pointed out that only one abstract had been received to-date, and hence it was premature to decide on which sessions to include in the conference program. In the ensuing discussion, ISC members agreed to help publicize the conference. They also encouraged the ICEE-2000 planning committees to redouble efforts in publicizing the Call for Papers, using forums such as international professional societies meetings and technical journals. It was pointed out that to be a successful international conference, ICEE-2000 must attract a sizable audience from abroad. To this end, good publicity is a must. Direct mailing via regular airmail and e-mails is another suggestion.
To help facilitate easy forwarding by members to colleagues who might be interested, W. Aung will prepare a Call for Papers and circulate to members by e-mail ahead of the abstract due date of February 15, 2000. (Those receiving these minutes should look for an e-mail Call for Papers in the next day or two.)
It was suggested to C.H. Wei that, following a tradition started for ICEE-1999, regular updates on the number of abstracts received are provided to members. These numbers should be broken down by country of origin.
ICEE-2001: T. Clausen circulated a fact sheet on ICEE-2001 for publicity. The conference dates are August 6-10. The venue is Oslo, Norway. He reported that the ICEE-2001 website (http://www-pors.hit.no/tf/icee01/) is up and running. Links to ICEE-1998 and ICEE-1999 are provided. The International Program Committee has been constituted. He will update the website to bring in an added international flavor into the section on Interfacing the World. He will provide semi-final lists of committees, and plans for publicity, at the next meeting. R. Palmgren provided additional details on conference preparation. Clausen and Palmgren invited comments and suggestion on their website and on committee membership.
ICEE-2002: P. Hicks circulated a report entitled: "Proposal to Host the International Conference on Engineering Education to be Hosted by the Manchester Conference Centre, UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) in Manchester, England, 19th - 22nd August, 2002". He summarized the content of the report, devoting attention to the proposed budget. The registration fee is seen to be around US$400, assuming attendance to be 450 participants. This is somewhat higher than the fees for previous conferences, but it will drop to US$350 if attendance of 700 is assumed. He will provide preliminary lists of committees, and plans for publicity, at the next meeting.
ICEE-2003: A report was given jointly by L. Sanchez Ruiz and P. Lee who visited Valencia, Spain in August, 1999. L. Sanchez Ruiz circulated a letter from Enrique Ballester Sarrias, Director of the Escuela Universitaria de Ingenieria Tecnica Industrial, Universidad Polytecnica de Valencia (Polytechnic University of Valencia), proposing to convene ICEE-2003 in Valencia, Spain during the last week of July, 2003. Prof. Justo Nieto, Rector of the University, countersigned the letter. The proposed themes of the conference are Teaching Innovation; International Partnership; and Collaboration with Industry. After discussion, the ISC approved the proposal in principle, authorizing Sanchez Ruiz to develop further details for the proposal, which should be ready for review at the August, 2000 ISC meeting.
Other Future ICEE Conferences: L. Scavarda reported that he had had preliminary discussion with colleagues in Argentina concerning the siting of ICEE-2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. W. Aung reported on his recent visit to the Silesian Technical University of Gliwice in Gliwice, Poland. During his discussion with Vice Rector R. Sosnowski and Vice Rector W. Zielinski, they expressed an interest in organizing ICEE-2005 in Krakow, Poland and indicated that they would develop a detailed plan. The Committee endorsed further action by Scavarda and Aung to provide an update at the August 2000 ISC meeting.
V. Roubicek moved, and V. Schutz and J. Chen seconded, to elect W. Aung as Secretary –General of ICEE-ISC. The motion carried without dissent.
The next ICEE-ISC meeting will be held in Taipei on Sunday, August 13, 2000. Members with agenda items should contact Aung or Wei by August 6, 2000.
At the conclusion of discussion of items in the agenda, Aung turned the meeting back to Wei. Without further business, Wei adjourned the meeting at 3:30 PM.
Engineering schools in regions around the world are engaging in a critical and comprehensive examination of their undergraduate and graduate education systems. In order to meet the development needs of the 21st Century, new efforts have been implemented that seek to improve the quality of the education experience for students. Among the many issues of concern are the applications of information technology as a teaching aid, hands-on experience for undergraduate students, and distance and life-long learning. Unlike past engineering education reforms, the current activities have involved an increasingly wide range of engineering schools around the world working in partnership with each other, and with industry, government, and professional organizations. These efforts are put in place in recognition of the need for a structural change in how and what engineering students should be taught.
The collaborative or partnership approach in engineering education is central to many of the ongoing efforts. Examples include the engineering education coalitions that began in the United States in the early 1990s. Similar programs are now being initiated in other nations.
Organized as an information exchange forum, ICEE also emphasizes the importance of advancing the state of the art through collaboration, partnership and networking. It is a conference series that highlights the worldwide progress and experiences in engineering education; it is also a platform for creating mutually beneficial collaborative efforts.
Formed by interested professionals in engineering and science around the world, ICEE is an open forum transcending national boundaries. Organized around a two-part format, ICEE usually includes a 1-2 day workshop to discuss plans for cross-regional collaboration as well as a traditional 2-3 days meeting for contributed papers and invited talks. Participation from academia, industry and government funding agency representatives are welcome. Keynote remarks by leaders in science, engineering and technology are a regular feature. Booths for conference-related exhibits may also be arranged for sponsors and attendees.
Funds for hosting ICEE usually come from government, industry and other sponsors. Income from conference registration fees is another important source of income. The budget for each conference is the responsibility of the hosting institution, and is presented to the International Steering Committee for advice and comment as a part of the proposal package.
While each ICEE is identified with the host institution and city but not with the country, the venue is rotated to different regions around the world, so that the same region will not play host more than once every five years.
ICEE is led by a standing International Steering Committee (ISC). Individual ISC members go toward various ad hoc committees to implement conferences and workshops. The International Steering Committee reviews general procedure and policy for ICEE, including proposals for conference sponsorship, and approves the ad hoc committees formed for the individual ICEE conferences. The ICEE-ISC meets twice a year, once during the ICEE conference and again in the following autumn. The International Steering Committee meeting may be held in conjunction with other ad hoc conference committees. Observers may be invited to these meetings.
Membership in the ICEE International Steering Committee is updated annually. The Committee continually seeks out a broad representation by engineering education leaders around the world who are interested in contributing to the ICEE Concept. As of December 1, 1999, the following individuals serve on the committee.
Aung, Win
Senior Staff Associate, National Science Foundation, USA
Chang, Chun-Yen
President, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, ROC
Chang, J. F.
Vice Chairman, National Science Council, Taiwan, ROC
Chen, Juh Wah
Dean Emeritus, Southern Illinois University, USA
Depeyre, Dominique
Professor, Ecole Central Paris, France
Fadzil M. H., Ahmad
Director, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia
Hicks, Peter
Professor and Dean, UMIST, UK
Jinma, Takashi
President, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan
Lee, Peter
Dean, California Polytechnic State University, USA
Minajev, A.A.
Rector, Technical Universoty of Donetzk, Donetzk, Ukraine
Nieto, Justo
Rector, Universidad Politecnica, Spain
Ohashi, Hideo
President, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Palmgren, Rolf
Dean, Telemark College, Norway
Paschen, Peter
Rector, University of Leoben, Leoben, Austria
Roubicek, Vaclav
Rector, Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Sanders, Ted
President, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, USA
Scavarda do Carmo, Luiz Carlos
Dean, Universidade Sao Francisco, Brazil
Schlachetzki, Andreas
Professor, Technische Universitat Braunschweig, Germany
Schutz, Victor K.
Past President, IEEE Education Society, USA
Wu, Ching-Ji
Vice Minister, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, ROC
Zgurosky, Michail
Rector, National Technic University, Ukraine
Zielinski, Wojciech
Vice Rector, Silesian Technical University of Gliwice, Poland
As of December, 1999, the following ICEEs have been convened or are being planned:
| ICEE | 1994: | Taipei |
| 1995: | Taipei | |
| 1997: | Chicago/Carbondale | |
| 1998: | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 1999: | Ostrava/Prague | |
| 2000: | Taipei/Tainan | |
| 2001: | Oslo/Telemark | |
| 2002: | Manchester | |
| 2003: | Valencia (tentative) | |
| 2004: | Buenos Aires (tentative) | |
| 2005: | Krakow (tentative) |