Norbert KRAKER
President’s Message
IGIP is living!
This report can give an account only of a part of the activities, conferences, symposia and new cooperations of the last months. Thus, in April 2007, the 2nd Austrian Symposium of Engineering Education took place in Vienna. The lectures highlighted both the international aspects of engineering pedagogy and the regional successes in Austria, in particular in the technical educational system. I would like to thank the members of the Monitoring Committee of Austria, the University of Teacher Education of Vienna, as well as the University of Applied Sciences, Campus Vienna for the organization of the conference.
The Joint Conference in Miskolc in July 2007 together with SEFI was a milestone in the development of the two engineering education societies. The cooperation between the working groups was very good, the discussions on a high level. Within the scope of the symposium which was organized in an excellent way by the University of Miskolc, the IGIP working groups approved the statutes for their activities.
Dr. Harald Hofschneider, a member of the executive committee of IGIP, retired, his successor is Dr. Axel Zafoschnig, a member of an Austrian school board who is responsible for technical schools in Carinthia. He was approved by the general assembly.
At the beginning of September 2007 an IGIP summer school with a new concept took place at the Technical University of Gabrovo. The commitment of the participants exceeded all expectations. The successful organization was in the responsibility of TU Gabrovo and the Monitoring Committee of Bulgaria.
In the middle of September the 2nd IGIP Regional Conference took place at the University of Wuppertal. The members of some working groups of IGIP discussed further activities in engineering pedagogy. Another outcome was the decision to re-establish the Monitoring Committee of Germany.
Just before the copy deadline of this report it was possible to establish the Monitoring Committee of Jordan.
IGIP is still developing!
The basis for a sustainable development of IGIP is a good internal organization which could be successfully optimized by the Secretary General, Dr. Eleonore Lickl.
I hope there is a sense of a new era within our members. The activities in engineering pedagogy on the national level should be initiated. Therefore the work of the Monitoring Committees is of high relevance for the positive development of IGIP. We, the members of IGIP, should be accepted as experts in the field of engineering pedagogy in our countries. Therefore our participation in research and development projects in the field of engineering pedagogy is very important.
Finally I would like to encourage you to play an active part in the worldwide discussions on engineering education and engineering pedagogy.
Best regards!
PS: Please pay attention to the new postal address of IGIP.