The 2024 International Engineering Congress (IEC), held in Taizhou city, Zhejiang Province, and organized by the FEIAP, concluded on September 10. Photo：2024 IEC Team

 
"Regarding the city, I'd love to have more time here, and I'll definitely make an effort to explore the country's manufacturing capital, with hopes of forging relationships for future business and collaboration," Aridaí Herrera, President of Pan American Federation of Engineering Societies, told the Global Times on Saturday.

He made the comment during the 2024 International Engineering Congress (IEC), organized by the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP), held from Thursday to Sunday in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. 

In total 200 delegates from 41 economies and 50 Chinese and international organizations attended the conference, including more than 30 presidents of international and national engineering organizations.

Under the theme "Sustainable Engineering for a Better Future," numerous leaders in international engineering voiced their commitment to advancing the engineering community's development through global collaboration. The proposals by Chinese representatives to advance talent development garnered widespread support and strong resonance at the conference.

"I believe China is set to lead in engineering because of its substantial investments, extensive education system, and comprehensive training programs. As President of our science foundation, and given our various collaborations with China, I am confident that China will lead the future of engineering. China should continue to pursue collaborations, particularly by building stronger links among AI, engineering, and humanity," Seyed Komail Tayebi, President of ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF), an intergovernmental organization and a specialized agency of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), told the Global Times.

At the opening ceremony, Executive Secretary and Director General for International Affairs of China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Luo Hui highlighted the importance of supporting young and female engineers, expressing hope that the international engineering community will need a more inclusive and equitable global engineering environment, committed to gender equality and equal opportunity.

Luo said that China Society of Engineers (CSE) and CAST are actively supporting the development of young engineers through the youth science and technology talent development program, offering enhanced support to engineers in the early stages of their careers.

"In terms of education and training for young and female engineers, this was a key focus at the opening ceremony. The representative proposed a China-sponsored training program for young engineers, led by the CAST. I think this is an initiative that could help ASEAN increase engineering participation among young and female engineers," Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin, President of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and Former Chairman of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO), told the Global Times on Saturday.

Chiang said that if young engineers could learn expertise and technology from China, this will foster better, smoother relationships and collaboration between young engineers and industry leaders with China. "I think this relationship will endure for many years to come. It will be a lasting relationship, not just for 5, 10, or 50 years, but even longer, forming a long-lasting bond for the younger generation," Chiang added.

The goal of open engineering is to make engineering and new technologies more accessible to everyone, aligned with the United Nations UN's principle of leaving no one behind and China's ideals of shared prosperity and people-to-people exchanges, Shahbaz khan, Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional office for East Asia, told the Global Times on Saturday.

"The vision for a better world is rooted in shared knowledge, developed collaboratively, and used to create a better planet, enhance lives, and bring dignity to people," Shahbaz khan said.

At the conference, several organizations signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU). 

"An important point is the need for collaboration. This should extend beyond local companies to a national level and even to international entities. I believe this congress provides a valuable opportunity—a gateway—to attract international institutions and foster more collaborations. Some MoUs and agreements have been signed, which indicate that we can expect more partnerships and activities, especially in this region," Tayebi said.

As of today, China has built the world's largest engineering education system, training 1.5 million engineering graduates each year, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The country has 11.56 million professionals with engineering titles, including 6.94 million at the intermediate level or above.

"My expectations, particularly from our Chinese counterparts, is 'walk the talk.' We've had in-depth discussions, developed ideas, and outlined projects. Now, we hope to see these plans move beyond the planning stage into real projects with active implementation. Essentially, we need more concrete actions now than before," Kazawadi Papias Dedeki, President of Federation of Africa Engineering Organizations (FAEO) told the Global Times.

The CSE is spearheading efforts to establish an Engineering Organization Federation under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as a similar federation among BRICS countries. 

These initiatives aim to create a platform for exchange and cooperation in engineering, drive advancements in engineering practices and technological innovation, and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, fostering shared human values.