At previous GEDC Industry Forum events, engineering and technology leaders from the private sector and education gathered to work together to develop the engineering leaders, experts and innovators of the future. To build on these exchanges in 2022 we’re holding an innovative combination of online webinars and small group seminars to explore key ideas in greater depth with our global audience. These activities will culminate in a dedicated in-person workshop and networking event alongside the 2022 WEEF-GEDC conference in Cape Town, South Africa from 28 th November to 1 st December 2022.
To begin, each in a series of four webinars will address a theme relevant to our broad mission to improve university-industry collaboration. Each webinar will bring different regional perspectives from industry, education and stakeholder representatives from across the globe.
The first webinar in this series will be on Wednesday 11th May from 13:00-14:00 UTC with a focus on skills and talent. We will explore the state of the art in university–industry relations to prepare the engineer of the future.
We’ll hear from Dora Smith at Siemens Digital Industries Software who comes fresh from her role as co-chair and host at the recent ASEE Industry 4.0 Workforce Summit. Dora will share her main insights from the event which gathered leading representatives from this community across North America to look at the adaptations and activities required to meet the pace of change in the engineering landscape. We’ll then hear from Jan Quint at Elsevier whose work with industry, academic institutions and government across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America will add another dynamic perspective. Dr. Sushma Kulkarni, Director of Rajarambapu Institute of Technology and recognised as one of the 100 Most Influential Directors of India (Education) by the World Education Congress will join us to complete this global discussion.
In keeping with the vibrant and highly interactive nature of the GEDC Industry Forum since its inception, comments, questions and interaction with our audience of peers is not just encouraged but expected!
Presenters
Dora Smith, Senior Director, Global Academic Program,
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Dora Smith directs the global academic program for Siemens which empowers the next generation of digital talent through industrial strength software and curriculum, project-based learning, and STEM competitions to support more than 1.5 million students and more than 4,000 institutions worldwide. Dora serves in academic-industry advisory roles as chair on the ASEE’s Corporate Member Council and as director and vice president for Diversity and Inclusion on the IFEES executive committee. Dora earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s in business administration from Washington University. She is an accredited business communicator with more than 25 years of experience in the engineering and manufacturing industry with leadership roles across disciplines. Previously, she held executive management positions at CAD Potential (now Tata Technologies), Unigraphics Users Group (now Digital Enterprise Society) and served as president on the board of directors of IABC St. Louis.
Jan Quint, Engineering Sales Director, EMLA Region
Elsevier
Jan is helping corporations, academic institutions and governmental organization’s across EMLA in research for information in engineering and geological topics. Elsevier’s Engineering solutions supports customers with content and analytics to save time, be more efficient in finding relevant information to make better informed decisions and increase profits. Prior to joining Elsevier, Jan worked in Sales Director roles at IHS, WGSN and LexisNexis. Jan holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Economics, from VWA in Koblenz.
Sushma Kulkarni, Director
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Maharashtra, India Dr. Mrs. Sushma S. Kulkarni is a Director at Rajarambapu Institute of Technology (RIT), Maharashtra, India. She is working as an elected Executive Member on the Executive committee of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC). She is an Editor for, the “Journal of Engineering Education Transformation” (JEET), a Scopus indexed and UGC care recognized journal from January 2014 in collaboration with IUCEE. She is a fellow of the Institution of Engineers, India, and an elected member of IEI, Pune chapter. She is actively associated with IUCEE Foundation (Section 8 Company) as a promoter. Dr. Mrs. Sushma has worked as Production Editor for an international book “Rising to the Top – Volume III, Indian Women STEM leaders share their journeys to professional success”, published by GDEC and IFEES.
Hosted by… Kirsten Williamson, CEO, Petrus
Co-Chair, Global Engineering Deans Council Industry Forum
Petrus is a multi-award-winning international design company that specialises in connecting employers with students and the global education community. Created in 2005 by Kirsten, Petrus now comprises a team of 20 research, communication, education and digital experts creating and implementing projects world-wide. Petrus designs and delivers impactful learning experiences and creative campaigns, bringing together companies, students and universities worldwide for skills development, innovation, brand communications, recruitment, and community engagement. Kirsten believes that everyone has potential, and her mission is to enable young people worldwide to achieve their potential and make a successful start to a fulfilling career, whatever they choose to do.
We are grateful to our partner Elsevier for their support which has enabled this series to take place.
