[E&E seminars] Talk: Engineering, Infrastructure and Global Competitiveness

[Xanat Flores]

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A N N O U N C E M E N T

The Mexican Students Association at MIT
and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
cordially invite you to the talk:

"Engineering, Infrastructure and Global Competitiveness"
by Dr. Jorge Diaz Padilla (Ph. D. CEE ?74)
President of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers
Friday, October 20th, 2006
Room: 32-155 (Stata Center)
Time: 4:00 pm
Followed by a reception

Abstract:

"Sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation are  
intimately related
to country competitiveness. In addition, competitiveness and  
productivity are
dependent on the delivery of quality infrastructure projects in a  
corruption
free environment. To this end, engineering services is a fundamental  
component
of the system but the role of the consulting engineer as a "trusted  
advisor" is
nowadays more an exception than a norm. The current global status of the
consulting engineering as an industry will be discussed and a road  
forward to
enhance the image and role of the professional engineers will be  
presented".

Dr. Díaz Padilla, an MIT alumnus, took office as president of the  
International
Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), in September 2005 for the  
2005-2007
term. FIDIC, founded in 1913 and with headquarters in Geneva, represents
internationally the organized consulting industry in 74 countries  
where 30,000
consulting firms employ over one million staff.

Born in Mexico City, Dr. Díaz Padilla has been working in the consulting
industry for more than 30 years. Trained and registered as a civil  
engineer he
received Engineering and Masters degrees from the National University  
of Mexico
and a Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A former President of the MIT Club of Mexico, of the Mexican Chapter  
of the MIT
Enterprise Forum and a member of the Board of Directors of the  
Association of
Alumni and Alumnae of MIT, he is a recipient of the Harold E.  
Lobdell ?17
Award for his service to the Institute and is a member of the  
Educational
Council.

Founder and President of SYSTEC, a consulting firm specializing in  
program,
project and construction management headquartered in Mexico City, he  
is a
recognized specialist in project trouble shooting and in the  
implementation of
project information systems. During the past 20 years he has been the  
Technical
and IT External Auditor of the National Housing Agency of Mexico and  
since 1991
the project manager of the restoration project of the Metropolitan  
Cathedral in
Mexico City.
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Xanat Flores
PhD Candidate
Parson's Laboratory