Qatar University College of Engineering (QU-CENG) launched the 2nd World Congress of Engineering and Technology (WCET) under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani.
WCET involves the 2nd International Conference on Civil Infrastructure and Construction (CIC 2023), and the International Conference on Vibration Problems (ICOVP).
The International Conference on Civil Infrastructure and Construction (CIC 2023) is co-organized by Qatar University, the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). Ariane Real Estate, Qatari Diar, and Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) participate as Platinum sponsors, and PORR is a Silver sponsor. The conference is also sponsored by the Qatar National Research Fund. The International Conference on Vibration Problems (ICOVP) is sponsored by the Qatar National Research Fund and benefits from the Australian Engineers Society as a professional partner. The CIC 2023 proceedings will be published through QU Press.
In his speech, Qatar University President Dr Hasan Rashid Al Derham said “Qatar made unprecedented progress in developing infrastructure and construction to meet the country’s vision for the year 2030, and the whole world witnessed this great development during the 2022 World Cup. This Second World Congress is being organized at the perfect time to discuss these developments and advances in the fields of infrastructure and construction, along with related developments to ensure sustainability and good practices to reduce environmental impacts.”
“At Qatar University, we pay great attention to developing the education process, conducting studies and research related to local and regional challenges, advancing knowledge, and contributing positively to achieving the needs and aspirations of society, which is part of the university’s mission, which we are working to achieve by involving academics and other employees in professional services and community service.” He added.
On this occasion, His Excellency Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al-Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) said: “In light of the Qatar Vision 2030 and its main pillars, Ashghal is making continuous efforts to cooperate with local suppliers, whether it is contractors, manufacturers or consultants. We are also looking forward to working on various initiatives that enhance the use of modern technology in construction and sustainability, to enhance productivity in the construction sector.
Currently, Ashghal is adopting with its partners, contractors, and consultants, new and advanced sustainability strategies that reflect positively on improving work conditions and reducing waste in construction resources through the use of the latest solutions and new systems. We constantly aim to include sustainability in everything we do and follow an integrated approach for a better future.”
In his comment, CENG Dean Dr Khalid Kamal Naji said “The congress includes plenary sessions and keynote lectures on various topics related to vibrations, infrastructure, and construction. We expect that the congress will provide a forum for exchanging technical information, disseminating high-quality research results, and presenting new policies and scientific progress in this area”.
He added, “Delegates of more than 40 nationalities are participating in the congress, with over 300 research and technical papers to be discussed in the congress”.
The Ministry of Municipality confirmed that its participation in the Second the World Congress of Engineering and Technology comes within the framework of the continuous partnership and cooperation with Qatar University in various fields of common interest, to find solutions to various engineering challenges, as the Ministry is keen to benefit from the academic expertise, studies, and scientific and research experiences of Qatar University, while the university is the academic and scientific tributary of the Ministry.
Eng. Ibrahim Abbas, Director of the Infrastructure Planning Department at the Urban Planning Sector at the Ministry of Municipality, said that during the activities of the World Congress for Engineering and Technology, the most prominent efforts and projects of the Ministry in the field of urban planning and infrastructure, the current challenges represented in providing an integrated infrastructure that contributes to achieving development requirements at the national level and enhancing the food security sector, the ongoing procedures of transforming the country’s cities into smart cities, and the efforts to increase the efficiency of digital transformation and automate procedures between the Ministry’s sectors and the relevant authorities will be presented.
Eng. Ibrahim Abbas also mentioned the contribution of the Ministry of Municipality in the completion of many projects and technical studies related to the urban planning sector, including: the comprehensive urban plan for the State of Qatar, urban centers, geological maps of the State of Qatar (Phase I), flash floods and sinkholes studies and the coastal zone management project.
Eng. Ibrahim Abbas touched on the role of the Ministry of Municipality through its future strategy towards contributing to providing a sustainable and high-level living environment for the residents of the country, by creating urban plans that are in line with modern life and compatible with the Qatari environment and contribute to building a distinguished infrastructure that serves other sectors in the country, and attracts various investments to those sectors.
In his comment, Dr. Eng. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Environmental Expert and Engineering Consultant at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), said, “MECC pays great attention to green and sustainable infrastructure and construction buildings, which take into account the safety of the environment from pollution and degradation, through the use of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency to reduce pollution and waste, and enable recycling and use, taking into account the quality of life of residents in the design, construction, and operation by creating unique designs that take into account air quality and the efficient use of energy, water, and other resources. It also takes into account the health factors of workers and users during construction and building operations such as: reducing dust levels by air recycling according to advanced systems to reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases, etc”.
In his comment, Eng. Salem Al-Shawi, Director of the Technical Office at the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), said, “The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) participates in the Second International Conference on Infrastructure and Construction, respectively, as a strategic partner and main organizer of the conference, as Ashghal is the entity responsible for the implementation of infrastructure projects. Infrastructure and public buildings in the State of Qatar. We seek to achieve more achievements and follow up on project implementation and management plans by establishing and developing an integrated building and construction system that keeps pace with the great development witnessed by the country in accordance with the highest international quality standards. The Authority’s strategic partnership with Qatar University comes with the aim of exchanging views And expertise in the field of the infrastructure sector. We look forward to fruitful cooperation between us so that the conference can achieve its goals by highlighting all the achievements that Qatar has achieved in the field of infrastructure. We also hope that the conference will achieve the desired gains through the exchange of experiences and developments in the field and through workers and specialists in the field of infrastructure and construction”.
The conference has a number of professional partners from engineering societies inside and outside Qatar including the Qatar Society of Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Lean Construction Institute – Qatar, Earthna, Engineers Australia, Chartered Institute of Building, and the American Concrete Institute (ACI) – Qatar Chapter. The conference will have world-class keynote speakers from top international engineering organizations and societies besides key executive members of the infrastructure and construction sector in Qatar.
Source: Qatar University