Geneva showcases in Vienna as structural engineers’ association convenes at CICG

Twenty high-end clients from international associations based in Vienna attended a showcase reception organised by the Geneva Convention Bureau and hosted by H.E. Ambassador Christoph Bubb at the Swiss Embassy in Vienna recently. The 18^th century palace provided the backdrop for the event. The International Conference Centre of Geneva (CICG), meanwhile, this week (23-25 September) plays host to the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Conference 2015. IABSE is a scientific/technical association with members in 100 countries and the Geneva Convention Bureau suggested the association come to Geneva, since the association is based in Zurich. The bureau had worked with local experts, giving them the idea and confidence to bid to organise their event in their own country. The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) of Switzerland is supporting the conference and delegates from developing countries should learn much from speakers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Switzerland has strong engineering schools (ETHZ and EPFL) and hosting such conferences improves the reputation of these schools, Mr Chep Uytiepo, acting director of IABSE, told CMW. “As one of the largest international association for structural engineering, our members are urban planners who plays an important role in the lives of every city dwellers. Geneva, being the home of international organisations such as the UN, WHO, Red Cross is the perfect place for the theme of our conference: ‘Structural Engineering – Providing Solutions to Global Challenge’,” he said. “It contributes to the image of Geneva and the place to have a debate on how to address the current problem of the world.”