TAXILA: Technical experts at a conferences urged engineers to acquire professional excellence in the field of civil and environmental engineering, besides developing innovative and entrepreneurial skills to improve the performance of public facilities and create a sustainable world for future generations.

The conference titled “Third International Conference on Advances in Civil and Environmental Engineering (ICACEE-2024)” concluded here at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila on Friday.

International scholars and researchers from nine countries, including the USA, Japan, France, Germany, Greece, the UK, KSA, UAE, and China, participated in the conference, which aimed to bring together a multi-disciplinary group of highly cited researchers and engineers from all over the world to exchange ideas related to civil and environmental engineering. Brigadier Dr. Waseem Khaliq, Director General, National Institute of Transportation, was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony.

The speakers urged engineers to focus their attention on environmental control, water resource management, newly developed civil engineering materials, innovations in structure designs, transportation management, fire, and disaster control, while utilising modern techniques and technology to ensure sustainable development for the future generation. “Sustainable development not only means buildings and road infrastructure, but an overall sustainable growth in society to meet environmental challenges,” they said.

The speakers were of the view that the role of environmental engineers is to design, test, and apply technologies that reduce and eliminate pollution, treat water as a key resource, and account for ecological and environmental considerations in both development and conservation efforts. The speakers said that the interdisciplinary approach will enhance the capabilities of engineering professionals, especially those working in the civil and environmental sectors, for the forthcoming shifts in technologies.

They were of the view that computer-aided designs, database management, and information technologies have already found widespread applications in the construction of reservoirs, dams, skyscrapers, and intelligent transport systems, which help to meet strategic environmental challenges faced by countries and regions.

In his address, Waseem Khaliq highlighted the necessity of such kinds of interpretational conferences and urged young scholars to gain knowledge and learn research methodology.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024