For three days, Geneva will serve as an open window on to the rest of the world, an open window from which the voice of the engineering community sheds light and shows the path to follow in making the transition to a sustainable energy future. This time, the upheaval in values due to the extent and severity of the financial, economic and social crisis that affects every country in the world and the inability of governments and institutions to guide and regulate the exchange of goods and services, for the common good, obliges the engineering community to go further and to make stronger efforts to transcended the technical sphere and to connect with the society at large. Without any doubt the Geneva 2011 World Engineering Convention will be able to do it.

Geneva will host the WFEO World Engineers Convention in 2011, an important milestone in WFEO activities. Every four years thousands of engineers from all over the world gather together to address global challenges, such as energy, food security, urban development, etc. WEC offers an unprecedented opportunity for engineers to communicate their vision on these issues to the public, particularly to decision makers, and to make their voice heard. WEC prides itself for being the most appropriate fora to show case advanced solutions and state of the art technologies. Are there better than Geneva, the hub of the United Nations agencies and the heart of scientific reflection, to host such an event? I invite engineers to put from now the WEC dates in their diary and to encourage their colleagues and affiliates to take part in it.

In order to not only meet the global challenges of the future but set new standards in dealing with them, we increasingly have to develop solutions that go beyond what the situation requires at first glance. This process starts with letting go of familiar views, opening up new perspectives and allowing new interpretations - in other words a dialogue across cultures and disciplines. Such a dialogue will take place at WEC 2011, which is why I will be there.

After the successful conventions in Hannover, Shanghai and Brasilia, WEC2011 unites the world’s engineering community from all disciplines, from industry, government, academics and education for exciting days in Geneva. Focussing on the “Global Energy Challenge”, WEC2011 provides an exceptional venue to network and exchange ideas, to discuss new developments and to demonstrate the real solutions and accomplishments of engineering professionals worldwide addressing those energy challenges. See you all in Geneva!