Dr. Jun'ichi Sato, Chair, WECC2015 Organizing Committee

Just about three months remain until the World Engineering Conference and Convention (WECC2015) in Kyoto. Preparations are proceeding with eager anticipation, the conference program is almost complete, and the programs for technical visits and accompanying persons are finalized. Bookings have been made at several categories of hotel, ensuring that plenty of rooms will be available to meet the needs of a wide range of participants. In this message I would like to provide a broad outline of these preparations.

The conference program will comprise the opening ceremony, conference plenary lectures, technical program, summary and concluding remarks of the technical sessions, and the closing ceremony.

Seven conference plenary lectures are almost finalized. UNESCO will discuss engineering and society, the International Energy Agency will address global energy issues, and the United Nations will speak about global water issues. A representative of the Japanese business community will provide insights on engineering and the automotive industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will talk about building national resilience, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will discuss economic policy and innovation. In our final plenary lecture, Professor Hiroshi Amano of Nagoya University, joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2014, will speak on LED lighting and environmental issues.

In the technical program, renowned experts from numerous fields will provide overviews of the current state and future direction of various areas of engineering that will play key roles in achieving sustainable development for our societies. Sessions will also be structured to allow for discussion with the audience. To make such debate even more effective, we will stage a poster session open to all contributors. We hope that integration of these program elements will spark in-depth discussion about the future of various fields.

The afternoon of December 2, the final day of the conference, will feature a summary and concluding remarks of the sessions in the technical program, accompanied by further discussion. This debate will clarify future direction for various fields of engineering, and a Kyoto Declaration summarizing the outcomes will be issued at the closing ceremony.

Culture plays a major part in cultivating the development of engineering. To supplement the technical program, the WECC2015 technical visits and accompanying persons' program will provide opportunities to learn more about engineering in the Kyoto region and the culture that has supported it. Kyoto and its environs are home to many world-famous companies rich in creativity, and the local culture has had a large impact on their development. Visits to such companies will give participants a greater understanding of the interplay among engineering, industry, and culture.

Another original feature of the conference will be the Kyoto sessions on the afternoon of November 29. These will introduce unique aspects of Kyoto culture, including Japanese cuisine, which has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about the distinctive culture of the region.

The conference period from November 29 to December 2 falls in one of Kyoto's most beautiful seasons. Autumn hues tinge the region's many trees in red and yellow, creating a stunning backdrop for viewing its natural features, historic places and temples. This wonderful season is the perfect time to visit Kyoto. Since hotels are very busy at this time of year, we are fortunate to have secured plenty of rooms to meet your accommodation needs. We recommend that you make your reservations as early as possible.

The Organizing Committee is making every effort to ensure that WECC2015 is a success. We look forward to welcoming you to Kyoto in this splendid season for stimulating discussion at WECC2015.

Dr. Jun'ichi Sato
Chair, WECC2015 Organizing Committee

Eng. Marwan Abdelhamid, President, WFEO

As president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), I am very happy to welcome you at such important event as the World Engineering Conference and Convention 2015. I know this event will gather hundreds of leading international organizations, industry, academicians, engineers, young engineers and students as well as decision makers from all around the globe.

As you may know, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations is the global organisation for the engineering profession. It was founded in 1968, under the auspices of UNESCO, and brings together national engineering institutions from over 90 nations and represents some 20 million engineers.

WFEO is an official partner of UNESCO and has its headquarters at UNESCO in Paris. WFEO's work is done through ten committees on the environment, education, disaster risk management, energy, capacity building, information and communication, anti-corruption, young engineers, women in engineering and innovation.

WECC – 2015 is the 5th edition of the flagship event of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations and we are very proud to have Japan host it after Germany, China, Brazil and Switzerland. UNESCO has been and will continue to be our partner in this event.

The Science Council of Japan and the Japan Federation of Engineering Societies have always been much valued members of WFEO since more than two decades devoting much efforts and energy to enhance engineering nationally, regionally and internationally. WFEO is thankful to them not only for having expressed their wish to host WECC-2015 but also for the tremendous efforts they made since more than four years to ensure a very successful conference.

The world has witnessed notable changes in technology and engineering since many years. And engineers are faced today with important challenges such as climate change adaptation and resilience, sustainable and affordable energy and much more which affect and will have considerable impact on human lives.

The themes that will be explored at WECC-2015 “Engineering: Innovation and Society” including but not limited to resilient infrastructure for society, energy for a sustainable society, natural resources for a sustainable society mobility and communication technology, industry for society and life innovation will raise awareness and understanding of the vital role of engineering and engineers in today's world and provide the valuable ideas and answers to the questions raised about the engineering issues in society to bring adequate solutions and ensure sustainable development to the welfare of humanity.

Once again I welcome you in this extraordinary event and wish you a pleasant stay in the beautiful city of Kyoto.

Eng. Marwan Abdelhamid
President, WFEO