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The Colombian Association of Engineering Schools (ACOFI) is honoured to host the World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) and, for the first time in Colombia, the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Meeting, events organised by IFEES and GEDC. This WEEF (IFEES & GEDC) edition will be especially memorable as it will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), from September 22nd to 25th, 2026, in historic Cartagena de Indias. This city, a symbol of Caribbean identity and cultural heritage, has also been the site of significant advancements in engineering education.
ACOFI has consolidated an outstanding international track record as a host of high-impact global events. It hosted the WEEF in 2013, the Ibero-American Meeting of Engineering Education Institutions (ASIBEI) in 2001 and 2007, and the Latin American Engineering Congress in partnership with CONFEDI of Argentina. Together with French Engineering Schools, it led the creation of the Cartagena Engineering Network (2006–2013), promoting academic exchange and international cooperation. In 2018, in collaboration with the French Embassy in Colombia, it organised a meeting with leaders from more than 20 French engineering schools, thereby strengthening opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
It has also hosted meetings of the GEDC Latin America, created in Barranquilla in 2011, and the Global Student Forum (GSF) in 2013, reaffirming its commitment to youth leadership in transforming engineering education.
Since 2014, ACOFI has organised the International Meeting on Engineering Education (EIEI ACOFI), an annual event that brings together over 700 participants, more than 50 commercial partners, and over 40 academic activities. Throughout its editions, it has received more than 1,500 contributions from faculty, researchers, and students from various regions of the world, consolidating its position as an international benchmark for dialogue, reflection, and innovation in engineering education.
This meeting builds on a solid tradition: since 1982, ACOFI has hosted the National Meeting of Engineering Schools, bringing over 40 years of experience in creating academic spaces that foster the development of engineering.
In addition to its events, ACOFI maintains strategic collaborations with organisations such as CONFEDI (Argentina), LACCEI, ANFEI (Mexico), the National Institute of Technology of Mexico (TecNM), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and ABET (USA), and, more recently, with various organisations in Portugal, among others.
Over the years, we have enjoyed the participation of global leaders in engineering education, including most of the IFEES presidents: Lueny Morell†, Claudio Borri, Krishna Vedula, Ramiro Jordan, Uriel Cukierman, José Quadrado, Ramiro Jordan, and Luis Sánchez; members of its board of directors; its executive secretary, Hans J. Hoyer; and representatives of academic and business organisations that support the IFEES mission.
Engineering Education that Transforms is more than a title: it is a statement of purpose. Changing lives, communities, and societies through knowledge, innovation, and a commitment to quality education, which serves as the cornerstone guiding our actions and partnerships.
For ACOFI, this commitment reflects a steadfast dedication to excellence, global collaboration, and the continuous transformation of engineering education.
Full details on how to participate in this event will be available starting October 22nd on the website www.weef2026.org.
Julián A. Arellana-Ochoa
President ACOFI
Luis A. González-Araujo
Executive Director ACOFI