EFx Expands Into New Regions

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ASME recently expanded its EFx program―an offshoot of its successful Engineering Festivals (E-Fests) initiative featuring smaller-scale, locally organized events for engineering students―into two new countries. In addition to offering EFx events in India, Mexico, and the United States, the Society introduced events in Lebanon and Ecuador during the past several weeks.

EFx was launched In August of last year with an event at Marwadi University in Rajkot, India, followed by several other events in India and an EFx in Mexico. The program has gained momentum this year, with eight events having already taken place so far in 2019― including the first in the United States―and another five planned through the end of the year.

Nearly 175 students attended the first ASME EFx event in Lebanon, which was held September 27 and 28 at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon. The event featured sessions and workshops that addressed topics ranging from personal growth and stress management to how students can prepare for their future careers and how the entrepreneurial ecosystem works within Lebanon.

Students were also given the opportunity to take part in several challenging competitions, including oral presentations, an impromptu design-and-build challenge, and a mechatronics competition. Student Ralph Sakr of NDU placed first in the oral presentation competition, while Wael el Halabi of Lebanese American University placed second. Robin Makhoul, Jad Samaha, Cynthia Yowakim and Sherif Salhab from NDU finished first in the impromptu competition. Wajih Mechlawi, Saad al Deen Naomani, Alaa al Deen al Chaar and Waleed Hwayji, students from Rafik Hariri University, made up the winning team at the event’s mechatronics competition.

A few days later, on September 30 and October 1, ASME held its first EFx in Ecuador. More than 175 students registered for the event, which was hosted by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).

The event featured sessions addressing sustainable energy, metalworking, oil and gas, mining, and codes and standards featuring representatives from Adstren, Altair, Bechtel, Kubiec, Megafrio, Ypsilom, ASME Standards Technology Development LLC, Chile’s Universidad Central del Ecuador, Universidad del Bio-Bio, and USFQ.

The EFx in Ecuador was also the site of three impromptu competitions: the Spreading Ideas Challenge oral presentation competition, a CAD Challenge, and a poster competition. Iván Nolivos of USFQ was named the winner of the Spreading Ideas Challenge, while Kelvin Tipantuña and Pedro Reina, also of USFQ, placed first at the CAD Challenge. Hugo Sebastían Romero of Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Ecuador took top honors at the poster competition with his presentation, titled “Evaluating the Thermal Comfort Inside a Building with Phase Change Materials (PCM) in Different Ecuadorian Climatic Zones.”

Several more EFx events are scheduled through the end of this year, including one on November 2 at Temple University in Philadelphia, and another on November 15 and 16 at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIK Institute) in Pakistan.

Learn more about the upcoming EFx events.

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