Matías Valenzuela, an academic from the School of Construction and Transportation Engineering of the PUCV, defined his election as vice-president of the Iabse as "a privilege and an honor". This position was obtained after being endorsed by 43 of the 83 countries present at the 89th Iabse Assembly, held remotely on October 25 of this year.
Iabse, an international organization with 90 years of existence, brings together close to one hundred national groups focused on structural and bridge engineering. Valenzuela highlights the excitement of being supported by active and responsible members of the assembly, being a professor at PUCV and advisor at the Ministry of Public Works.
Each nominee presented not only his or her background, but also his or her objectives for the association and how he or she would contribute. Online voting with immediate results determined their election. Valenzuela highlights the importance of this endorsement, not only on a professional level but also to give visibility to Chile as one of only two Latin American countries on the board.
OPPORTUNITY
Valenzuela's participation in the Iabse opens opportunities to position the university abroad. The association, with close relationships in the professional, research and academic fields, allows institutional positioning in topics such as forensic engineering, instrumentation, monitoring, climate change, sustainability and circular economy.
From an academic perspective, the association facilitates professionals and professors to generate close links to address various topics related to construction. Valenzuela highlights the positive impact on undergraduate and graduate theses by having the opportunity to collaborate and research with professionals from other countries.
The pandemic demonstrated the collaborative spirit of Iabse, with the creation of 111 Latin American regional groups. Valenzuela mentions experiences of collaboration in seismic isolation classes in Guatemala and the participation of Mexican colleagues in sessions on seismic resistance.
In this line, the PUCV academic emphasizes that these instances allow students not only to develop actions, but also to generate international links.
Challenges
As vice president of the International Association of Bridges and Structural Engineering, Valenzuela seeks to position relevant topics for developing countries. He highlights the organization of a major congress in Costa Rica next year, addressing aspects such as seismic conditions, circular economy, efficiency in projects with reduced budgets and intelligent digitalization.
Iabse also seeks to encourage the collaboration of professional groups in the face of disasters or regional needs, promoting the structural engineering perspective. Valenzuela seeks to make this Association known so that it can be a contribution both to the academic world and to the development of the professional practice of structural and bridge engineering in Chile.
