A year has passed since the IABSE Symposium Wrocław 2020 took place virtually in Poland, and this is a good moment to evaluate the event finally and collect feedbacks received from all over the world. Amongst all, the opinion formulated during the Closing Ceremony by the External Observer, Prof. Enzo Siviero, was significant: “My note is - the best! Top of the top!” The Organising Committee appreciates, and would like to thank all for the comments received, as quoted below.
It was a very interesting and informative conference and I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you very much for Young Engineers Programme. Evening Meeting of Generations, that was a wonderful night. Congratulations! (Yaojun Ge, President of IABSE, China)
Thank you for your hard work. It was indeed a great challenge for all of us, and I am glad that it did not only went well but was very successful! Once again, on behalf of the ExC and from all of us here at the Secretariat. Thank you very much! (Chep Uytiepo, Executive Director of IABSE, Switzerland)
Title of the symposium Synergy of Culture and Civil Engineering—History and Challenges that you chose was very important. I have been following discussions related to history, culture, synergy of engineering, architecture and culture since several years, and hence this symposium was very relevant to me. I was surprised to know about the impact of European funds and the Polish projects. I also saw many presenters, who are young engineers, and it was heartening to see more women engineers involved in global projects. Alongside IABSE, others who are interested in engineering, architecture, culture and engineering interrelationships, also need to send their representatives in such discussions and events. In my opinion, the history of civil engineering should be included in our civil engineering curriculum. Next point is, I was pleasantly surprised by the Polish Group of IABSE’s capacity and sheer efficiency in organizing this symposium despite the very difficult situation. We could plan in future too, webinars following a similar model: vertical (between students of different years or levels of studies) and horizontal (between different universities and faculties), that will raise topics as aesthetic of structures and interaction between engineers and architects. Seminars like these could be very interesting, because this is the real synergy of culture and engineering—open minds, open eyes looking in different ways. There is no dream without future and without dream there is no future. Many thanks for invited me to this exciting symposium. It was a really a very nice experience, that I shall share with my students. They need to understand that, “culture” belongs to engineers as well. (Enzo Siviero, Italy)
I appreciate the very well-organized symposium and the theme Synergy of Culture and Civil Engineering. There were many thought-provoking keynote lectures, presented by experienced researchers, and many other important contributions, including papers prepared by young engineers. From the 1970ies I have experiences of my own of the great importance for young researchers to have an opportunity to present work at IABSE conferences. In Wroclaw, this time, I was honored to chair the Young Engineers’ Contribution Award. It was interesting to follow thirty very good presentations delivered by young participants, who are in the beginning of their careers. This is promising for the future. I appreciated the subtheme of the conference: History and challenges. There were also some challenges during the symposium. However, I found the young and enthusiastic technical staff very kind and helpful, so it all ended well. Many thanks for the fascinating experience to share this First Online IABSE Symposium, Wrocław 2020. I guess there will be many more digital meetings in the future, however they will never excel traditional meetings, from which I have fond memories including from Wrocław 2007 (EU project Sustainable Bridges) and 2018 (Cost Action Bridge Performance). (Lennart Elfgren, Sweden)
Congratulation on the successful conference. (Kim Ho-Kyung, Republic of South Korea)
Thank you for organizing an excellent event in a very limited space of the current situation. Congratulations! (Jan L. Vitek, Czech Republic)
Thank you in particular for your hospitality and for the impeccable organization of the conference. I look forward to visiting again your beautiful and green country. (Rosario Ceravolo, Italy)
Thank you very much for organizing such an amazing event. I have learnt many things and I have enjoyed it a lot! (Fernando Calderón de Diego, Spain)
Many thanks for the great symposium and professional online presentations you have organized and set up despite the current conditions under the COVID-19 pandemic. The IABSE talks are enjoyable. (Bernhard Sill, Germany)
The event was unforgettable. (Pedro Pablo Arroyo Alba, Switzerland)
Congratulations on an interesting and professionally organized conference. (Tomasz Siwowski, Poland)
The conference was excellent. Congratulations. (Bratislav Stipanić, Serbia)
I am pleased to thank you for all what you have done during the event and the last Wrocław presentation by virtual visit, it makes me look forward to visit this beautiful town in real. (Khelil Youcef, Algeria)
Congratulations on organizing such a challenging conference. I understand it has been a very difficult task, but you have done an excellent work. Well done! (Konstantinos Georgiadis, United Kingdom)
Congratulation on conducting a high-profile online conference, first in the history of IABSE. (Bidhan Chandra Roy, India)
I would like to point out that the conference was interesting, rich and optimally organized despite the limitations. I think delivering it online is pioneering and that much of the method you have established will allow for wider access to engineers around the world at future conferences. (Micha Petri, Israel)
Thank you all, it was a nice conference, you are clever. (Tor Ole Olsen, Norway)
Congratulations on organizing a professional and impressive symposium. (Adam Wysokowski, Poland)