The Executive Committee of the IEA is currently busy finalising strategic plans for our three-year term from 2021 to 2024. We are using a method developed by a previous president, Yushi Fujita, and Andrew Todd, chair of Strategic Development and Implementation. We call it the P2DT, but it is a participatory planning and development tool based on the scientifically validated work of several other eminent HFE specialists. With it we aim to engage our stakeholders as much as possible in our activities. These are our federated and affiliated societies and networks, partner organisations and those who profit from our work, such as employers and employees. We aim to collaborate with and through our regional, scientific, and political networks to promote HFE in science, technology, and practice. This involves promoting and contributing to education, professional certification, and standards. Additionally, we will strengthen relationships with external organisations with similar aims, reinforce the infrastructure of our organisation and maintain the future focus of HFE.
A key activity is to continue to provide regular webinars, published on YouTube, that both support scientific exchange and inform external stakeholders. In collaboration with our sustaining members, new awards have been added and courses developed (see Awards tab). Noteworthy here is the recent approval of a PhD Program for HFE by the Colombian Ministry of Education to be offered by a two universities: The Universidad del Valle, in Cali, and the National University, in Bogota. Congratulations to all of those that have contributed to this exciting development. It is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when scientists (local and international) and other stakeholders (here government, academics, and social security organisations) work together. The IEA would be happy to provide further information about this process to other interested members.
It is too early yet to decide on the format of the next IEA Council meeting with representatives of all the federated societies, but it is hoped that a decision can be made within the next few months. All going well, we expect the meeting to take place in collaboration with a scientific event in the second half of the year.
Please take the time to visit the Technical Committees page. Join up with them if you are interested in a theme. We have a new one for Resilience Engineering. They all welcome new members.
Best wishes
Jose Orlando Gomes, Maggie Graf and Thomas Alexander
