The 7th WIETE Annual Conference on Engineering and Technology Education commenced with a meeting of the WIETE InternationalAcademic Advisory Committee(WIETE-IAAC). It was held on Monday, 4 April 2016, at Piraeus University of Applied Sciences (PUAS) in Piraeus-Athens, Greece. PUAS is a partner institution of the World Institute for Engineering and Technology Education (WIETE). Discussions led by the President of the WIETE-IAAC, Professor Andrew Nafalski of the University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide, Australia, concentrated on current issues of importance to the WIETE, including such matters as the expansion of its membership base, future international activities, conferences and publication of high-quality papers in the WIETE’s journals.

The opening ceremony of the 7th WIETE Annual Conference on Engineering and Technology Education commenced on Tuesday, 5 April 2016, with Professor Zenon J. Pudlowski, the WIETE Director and Conference General Chairman, presenting an introductory address, on his own behalf and on behalf of Conference Co-Chairman, Professor George Metaxas. An opening welcome was delivered by Professor Vasilios Panagou, PUAS Vice-President, on behalf of the PUAS President, Professor Lazaros Vrizidis.

The official welcome address was presented by the WIETE-IAAC President, Professor Andrew Nafalski on behalf of the WIETE. The Immediate Past President, Professor A. Kalanidhi of the Commonwealth Science and Technology Academy for Research (C-STAR), Chennai, India, and the Inaugural President, Professor D.O. Northwood of the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, also greeted the participants.

Two keynote presentations were made during the session of opening addresses. The first was by Professor D.O. Northwood, entitled Technology-based activities for transformative teaching and learning, followed by a presentation by Professor A. Kalanidhi, entitled Accreditation and its limitations for academic institutions.

Professor Vasilios Panagou, PUAS Vice-President, delivering his opening welcome (top), and Professor A. Kalanidhi, WIETE-IAAC Immediate President, delivering his opening welcome (bottom).