UTN BA En Movimiento English Version Vol. 3 by Facultad Regional Buenos Aires Universidad Tecnológica Nacional

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Staff May 2015 Year II #3

Institutional Journal of Buenos Aires Regional School Writers’ and interviewees’ opinions herein do not necessarily imply correspondence with the editorial criterion of this publication. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission is prohibited.

UTN.BA en Movimiento Magazine Medrano 951 piso 1 (Deanery) Telephone number: 0054 11 4867 7522 E-mail address: prensa@frba.utn.edu.ar

Executive Editor Guillermo Oliveto

Journal Production Martín De Bernardi Jimena Romero Luciana Sousa

Design Production Rodrigo Bermúdez Florencia Yamín

Traslators Erica Barochiner Eva Ferreri Marta Garcén

Contributors to this issue Gabriel Absi Mariana Amadey Sebastián Benítez Mariela Bosyk Agustín Campero Pablo Canziani Patricia Cibeira Uriel Cukierman Néstor Ferre Fernando Gache Marcelo Giura Alejandro Haim Eugenio Luci Diego Pazos Mario Pelissero Nahuel Rodríguez Vosen Alfredo Russo Raúl Sack Alejandro Vaamonde Camila Velasco Gastón Zotta

Index

03 07 10 14 16

Cover article: School’s Graduates took part in ARSAT-1 project

Commitment to Quality

UTN.BA-CONICET Engineering Research and Development Division Is Up and Running

UTN Buenos Aires is the first School to sign the Letter of Commitment to the Citizen

Wave Energy Harnessing Project Moves Forward

18 20 22 24

3rd cohort has started UTT’s Master program in SOS

UTN Buenos Aires opened its 3D Printing Laboratory

#TECHNOLOGICALLY Proud

Technological Pride in Brazil

Authorities Dean

Eng. Guillermo Oliveto

Vice Dean

Eng. Andrés Bursztyn

General Secretary

Juan Manuel Tiribelli

Academic Secretary Eng. Marcelo Giura

Editorial ING. GUILLERMO OLIVETO DEAN

Administrative Secretary PhD. Alejandro Baigüera

Student Affairs Secretary Eugenio Luci

Science, Technology and Productive Innovation Secretary Lic. Agustín Campero In this third UTN.BA en Movimiento issue, we share a piece of news that has filled us with pride: our graduates taking part of two technological milestones as the ARSAT-1 launching, the first Argentine geostationary satellite; and the Rosetta mission, from the European Space Agency.

University Extension and Culture Secretary

In addition, and in line with our stated objective of strengthening research activities in our Institution of Higher Education, we are pleased to present the new Engineering Research and Development Division. It’s an ambitious project carried out with Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) [Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council], which will undoubtedly maximize the School’s contribution to society, prioritizing and professionalizing education and the engineering practice in our country.

Eng. Federico Escalada

In this sense, we celebrate the consolidation of the Master in SOS (Systems Optimization and Security) of the Université de Technologie de Troyes (UTT) at UTN Buenos Aires. The program’s third cohort has started their studies and this allows us to continue strengthening the exchange activities with that prestigious educational institution through the creation of a UTN-UTT jointly administered doctoral program, still unprecedented in our country.

Eng. Javier Ona

Administrative Under Secretary Eng. Fernando Cura

Information Technologies and Communications Under Secretary University Extension and Culture Under Secretary Eng. Christian Grillo

Research Office Under Secretary Lic. Patricia Cibeira

Graduate Studies and Research Under Secretary. Dra. Mirian Capelari

Technological Transfer Under Secretary Eng. Sebastián Brie

Head of the Basic Sciences Department Eng. Carlos Trunzo

Head of the Civil Engineering Department Eng. Silvio Bressan

Head of the Electrical Engineering Department Eng. Eduardo Spittle

Head of the Electronics Engineering Department Eng. Alejandro Furfaro

Head of the Industrial Engineering Department Eng. Raúl Sack

Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department Eng. Juan Carlos De Cabo

Head of the Naval Engineering Department Eng. José Oscar Álvarez

Head of the Chemical Engineering Department Eng. María del Carmen Gutiérrez

Head of the Information Systems Engineering Departament Eng. Andrés Bursztyn

Head of the Textile Engineering Department Eng. Marcelo Olivero

#TechnologicallyProud School’s Graduates took part in ARSAT-1 project Engineers Sebastián Benítez, Santiago Pérez Ghiglia, Gabriel Absi, and Martín Absi took part in the project that put the first geospatial Latin-American satellite in orbit. Nahuel Rodríguez Vosen, a School’s student, also took part in the mission.

Fuente: radionacional.com.ar

October 15, 2014 will go down in history as the day in which Argentina became the first Latin American country to have its own geostationary satellite in orbit, the ARSAT-1, which was launched from French Guiana to offer telecommunications services in the South Cone. With a power of 3400 watts, the artifact’s development took seven years and was manufactured in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche by the state-owned companies INVAP and the Argentinian company for Satellites Solutions (ArSat). More than a hundred professionals participated in this project, both in the French Guiana and in the ground station of Benavidez, a district of Buenos Aires province. Among them, engineers Sebastián Benítez, Santiago Pérez Ghiglia, Gabriel Absi, and Martín Absi, UTN Buenos Aires graduates stand

out. Nahuel Rodríguez Vosen, a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate, was also part of the mission. A few days after the historical launching, UTN.BA en Movimiento contacted Sebastián Benítez and Gabriel Absi, who shared their thoughts about their participation in the project. Sebastián Benítez is an Industrial Engineer, who graduated from this School. Once graduated, in early 2011, he decided to move to Bariloche, where he worked as a teaching assistant of Physics I and Industrial Organization at the UTN Buenos Aires Bariloche venue. Shortly after moving to that city, he started working at INVAP in the area of Product Assurance, Aerospace Management for the ARSAT-1 project.

“

Some members of the School witnessed this important milestone in the Argentinian history, the first telecommunications satellite, designed, manufactured, assembled and tested by Argentinians for Argentinians, -Benítez said-. It made me very happy to represent UTN Buenos Aires; as well as to defend and demonstrate the excellence of the State-run University .

”

(Eng. Sebastián Benítez, UTN Buenos Aires Industrial Engineer)

Benítez witnessed the ARSAT-1 launching in the Guyanese Space Center. “The purpose of my work is to give confidence to the client, namely to guarantee that the mission’s defined objectives are fulfilled in a safe and reliable fashion; that all tasks are performed as planned, with the appropriate documentation, with qualified staff and processes; and to accurately register and manage any variation from the original plan, among other tasks,” the engineer explained. “Some members of the School witnessed this important milestone in the Argentinian history, the first telecommunications satellite, designed, manufactured, assembled and tested by Argentinians for Argentinians, -Benítez said-. It made me very happy to represent UTN Buenos Aires; as well as to defend and demonstrate the excellence of the State-run University.” Gabriel Absi, Electronics Engineer, a UTN Buenos Aires graduate, recalls that he started studying engineering “because when I was a child, I loved disassembling equipment to see what there was inside, to fix them if I could, and to understand how they worked”. Born in Bariloche, in the summer before his graduation, Absi submitted his resumé to INVAP. Shortly after, he started working as a Junior Engineer. For the last three years, he has been in charge of the Satellite Guidance and Control Group that designs, manufactures, assembles and tests the hardware and software of systems that control the behavior of all satellites made by INVAP.

Fuente: tiempo.infonews.com

“

We feel very proud and satisfied with the work we have done. We have been able to demonstrate that Argentinians are up to the task, even though many times during the execution stage of the project, it was doubted from outside whether we could achieve it. Today, we are one of the few companies and countries that have the possibility to set up such a project; and, almost unknowingly, we have written a few lines of the Argentinian history .

”

(Eng. Gabriel Absi, UTN Buenos Aires Electronics Engineer)

ARSAT-1, Argentinian technology ARSAT-1 development began in 2007, upon the Argentinian Government’s request to the Satellite Argentinian Company to design a set of geostationary satellites that would cover the whole Argentinian territory. The plan emerged as a need to retain the orbital positions assigned to the country by the International Telecommunications Union. The right to these slots is lost if not used within a certain period, three years in general. So far, to keep the orbital rights, Argentina had been renting old satellites at a cost of 25 million dollars per year. This new Argentinian satellite shows a significant technological progress: if all goes as planned, with this launching, the country will become part of an elite of nations with the essential know how to cope with the monumental challenge involved in placing one of these apparatus at a height of almost 36000 km to provide telephone, data, TV and Internet services. The other seven members of the club are the United States, Russia, China, Japan, Israel, India and the European Union.

Fuente: movilion.com.ar

As Director of the International Project in the Satellite Area of INVAP, Absi participated in the earliest stages of the project, defining the requirements to accomplish the goals set and, subsequently, designing and implementing the control system of the satellite’s behavior. “It was such a challenge for us because we had never worked in a system like this for a geostationary satellite. I had to find out the way to make the transference from the parking orbit, at about 300 km away from the Earth to its final geostationary orbit, at 36000 km, using new

sensors and actuators that we had never used before, - Absi summarizes -. Nowadays, we feel very proud and satisfied with the work we have done. We have been able to demonstrate that Argentinians are up to the task, even though many times during the execution stage of the project, it was doubted from outside whether we could achieve it. Today, we are one of the few companies and countries that have the possibility to set up such a project; and, almost unknowingly, we have written a few lines of the Argentinian history.”

The undergraduate, Nahuel Rodríguez Vosen Together with the professionals, Nahuel Rodríguez Vosen, a UTN Buenos Aires Mechanical Engineering undergraduate was part of the ARSAT-1 project. Nahuel started working at INVAP in the Area of Product Assurance two years ago. The area verifies and validates the fulfillment of all that has been specified and agreed beforehand pursuant to norms and specifications; it also keeps quality records of all the events related to the satellite and performs quality control of certain processes and tests. “At the beginning of the project, I had the possibility to go to Kourou (French Guiana) with a group of incredible people and professionals, with whom I shared an unforgettable experience and from whom I learned a lot, -says Rodríguez Vosen-. During the Project, I worked on the visual control and verification of the final integrations of the satellite; on the follow-up and registration of the functional tests performed on the satellite; on the treatment of non-conformities; and, during the launching and subsequent days, I was in Benavidez Earth Station (Buenos Aires) where I witnessed the first apogee manoeuvres that bring the satellite closer to its geostationary orbit”. To conclude, the undergraduate said: “I feel very proud of this big project, which belongs to all Argentinians”.

UTN Buenos Aires graduate in Rosetta mission Diego Pazos, UTN Buenos Aires Electronics engineer, is the Operations and Maintenance Manager of the station located at 40 km from the City of Malargüe, Mendoza province, where unmanned missions to space are monitored by the European Space Agency (ESA). During the Rosetta mission, in order for the Philae Robot to descend to comet 67P, the Argentinian station played a vital role for the rest of the stations: before and after the landing on the comet, it received direct information from Rosetta. Later, that information was sent from Malargüe to Buenos Aires and, from there, to Germany through the optical fiber provided by the Argentina Connected Telecommunications Plan, of the Argentinian’s Ministry of Planning. How does the station work? What’s your job there? “The purpose of the European Space Agency’s satellite tracking station in Argentina is to complete the construction of the ESTRACK network for Deep Space stations, complementing Australia’s and Spain’s stations and, ultimately, providing ESA with operational autonomy at any point in the space 24 hours a day. The station is optimized to operate with probes and distant satellites, beyond the second Lagrange point. It has been used since late 2012 for probe and satellite TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking & Command) in Venus, Mars and other places in the Solar System, like Comet 67P (Rosetta). In this project, I had the fortune of choosing the professionals who make up the team. That let me form a work group that was very well balanced in terms of personal aptitudes and skills which is nowadays bearing its fruits. The work group in the station is made up of engineers and technicians from various fields. Our core task in the Station is to perform predictive and corrective maintenance of all its systems; from basic systems, like power generators, mechanical systems and air conditioners to complex systems like very high power amplifiers, low noise cryogenic amplifier, optical systems for electromagnetic wave transmission and all the baseband equipment. Furthermore, the team is trained to operate the station during critical phases in a systematic and manual fashion, depending on the level of criticality. That is very important because the station is controlled remotely except for emergency situations when it is operated manually.” What do you think the School gave you in general terms, not only academically, for you to be where you are now? “Studying Engineering is neither easy nor fast, especially in the Electronics field. Studying while working makes it even more complicated. However, the day you graduate, you find yourself with a Degree certifying your knowledge and much experience on your file. Working and studying at the same time helps you get the necessary knowledge for everyday work at the School. Thanks to that, I could benefit from the subjects considered uninteresting by most students, such as Components Technology, which analyzes the reliability of complex systems, nowadays used in the industry. The School gives you the theoretical tools and concepts, but it also helps you forge your personality, patience, and self-confidence. There are many engineers with expertise at UTN Buenos Aires, and if you benefit from them, you get a lot. Eng. Rodríguez Mallo, Eng. Navarro, Eng. Román, Eng. Furfaro, Eng. Salvatore, Eng. Muíño, and Professor Leitner are all professionals who know a lot. They know how to transmit knowledge, and they help you to link it to reality. I think that UTN graduated engineers in general and UTN Buenos Aires graduates, in particular, are different from the rest. I’m sure that the School prepares us for decision-making and high pressure posts. Undoubtedly, I would choose UTN Buenos Aires again. I’m still linked to it since my sister is studying Industrial Engineering there. Furthermore, my father, Aníbal, is a UTN Buenos Aires Electrical Engineer graduate.”

Commitment to Quality Recently, the Academic Secretary and the area of Health of the Student Affairs Office completed the quality certification process under ISO 9001:2008 standards, joining other areas of the School that have also got their processes certified: the University Extension and Culture Office and Planning and Process Management Office. In 2009, UTN Buenos Aires adopted the concept of quality as an institutional policy in its processes management, with the determined objective of improving the organization of the daily work, administrative circuit and paperwork. In that context, during these years, numerous areas have gone through the certification process of their quality management systems. Recently, the Academic Secretary Office and the area of Health of the Student Affairs Office have completed the quality certification process under ISO 9001:2008 standards, joining other areas of the School that have also done so: part of the mentioned Students Affairs Office; the University Extension and Culture Office and the Planning and Process Management Office. The certifying company is TÜV Rheinland Argentina. “We are fostering changes that benefit our recipients, students, faculty members and society in general. The goal for the future is to articulate and integrate the various quality management systems of the School in one, abandoning departments’ stagnated work

practices to reach a model of excellence,” Eng. Gastón Zotta, UTN Buenos Aires Director of Institutional Quality, explains. The ISO 9001 Standard is aimed at process management and its ongoing improvement. The certification is obtained after a series of internal and external audits of all the systems, from documentation to performance by means of specific indicators that lead to an improvement plan. The Quality Certification is managed by the School’s Institutional Quality Office, formed by a team of specialists in the field that trains and guides the personnel from each area so that they can deeply understand the benefits of certifying their processes. On the one hand, the Students Affairs Office had already certified the processes relating to Professional Development, Scholarships, Library, Design and Organization of Events, Sports, Exchange and ORADIS (Orientation and Support

to Disabled People); and after two years of certification, last year it extended to the Health area, maintaining the rest of the processes of all sectors. That entailed an improvement of virtually all the structure of the Students Affairs Office. “The work done by all the team is very important and satisfying; all improvements are directly or indirectly impacting on the students, our

The areas of the Office that obtained certification were: the Academic Career Office, Faculty and non-faculty members selection and promotion Office, Accreditation and Education Quality Policy Office, Educational Innovation and Virtual Campus Office, Mentoring and Retention Policies Office. principal target. The Quality applied day after day has as a result, the students’ welfare, the major objective of this Office,” says Eugenio Luci, Secretary of the School’s Student Affairs Office.

“As audits continue, we are looking for improvements to optimize the services provided to the students. We complied with those improvements; for example, through ORADIS, we adapted students’ desks for those with reduced mobility; and in the area of Professional Development, the job Bank was improved,” Mariana Amadey, person in charge of Quality in the SAE (Students Affairs Office), explains. The process entailed detailing and standardizing procedures, diagrams and forms for record keeping; and it involved all the personnel in the Office. The Certification in the area of Health was very important: the management of personnel that includes doctors, nurses, psychologists; shifts allocation and opening hours require a coordinated and well-organized work to provide a better service to the student and the School’s staff. “Having doctors in the venues, as well as the number of shifts assigned, was a point of strength in the audits,” Mariana explains. In the Academic Secretary Office, the work was done from scratch. “We decided that 2014 was the appropriate year for the Office’s human resources to start working and take the qualitative leap we needed to implement quality in our management processes to help us face a certification process,” assured Eng. Marcelo Giura, UTN Buenos Aires’s Academic Secretary. That is how Lic. Mariela Bosyk, in charge of the

Secretary Office’s Quality, together with UTN Buenos Aires’s Institutional Quality Office and the different people in charge, worked to adapt their processes to the specified in ISO 9001:2008 standard. The areas of the Office that obtained certification were: the Academic Career Office, Faculty and non-faculty members selection and promotion Office, Accreditation and Education Quality Policy Office, Educational Innovation and Virtual Campus Office, Mentoring and Retention Policies Office. Regarding the benefits of the certification, Giura stressed: “On the one hand, the staff’s spirit is strengthened because we feel that we have a recognition that ratifies something we believed in, that we are on the right path. On the other hand, the institution consolidates because the awareness of its organizational operation is noted. Writing down the processes led us to revise them, improve them and disclose them, thus facilitating collaboration among the various areas of the Office”. In the beginning, said Lic. Bosyk, “it was difficult, like any change. But we saw the benefits of this work, and now the commitment is to maintain it and include the processes of the area that is still pending; the Graduate Studies and Research Undersecretary Office”.

The Certification in the area of Health was very important: the management of personnel that includes doctors, nurses, psychologists; shifts allocation and opening hours require a coordinated and well-organized work to provide a better service to the student and the School’s staff. The implementation of Quality at UTN Buenos Aires enables the integration of transversal processes; improves management efficiency; generates resources optimization; improves communication between areas; generates synergy and coordination, and fosters a culture of Quality in the Institution. One of the milestones in this sense was the signing of the first Letter of Commitment with the Citizen, which rendered the Institution the first School facing the challenge (see article on page 12). “These benefits impact on the Academic Quality; and are aimed at the ongoing improvement of the School,” concludes Eng. Gastón Zotta.

UTN.BA-CONICET Engineering Research and Development Division Is Up and Running Three CONICET researchers have already started to work at UTN Buenos Aires, as part of the School’s Engineering Research and Development Division (in Spanish, UIDI). They are PhDs Pablo Canziani, Adrián Yuchechen, and Guillermo Franc.

In December 2013, UTN Buenos Aires and CONICET (Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council) signed an agreement by virtue of which an Engineering Research and Development Division was created at the School. At the end of the year, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved its bylaws. As a result, three CONICET researchers have already joined the research team at UTN Buenos Aires. These researchers are PhDs Pablo Canziani, Adrián Yuchechen, and Guillermo Franc (see chart). The creation of the Engineering Research and Development Division emerges from the School’s aim to strengthen its research activity, which has resulted in giving the Doctoral Program with a Specialization in Image and Signal Processing the status it deserves. Eight PhDs

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have already graduated from the program and four more are estimated to be awarded their degrees this year. The School’s objective has also been realized through the creation of a new Doctoral Program with a Specialization in Chemical Technologies, among other achievements. “It is essential to establish a bond between science and technological development, where engineers play a key role,” explains Lic. Agustín Campero, the School’s Secretary of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation. “This will be an open and innovative engineering research center aimed at conducting research,

The objective is to provide a holistic perspective to undergraduate and graduate degree programs at UTN Buenos Aires in order to enhance the engineer’s performance.

”

(Dr. Pablo Canziani)

developing technologies, training specialists and opening the door to students who are interested in research and innovation,” explains Alfredo Russo, PhD and UTN.BA researcher, who is an advisor in the UIDI coordination. He adds: “The objective is for this Division to be made up in part of CONICET researchers and in part of relevant research teams belonging to the School which would like to join the Research Division.” The most similar experience in working with the CONICET is the shared initiative of UTN’s regional Schools of Santa Fe and Rosario, which have created INGAR, a Research and Design Institute. The various areas for Research, Development and Transfer within the new Division at UTN Buenos Aires will be: Process Modeling, Simulation and Control; Biotechnology; and Renewable Energies and Energy Technology. They were selected because they involve cross-curricular areas of knowledge within UTN Buenos Aires’s main lines of research and because they are considered relevant

for the development of Science and Technology in the country. “We chose strategic lines of research, which are common to all engineering branches so that all School departments may participate. In addition, we seek to achieve a balance between the specific and the general. Anybody, in one way or another, may be part of the UIDI,” says Dr. Russo, who worked at CONICET as Chairman of the Technology Committee, member of the Evaluation Board and of the Special Committee of Motions for the Reconsideration of Board of Trustees’ Resolutions. The recently incorporated researchers are currently working on two areas of knowledge: Complex Systems and Climate Change. Dr. Pablo Canziani explains: “The idea is for research on climate atmospheric issues, for example, to be an axis connecting issues on Applied Mathematics and Biotechnologies, also used for applications in Renewable Energies; and for all these research efforts to generate significant contributions for an engineer who

The creation of the Engineering Research and Development Division is part of UTN Buenos Aires’s aim to strengthen its research activity.

The PhDs Guillermo Franc, 42, is an Electronic Engineer graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and has a PhD in Physics from the same institution. He is currently an Assistant Researcher at CONICET and learned about the new Research Division when members of the Science, Technology and its project to create an institute in the future. “My PhD research was on experimental and interdisciplinary systems, with a highly technological content. I currently work on simulations and I have become acquainted, through a doctoral candidate, with issues related to finite elements, which have various applications in Engineering,” shares Dr. Franc. In turn, Adrián Yuchechen, 38, holds a degree in Meteorology (Licenciatura) and a PhD in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, both from the University of Buenos Aires. He is a professor at Universidad Católica Argentina and an Assistant Researcher at CONICET. “I have a few challenges to bring to UTN Buenos Aires, unresolved issues related to numeric modeling, and I hope I can find a solution here,” points out Dr. Yuchechen, evidencing the Division’s spirit, which aims to promote the exchange of experiences in order to generate new knowledge. The Doctor is an expert in Tropopause and he is currently working on the Application of Statistical Methods to the Detection of Climatic Centers. Dr. Pablo Canziani, 55, is a Lead Researcher at CONICET and has been a member of the Center’s Research Career since 1995. He holds a degree as Licenciado and Doctor in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires. His PhD research area was Geophysics. “I have an interdisciplinary profile –he autodefines himself–. I have worked on Atmospheric Sciences, the Ozone Layer, and Atmospheric Processes; I have worked with engineers and lawyers since the environment is by definition a cross-cutting issue.” Canziani, who was a faculty member at UTN.BA in 2000, participated in the drafting of the Fourth Assessment Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC), as a result of which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with other expert writers. He is one of the nine Argentine citizens who have been awarded such distinction. In addition, he is a reviewing editor for the quadrennial reports on the Ozone Layer state. He is also involved in research programs, such as the World Climate Research Program, through which he works with universities in Latin America, the United States and Europe.

needs to make decisions. The objective is to provide a holistic perspective to undergraduate and graduate degree programs at UTN Buenos Aires in order to enhance the engineer’s performance.” In turn, Dr. Guillermo Franc points out that research “is an ongoing two-way process; it is a very dynamic environment, of continuous learning, offering possibilities for those wishing to advance their knowledge and its application.” The doctors agree on the importance of conducting research at a state-run university: “It opens doors for us, we are not restricted to

what topics to do research on, so there may be interaction between students and members of the academic units,” Dr. Yuchechen stresses. In turn, Dr. Canziani is excited about the “challenge of working in an environment where not only is there an interest in research, but where there is also the possibility of engaging students who can actively participate and where there are graduate programs that can take part in the project, and even go from master’s to doctorate programs. This is not possible in all universities.” Under the agreement signed with CONICET, the UIDI will soon become an Institute dependent from both UTN.BA and CONICET. Lic. Campero points out the fact that the three CONICET researchers are currently working at UTN Buenos Aires’s facilities and anticipates: “We hope the new Research and Development Division will have many research teams and new researchers, who can participate in the School’s academic life, by being part of the faculty, teaching courses, giving seminars and talks. We further hope that teachers and students make the most of the UIDI and be part of it or participate in some of its activities.” Research and the lack of engineers In Argentina, the motivation to conduct interdisciplinary research is recent. Dr. Yuchechen acknowledges that “we are trying to work

The President of CONICET, Dr. Roberto Salvarezza and the Dean of the UTN Buenos Aires, Eng. Guillermo Oliveto, sign the agreement.

on applications from the basic sciences. Before, people worked isolated in a box and papers were published. Now, links with other research areas are being sought as well as new developments. There are even journals demanding a cross-curricular approach and applied research for articles. This didn’t happen before.” Dr. Canziani, in turn, observes that: “The main challenge that must be overcome is that the university evaluation system and the CONICET evaluation system do not yet facilitate an accurate interdisciplinary evaluation. There used to be a very rigid basic disciplinary scheme in place. Today, however, there is an aim to create interdisciplinary committees or boards of members belonging to different committees in order to discuss the evaluation of research being conducted or a project.” Dr. Guillermo Franc stresses the need to have “new researchers to help the country develop,” and Dr. Yuchechen adds the “need for sustained funding”. They both agree on the importance of the creation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation in 2007, decided at the Science and Technology Roundtable of Argentine Dialogue, in which Dr. Canziani participated.

“In Argentina, we need more engineers; more engineers willing to interact interdisciplinary –reflects Canziani. In addition, we need a system that promotes entrepreneurship and that encourages several of those engineers to participate in society through small companies or new products, which are the economy’s driving force. We need engineers who will work with scientists, who will work in management positions, in design, production and the transfer of ideas through products for society.” Researchers agree on the fact that a portion of the private company sector has not already adopted this policy. “The private sector needs a change in mindset in the mid and long terms. We want companies to visit the School, and the School to train new entrepreneurs. We want to foster the creative and entrepreneur mindset in our students, graduates and faculty,” adds Lic. Agustín Campero. Dr. Canziani stresses the “need for State policies and the commitment of all political spaces in order to sustain such policies through time. It’s necessary for society to understand that role and for the private sector to get involved, and thus obtain their benefits and gain a competitive edge.”

UTN Buenos Aires is the first School to sign the Letter of Commitment to the Citizen It’s a program developed by the Public Employment and Management Undersecretary of the Chief of Ministers Cabinet whose objective is to improve the quality in the provision of services. On December the 17th, UTN Buenos Aires became the first School to sign a Letter of Commitment to the Citizen. The ceremony took place in the Aula Magna at Medrano venue, with the presence of UTN.BA authorities, with the Dean, Eng. Guillermo Oliveto as head; and the participation of a committee of members of the Chief of Ministers Cabinet, with the Undersecretary of Public Employment and Management, Mónica Beatriz Zorrila as head. On one hand, UTN Buenos Aires’ committee was comprised of the Vice-dean, Eng. Andrés Bursztyn; the Secretary of Students Affairs, Eugenio Lucio; and the Secretary of University Culture and Extension, Eng. Javier Ona, among other departmental authorities. On the other hand, the Chief of the Ministers Cabinet committee was comprised of the Director of the Innovation and Management National Office, Lic. Fernanda Clancy; and the Director of Assessment and Management Services Quality, Lic. María Eugenia Rivero. Eng. Guillermo Oliveto, UTN Buenos Aires Dean, said: “This is a very special day for us. We are proud of being the first School, and the first

University, to sign this Letter of Commitment, which is a program that has been developed by the Argentinian government since a long time ago to whom I would like to thank, especially the Chief of the Ministers Cabinet and, in particular, the Public Employment and Management Undersecretary for helping us to take up this challenge that I think is very important”; and he explained “since we took office, we have been committed to Quality. We are progressing little by little in the consolidation of our processes management ; certifying secretaries, progressing in recertification processes, generating synergy and internal training because we are permanently looking for personnel who work with the undergraduates, graduates and faculty members in order to improve the management processes of the various areas of the School, gathering them together to get to know each other, so that the day after day be easier, and the technological community get the benefit”. The Dean said: “Besides signing this Letter of Commitment today, we will continue working in this vein because Quality is a State policy to us. I am very proud of our work since we took office,

and of the important milestone to reach that enhanced School we always like to evoke; and for which we work every day”. Then the Undersecretary of Public Employment and Management, Monica Beatriz Zorrilla spoke, and said: “Thanks for having us in this House which is so prestigious and important for the fulfillment of the State’s strategic goals today. These processes contribute to strengthening the link between the State and the organizations.” The Letter of Commitment to the Citizen is an instrument aimed at continuously improving management, and was formalized by Decree 229/2000 aiming at strengthening the quality of the public sector management. In this sense, Zorrilla added: “Universities like UTN, whose members

On the Letter of Commitment Letter of Commitment to the Citizen is a program developed by the Undersecretary of Public Employment and Management and the Chief of Ministers Cabinet, which aims to improve the quality of services provision offered by public administration bodies. The program provides tools to strengthen the mainstreaming of citizens and communities in public bodies. Some institutions that have signed the Letter of Commitment to the Citizen are: INCUCAI (Instituto Central Único Coordinador de Ablación e Implante) [Unique Central Institute Coordinator of Ablation and Implant]; SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) [National Health Service and Food Quality); PAMI PAMI (Instituto Nacional de Servicios Sociales para Jubilados y Pensionados) (National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners]; and INADI (Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo) [National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism], among others.

are directly linked to the hard sciences such as engineering, are strategic allies of this special program, which articulates both the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Education and the Chief of Ministers Cabinet. Let’s start working for you to be the drivers and the direct link with the undergraduates because we want the program to reach the citizens. “ On the importance of the First Letter of Commitment of a University School, she reflected that “any instrument involving a cultural change is extremely difficult; because it requires continued commitment and renewing the will to encourage all those who are part of the process, which is time-consuming and cannot be done alone. You need the conviction and support of the entire community, in this case, the entire educational community, undergraduates, faculty, graduates, non-faculty staff and authorities. It is very important to communicate that, and to transmit what those goals are so that it can generate feedback and, ultimately, be held accountable for what has been done. This process of planning, control, feedback, evaluation, monitoring, and accountability is allowing you enhance management and quality management. “ Monica Zorrilla concluded: “From the Ministry we are committed to continuing supporting them; because this is the path you have built. You can be the drivers of these instruments in other universities and other organizations. “

Wave Energy Harnessing Project Moves Forward In 2014, the Wave Energy Group presented its 1:10 prototype. It was invited to participate at GEMA and it shared the progress of the project both in Argentina and abroad. A UTN Buenos Aires research team has been devoted to a Wave Energy Harnessing Project since 2010. It involves the development of an electromechanical device that uses sea wave energy and converts it into electricity. Since its creation, the group has steadily grown in importance, having won the INNOVAR 2010 award (in the category of Innovative Product) and the Award granted by Banco Galicia’s Environmental Protection Fund, among others. This is multidisciplinary project, including the mechanical, chemical, electrical, electronic, civil, naval, industrial, and information systems engineering branches and even an oceanographer. The team is made up of 15 members, among them teachers, graduates and students at this School. In 2014, the Research Group was invited to participate in GEMA (Marine Energy Group), belonging to the Sea Academy. Eng. Mario Pelissero, Project Leader, states: “This has been one of the most significant recognitions, not only because of the invitation itself but also because we actively participated in the group by elaborating, along with other professionals, a catalog related to the description of the world’s marine energy potential, the methods for harvesting it and the current situation of our country.” The Sea Academy is the institution that brings marine energy experts together. It includes scientific and Navy experts as well as public and private institutes, among them CONICET, Y-Tec, YPF, Chevron, ENARSA, SHN and various UTN regional schools of engineering. The most significant event this year for the Research Group has been the presentation of the 1:10 scale prototype, a huge step towards the project’s ultimate goal, which is the construction of the full scale model. “The outstanding expertise of the professionals involved allowed us to move from the kinematic chain design stage with the 2D and the 3D systems directly to the prototype construction stage without any major setbacks. We must now decide which electrical generator will best fit the equipment and then we will have to subject it to wave tank testing in order to continue adjusting the design according to experimental data,” Pelissero explains and adds: “Although we haven’t yet tested the equipment in the wave tank, experimental tests manually

conducted on the performance of the equipment showed that only by letting gravity act on the buoy, that is, by dropping it, 50 kW of power can be generated. This finding indicates that we are on the right path.” The Research Group professionals who worked during this stage of the Project were: Alejandro Haim, MSc; Eng. Federico Muiño; Eng. Mariano Montonieri; Prof. Roberto Tula and students Gustavo de Vita and Elimiano Cirielli. In addition, the Wave Energy Harnessing Project team has been participating in activities abroad. Master’s degree holder Alejandro Haim, Co-director, was invited to speak at the University of La Guajira (Colombia). Haim attended the VI International Forum on Renewable Energies and delivered a Seminar on Marine Energies for such university community. “We would like to continue building

this relationship in 2015. The University of La Guajira is interested in negotiating agreements for scientific-technological cooperation with UTN Buenos Aires,” the master’s degree holder states. During the I International Seminar on Marine Energies, held at the Sheraton Hotel in the City of Mar del Plata in November, the Research Group had another outstanding participation: it was the only group presenting a prototype to the audience. Haim explains: “This drew the interest of Dr. José Luis Martínez, Director of Tecnalia, a Spanish company engaged in the study and harnessing of marine energies. Our conversations derived in the establishment of a formal relationship between our School and the company. This gives us the opportunity to establish a relationship with Europe, where the most ambitious and interesting projects on Wave Energy Harnessing are currently being conducted.” Finally, the Group has continued meeting with staff of the Quequén Port Management Consortium in order to strengthen their relationship and, in the future, install the full scale wave energy harvesting

equipment in the port’s site. This device would be the first one in the country and the second in Latin America. During its visit to Quequén, UTN Buenos Aires representatives contacted their counterparts from Universidad del Centro, where the research group members gave a talk, addressed to the university community and the public at large, in order to explain their project. The encounter will

The most significant event this year for the Research Group has been the presentation of the 1:10 scale prototype, a huge step towards the project’s ultimate goal, which is the construction of the full scale model. be repeated this year. At the end of 2015, the Wave Energy Group will enter a stage of search for external funding in order to move forward towards the construction and implementation of the final device.

3rd cohort has started UTT’s Master program in SOS

On Monday, March 2, the third cohort of the Master in Industrial Systems Optimization and Security of the Université de Technologie de Troyes (UTT) have started their studies at UTN Buenos Aires. In this way, the second stage for the exchange between the two institutions has been strengthened while progress is made to reach the third stage: a UTN-UTT jointly-administered Doctoral program. In 2013, UTN Buenos Aires offered the Master in Industrial Systems Optimization and Security (SOS) for the first time, corresponding to the Master in Sciences, Technology and Health, with a Specialization in Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies of the Université Technologie de Troyes (UTT), which has a “Master 2” level in France. Since then, two cohorts have completed the program and on March 2, the third cohort started their studies. “All our graduates have a high academic level. It is worth noting that this Master’s program serves as a springboard since students grow both at an academic and a personal level. The process is highly enriching,” states Dr. Fernando Gache, who along with Eng. Raúl Sack, coordinates the Master’s program at UTN Buenos Aires. Sack, Head of the Industrial Engineering Department, explains: “This program is here to stay. We offer our graduates the option to do a Master which will prepare them for a Doctoral program.” From the first cohort, of 2013, out of twelve students, two are pursuing PhD studies. “This is an extremely high percentage, even compared to the statistics in France: they estimate two out of twenty-five,” Eng. Sack points out. It is estimated that the second cohort will give two more doctoral candidates. In turn, the third cohort is made up of seven UTN Buenos Aires students, four students from France and one from Colombia. In relation to this, Sack foresees that “next year we will have between four or five Colombian engineers as well as 18

students from other UTN regional schools,” anticipating a growth supported by the experience they have had since the Master’s program was launched. It is worth noting that the Master in SOS constitutes a second stage in the exchange with UTT, which started with the ARFITEC Program (see chart),

Rest of World: Asian future In addition to the Exchange program with French universities, UTN Buenos Aires has signed agreements with German and Spanish universities. Further, an exchange program with Austrian universities will be starting in the near future, as a result of the strengthened bonds established in the Argentine-Austrian Conference on Automation and Metrology. The School has also been invited to visit Vietnam and is currently negotiating joint activities with Taiwan’s National University of Science and Technology, whose authorities visited the Medrano building in 2014. “Most students currently prefer to visit European universities because it is easier to understand the language, the culture and because they have close relatives there. They are still not interested in travelling to Asia, a very distant and different culture from ours, except for a few cases. In contrast, European graduates do travel to the Asian Southeast, where the world’s largest number of discoveries and patents of new technologies are found, a trend that is growing every year,” Eng. Raúl Sack, reflects. It should be noted that two UTN Buenos Aires students, Soledad García and César Micale, have recently travelled to Taiwan through exchange program scholarships.

through which undergraduate students go on exchange programs with UTT and other French universities. The third stage will be the launching of a UTN (Argentina) and UTT (France) jointlyadministered doctoral program, in which both universities will review a single Dissertation on the topic of Industrial Systems Optimization and Security, jointly tutored by two professors, one for each university. It is an intensive Doctoral program, taking between three to four years to complete, compared to the five or more years these programs usually take. In March, Prof. Regis Leugelle, PhD, Director of Doctoral Programs at the Université de Technologie de Troyes, and Prof. Mitra Fouladirad, PhD, Director of the Doctoral program in SOS, visited UTN Buenos Aires with the aim to move forward with the creation of the program. The French authorities held meetings for three days with Eng. Raúl Sack; Dr. Fernando Gache; Dr. Mirian Capelari, the School’s Undersecretary of Graduate Studies and Research; Dr. Ricardo Armentano, Director of the PhD in Engineering with a Specialization in Image and Signal Processing; and Dr. Walter Legnani, the University’s Secretary of Science, Technology and Graduate Studies. “During the visit, we tried to establish points in common between our Doctorate in Engineering and the UTT’s Doctorate in SOS. The issue that came up was related to the current regulations on Argentine doctorate programs, which must be written and defended in Spanish,” explains Eng. Sack. However, as a result of the meetings held at the V ARFITEC Program Forum, which took place between March 11 and 14 (see chart), a change in the regulation would make it easier for the project to move forward.

V ARFITEC Program Forum The V Forum of the Argentina-France Engineers Technology Program (ARFITEC) was held between Wednesday, March 11 and Saturday, March 14, at Universidad Nacional del Litoral, in the City of Santa Fe. Eng. Raúl Sack, Head of the Industrial Engineering Department, and María Eugenia Sack, Coordinator of the Exchange Area of the Students Affairs Office, attended the event on behalf of UTN Buenos Aires. Eng. Sack is the Coordinator of the Industrial Engineering Project within the ARFITEC Program, which brings UTN.BA with the regional schools of Santa Fe, La Plata and Haedo together, and which has recently incorporated Universidad de General Sarmiento. Eng. Sack has recently submitted a report to the Ministry of Education’s University Policies Office requesting that the regional schools belonging to Universidad Tecnológica Nacional be considered at the same level of other Engineering Schools, due to the small number of ARFITEC scholarships granted to the former. The submitted report was successful and the number of scholarships has increased. ARFITEC is engaged in the implementation of cooperation projects between Argentine and French higher education institutions which train engineers. It operates under the supervision of a French-Argentine committee, composed of representatives of the authorities in each country: for the Argentine Republic, through the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation; and for the French Republic, through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Higher Education and Research, with the support of the French Embassy in Argentina and the Conference of the Directors of French Engineering Schools. Since 2008, the Program has granted scholarships to outstanding Industrial Engineering undergraduate students from UTN Buenos Aires to study at Université de Technologie de Troyes (UTT); Université de Technologie de Compiegne (UTC) and Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM), members of the UT Network, which includes French universities of technology.

In fact, during the forum, it was announced that the National Interuniversity Council (CIN), made up of all national university rectors, will amend regulation 160/2011 in April, allowing for a more flexible model and thus the creation of the UTN-UTT jointly-administered Doctoral program. “Should this become a reality, we hope to agree on the creation of the Doctorate in August and to have the visit of the President of Troyes University in September so that he can sign the Agreement with our University rector, Eng. Héctor Brotto. The idea is to start between March and September 2016,” Sack anticipates and concludes: “All stages are being completed.” 19

UTN Buenos Aires opened its 3D Printing Laboratory On November 20, the School held the opening ceremony of its 3D Printing Laboratory, installed in the Campus building. With its three printing machines, it constitutes the starting point to develop new technologies at the School.

As part of a process of continuous improvement and permanent technological update, UTN Buenos Aires opened its 3D Printing Laboratory on November 20. Its aim is to serve both academic and research and development purposes as well as

to strengthen the relationship with the community. The laboratory is installed in Classroom 25 on Campus and has three printers: a domestic one, an imported one, and a third one developed and brought by an Information Systems Engineering student. During the opening ceremony, Eng. NĂŠstor Ferre, the Director of the Laboratory, stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All sectors in the School will be involved. This opens new possibilities to provide support to classes, professional practice schemes and research projects, and we aim at developing our technology, our machines and new materials. Everything remains to be done.â&#x20AC;? The new 3D Printing Laboratory will be a leading technological tool supporting different academic sectors within the School. In addition, it will give support to departments and to the final project class of all the engineering programs. It will also be used to enhance the Supervised Professional Practice (SPP) scheme as well as internal training programs. Within the Research and Development area, this Laboratory is expected

About 3D printers A 3D printer is a machine that can produce three dimensional designs, creating parts or volumetric models from a computer-aided design. It is generally used in die stamping or in the pre-manufacturing of parts or components, in areas such as Architecture and Industrial Design. It is also currently being used for manufacturing medical prosthesis since 3D printing allows each manufactured part to be adapted to the exact characteristics of each patient. This tool enables the mechanisms of various parts to be produced: with just one printing process, the product may come out already assembled. Manufacturing of small parts is also possible. The printer uses plastic and the main restriction to its use is the size of the part to be printed.

to serve research project needs and, at the same time, to develop its own 3D Printing Technologies and Materials. With regard to its relationship with the community, the laboratory will offer support and advise companies and individuals who are interested in the use of 3D Printing Technologies. In addition, training programs will be offered on 3D Printingoriented Aided Design, Selection and Use of Technologies, and Selection and Use of Different Materials. During the opening ceremony, Eng. Guillermo Oliveto, Dean of UTN Buenos Aires, stated: “I’m proud to lead this Higher Education Institution as a Dean and as a graduate, and witness the creation of a new School every day. This is an example because it emerged from an idea I conceived in other institutions and while I was Secretary of Culture and University Extension, I observed the problem faced by innovators and researchers who need to develop their prototypes. It is very difficult to generate prototypes and do research on modern technologies. This project was created to overcome that challenge,” and added that the team involved “was flexible enough to include many students, who are the heart of this Institution and who make their contribution to make this School a better place on a daily basis.” The project initiators were Eng. Néstor Ferre and Eng. Guillermo Bergon, both professors of the Mechanical Engineering degree program at UTN Buenos Aires. The Dean anticipated that the new Laboratory “will enable advances in research on this and other technologies. It is a starting point. We have recently won two calls on 3D Printing from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation which will allow us to incorporate two more printers at this stage.” He concluded: “Enjoy the Laboratory, use it and engage your partners. The idea is to promote it so that people will visit and make good use of it. We would like this laboratory to be available not only to our community but also to other regional schools which may need to use this kind of technology in order to advance their research efforts.” 21

#TECHNOLOGICALLYProud UTN Buenos Aires graduate and teacher, Eng. Uriel Cukierman was elected new President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies. He became the first Argentinian to lead the association. Eng. Uriel Cukierman, UTN Buenos Aires graduate and teacher, is the new President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES). Thus he becomes the first Argentine to lead this organization, in its eight years of existence, it had two US presidents and two Europeans. Cukierman’s appointment was achieved through the proposal of the Federal Council of Engineering Deans (CONFEDI) and the vote of IFEES members, an organization that gathers 60 companies for Engineering Education worldwide. “IFEE’s aim is to be a facilitator of the interaction between organizations from around the world, explains the engineer. Moreover, it attempts to work with those organizations to generate what is called capability; that is, to help them to develop new curricula, new content, new strategies”.

encourage organizations developing in Africa, which are forming a confederation of African engineering education societies, which will be launched in Ethiopia with IFEES support.

Cukierman’s election was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the World Engineering Education “The lack of engineers is a global phenomenon, Forum (WEEF 2014) took place. He went there affirms IFEES’s new President. We work on how with 23 Argentinian undergraduates. “Ours was to generate a higher vocation, and on what the largest legion, even bigger than the local steps to take to reduce dropouts. We are also one, he assured. This is due to the support of the undertaking other issues, which we call great Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation challenges of the current Engineering; water and the Ministry of Education to carry out the scarcity, energy, sustainable development “. Latin American Rally Innovation and WEEF 2012, held in Buenos Aires, where more than 300 Argentinian undergraduates participated”. Some of them joined SPEED (Student Platform for Engineering Education) and Ruben Uriel Cukierman is an Electronic Engineer graduated from UTN Buenos even organized a local Congress Aires. He is also an Information Systems Specialist and Master in Information for undergraduates in Formosa Technology of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Currently, he is completing in 2014, and they will organize his Ph.D. in Educational Sciences at UBA. Currently, he is Professor of another one in La Rioja in 2015. Communications and Networks in the Information Systems Engineering degree program at UTN.BA; he has participated and continues participating “ Undergraduates have will in important associations and scientific and academic organizations; he is a and spirit of participation member of the Executive Committee of the Global Engineering Deans Council here in Argentina, and that is (GEDC); the Association for the Development of Educational Technology and of something that arouses much New Technologies for Education (EDUTEC); the Latin American and Caribbean interest in other countries, Collaborative ICT Research Federation (LACCIR Virtual Institute) Technical Committee. “says Cukierman.

Uriel Cukierman

In addition to organizing workshops, activities, conferences and competitions, the IFEES’s aim is to improve the status of each of the member organizations. In particular, it was proposed to 22

He is a Researcher in Educational Technology (Category II - Argentinian Ministry of Education and Category B - UTN). He was Dean of the Engineering Faculty at University of Palermo; and UTN Information and Communications Technology Secretary; among other important positions.

Strategies to address the lack of engineers issue, Cukierman explains, differ in each country “because societies and universities are different. A State-run University in Argentina is not the same as a private one in the US where students pay about $ 50,000 per year. Moreover, the amount of resources available from the state is very important; many countries invest in marketing, but there is also a difference in that too. However, what we do share is the concern for the lack of engineers issue” continues Cukierman. IFEES also has corporate members. “We are interested in that relationship because professionals go to the industry sector, and because we expect that the industry sector also collaborate in the goals we have as an organization, he argues. Their concerns are more uniform worldwide because, in general, they are multinationals that have a fairly careful attitude towards their staff, encouraging them to study, to have self-development. Sometimes, for small businesses, to sustain this situation is more difficult. “ Uriel Cukierman, who has served as Student Advisor at UTN Buenos Aires, and then as

Departmental Director, thinks “this type of peer cooperation activities are fundamental. They are not only spaces where relationships are built but also spaces that allow all those involved to grow beyond what they would do if they were alone. “ The new IFEES President believes that “beyond the fact that we are proud of being in this position, I think it is a very interesting opportunity for Argentina in particular, and for the region in general. We often claim that central countries define policies and that they do not take us into account. I think this is an opportunity for countries like ours to participate in the discussion, to sit at the same table and to work on equal footing with them. “ Finally, the technological graduate reflects: “I am a teacher and like any teacher, the most important thing is the student. When I see students interacting with the world, I get excited; because their life changes, their way of looking at reality add skills that will never be taught in the classroom, because you have to live them, you have to be there. If we can get more Argentinian students have this opportunity, all this will be worth it. “

Technological Pride in Brazil Alejandro Vaamonde, graduate from UTN Buenos Aires, is currently completing his Specialization on Global Management in one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities, Getulio Vargas Foundation, in Brazil, with a scholarship granted by the Argentine government. In 2010, Alejandro Vaamonde obtained his Information Systems Engineering degree from UTN Buenos Aires. After completing a Graduate course on Project Management, he is currently doing a Specialization in Global Management at Getulio Vargas Foundation, one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities, located in Brazil, with a scholarship granted by the Argentine government. “Since my years as a student, I have always been drawn to the management field. I’m convinced that what allows industries to grow is the training of the best technical professionals with a business mindset. This is not quite widespread yet,” recalls Eng. Vaamonde in relation to why he was interested in doing the Specialization course, the scholarship for which he applied and ranked fifth in the order of merit in the whole country. His professional career was a key factor taken into consideration for granting him the scholarship. After an early start in the IT Industry as a technical support representative, the now graduated Engineer grew professionally and worked for companies such as IBM (International Business Machines), HP (Hewlett-Packard) and finally Lenovo, where he currently holds the position of Regional Manager for the Development of Service Businesses, working for Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Eng. Vaamonde’s profile was chosen together with those of other 75 professionals across the country, who were interviewed one by one by a committee composed of members of the Minister Cabinet Office, authorities from the Getulio Vargas Foundation and the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation. Finally, 45 candidates were selected from across the country to do the Specialization in Global Management. This scholarship is granted within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2020, which aims to attract as many highly qualified professionals as possible so that they can contribute their knowledge to the country’s production system. “It seeks to provide highly qualified professionals with management and innovation skills so that they can give value to the country, thus allowing it to take a qualitative leap in terms of innovation in the sciences and technologies,” explains Vaamonde. In relation to UTN Buenos Aires and its academic quality, the Eng. stressed: “I never cease to amaze myself. When I took additional courses to improve my skills, I found that I had already learned most of the contents during my undergraduate studies. Even in the course of this Specialization, I have noticed I already have very solid knowledge in management, which has allowed me to make the most of the course.”

The Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil) was founded in 1994 with the original aim to train qualified personnel for the public and private Administration sector. The institution is a pioneer in several education areas, particularly in Management and Political Sciences. It is currently renowned for its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs as well as field works and updated application and innovation.

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