Designing a Sustainable Future
Welcome
Welcome from the Congress Chair
Prof. Marcelo Soares
The 18th World Congress on Ergonomics will be held February 12-16, 2012, in Recife, Brazil, a week before Carnival, the world known Brazilian festival. The congress will be a joint conference with ULAERGO – Union of Latin-American Ergonomics Society and ABERGO – Brazilian Ergonomics Association. ABERGO is the official host of the Congress and I have been delegated by them to Chair the Congress Committee.
This will be the first time in 54 years that the IEA Congress will be hosted in Latin America. We are very excited that this special event will take place in Brazil. We invite all ergonomists, faculty and interested researchers to participate in the congress.
The congress theme “Designing a Sustainable Future”, expresses a current concern in the design of resources which aim to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present but also in the future. As a discipline involved in the designing of the interactions among humans and other elements of a system, ergonomics must consider “sustainability” as a key aspect in optimizing resources to improve human well-being and overall system performance. So, one of the major challenges in the field of ergonomics for the 21st Century will be the design and management of systems that satisfy custom demands in terms of human compatibility requirements while considering sustainability.
We invite you to share your knowledge and experiences in ergonomics in the discussions of the role of our discipline in designing a sustainable future. Your participation may be in several formats; such as:
• traditional keynotes and oral presentations,
• interactive sessions,
• hands-on workshops,
• professional visits, and/or
• interactive poster sessions.
IEA2012 is going to be a major event. You will meet ergonomists and representatives from business and services from all parts of the world. We expect to welcome at least 2,000 people, from which many will be active as a presenter of a paper, a poster or as a workshop convener. Almost all sessions will be in English, so despite the diversity in mother languages, interaction will be easy.
Last, but not least, we invite you to become acquainted with Recife, the neighbor colonial city Olinda, and the Brazilian Carnival. This festival has a mix of African, Native, German, and European elements which produces rhythms, participations, and costumes unique in the world. This is a real multi-cultural festival. We invite you to watch and cheer groups parading through the streets of Recife and Olinda.
We are sure that you will appreciate this rare opportunity to participate in such a high quality scientific program presented by IEA 2012 while enjoying the enchantment of Recife and Olinda, two destinations of exceptional touristic, gastronomic, and cultural appeal. It will be an experience to remember forever!
Welcome to the IEA 2012!
Marcelo Soares
Congress Chair
Welcome from the President of IEA
Prof. Andrew S. Imada
We want to invite and welcome you to become a part of the historic IEA 18th Triennial Congress in Brazil. For more than 50 years, the IEA has brought together the largest collection of ergonomists from around the world every three years. Nowhere else will you find more professionals with similar concerns, methods and interests to match yours. You will have the opportunity to hear and meet the world leaders in our field, editors of our prestigious journals, publishers of our most widely read journals and books, and vendors of innovative ergonomic products. I have personally found this to be the best networking event. You will likely meet new people doing research similar your own, expand your horizons and start lifelong professional relationships.
The theme of this world congress – designing a sustainable future – represents an important shift in our universal consciousness. For years, we have helped people and organizations achieve their goals more efficiently, safely, economically, and comfortably. Our work has helped preserve human well-being, conserve energy expenditure and integrate people with the systems with which they interact. We can extend this approach to our environment, natural resources and organizations over time. We have the capacity to design products, systems and environments for adaptable human use over time so that future generations can enjoy the same benefits. The new realities of our global economies and interdependencies in a world with limited resources demand this of us.
The fact that this is the first IEA Congress to be held in South America also signals an important shift. We thank the Union of Latin-American Ergonomics Societies (ULAERGO) and the Brazilian Ergonomics Association (ABERGO) for their able leadership and willingness to take on this enormous challenge. Professor Marcelo Soares is leading an experienced Organizing Committee that has planned an outstanding experience for our worldwide ergonomics family.
One of the benefits of this advanced planning is the chance to experience the beauty of Recife, it surrounding communities and the rest of Brazil. However, the truly unique treat for all of us is to experience the Brazilian Carnival. With proper and advanced planning we will be able to enjoy this event while fulfilling our professional mission. I encourage you to extend your visit with your family and friends to celebrate in a Brazilian tradition.
We look forward to seeing you in Recife because it will not be the same without you!
All the best,
Andrew S. Imada
IEA President
