Later in the afternoon on 12 September 2017, the close linkages between PUAS and the WIETE became more tangible to all participants through an overview of cooperation between the WIETE and the Mediterranean Centre for Engineering and Technology Education (MCE&TE) delivered by Mrs Dorota Pudlowski, Managing Director of the WIETE. The overall purpose of the presentation was to highlight the most important events and activities resulting from the cooperation, outline its outcomes and achievements, and stimulate discussion on the future.

In 2009, the cooperation and partnership between the WIETE and PUAS, then known as TEI-Piraeus, were initiated by the mutual recognition of benefits arising from the WIETE’s objective to establish and maintain interest groups, regional networks and centres of excellence. It was followed shortly after by the launch of the Mediterranean Centre for Engineering and Technology Education at PUAS as the first WIETE satellite centre. This partnership was facilitated by Professor George Metaxas, then Dean of the School of Engineering.

Over the eight-year partnership, four joint conferences have been organised, and 40 journal articles, 14 co-authored by Professor Metaxas, have been published in either the Global Journal of Engineering Education (GJEE) or the World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education (WTE&TE). The numerous facilitations of contacts between the Greek and other colleagues within the WIETE network were also mentioned at the presentation.

The post-presentation discussion highlighted the need for continuity and a closer alignment with the primary focus of education, that is, the student.