This is a special year for the WIETE as several senior members have become distinguished septuagenarians. The celebrations commenced at the 4th WIETE Annual Conference on Engineering and Technology Education, held in Cairns, Australia, and continued over to the 3rd Mediterranean Seminar on Engineering and Technology Education, held at the Technological Education Institute Piraeus-Athens (TEI-Piraeus) between 9 and 11 September 2013.

Five happy septuagenarians gathered at the front of the lobby of an impressive amphitheatre just before the Opening Ceremony to record their presence at the Seminar. The top picture shows (l-r) Prof. Algirdas V. Valiulis, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Prof. George Metaxas, Director of the Mediterranean Centre for Engineering and Technology Education (MCE&TE) at the Technological Education Institute Piraeus-Athens, Greece; Prof. Zenon J. Pudlowski, WIETE Director, Melbourne, Australia; Prof. Alexei F. Nesterov, General Director of the Russian Association of Engineering Universities, Moscow, Russia; and Prof. Derek O. Northwood of the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Immediately after the photo session, the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar was convened by Prof. George Metaxas, who welcomed the University’s officials, as well as local and international participants. The opening addresses were presented by Prof. George Kalkanis, President of the TEI-Piraeus Administration Committee and Prof. Dimitrios Tseles, Vice-President of the TEI-Piraeus. Prof. Zenon J. Pudlowski, was then invited to present an introductory address entitled WIETE – a global hub of engineering and technology education. The middle picture shows Prof. George Metaxas presiding over the Opening Ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony continued with the presentation by the WIETE Director of fellowship diplomas and commemorative sterling silver coins issued by the Australian Mint on the occasion of the Chinese Year of the Snake to the three new WIETE Fellows. The awardees were: Prof. George Metaxas, Prof. Alexei F. Nesterov and Prof. Algirdas V. Valiulis. The Opening Ceremony culminated with Prof. Metaxas presenting the WIETE Director with a commemorative plaque issued by the TEI-Piraeus on the occasion of the Seminar.

The bottom picture shows (l-r): Prof. G. Metaxas, Prof. Z.J. Pudlowski, Prof. A.F. Nesterov and Prof. A.V. Valiulis.