Carleton University of Ottawa Hosts French Delegation

Written By Elizabeth Murphy - Photos by Ainslie Coghill - It was an opportunity to share Carleton University's commitment to engineering excellence with an international audience as the research-intensive Faculty of Engineering and Designhosted a delegation from France on June 6. Consisting of French Members of Parliament, research and university leaders, as well as government officials, the group toured the Maker Lab and had the opportunity to learn about research from the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering. The French delegation was in Ottawa to accompany President Emmanuel Macron as he visits the region in advance of the G7 Summit this week in Charlevoix, Quebec. "It's a wonderful opportunity to give them a small taste of what we have to offer here at Carleton," said Karen Schwartz, acting associate vice-president (Research and International). "Out of these kinds of interactions can come faculty exchanges, student exchanges and cotutelle agreements." - "Often it starts with brief meeting, then there is follow-up - it develops into something bigger and a more long-term relationship." - Following an introduction by Department Chair Yvan Labiche, engineering students presented their work that included a project on Internet of Things (IoT) integration with home energy usage, as well as a demonstration of autonomous and connected vehicle technology. "We are so appreciative of our departments - the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, for example, is what you were seeing here - the work that they do at their level is so important for the faculty," said Fred Afagh, interim dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design.