News

Competition, collaboration and school spirit were on full display as Dalhousie’s Industrial Engineering students took part in this year’s 43rd Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Canadian Student Conference.

Held at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the conference brought together more than 300 students from over 10 universities across Eastern Canada, including 27 students from Dalhousie’s Department of Industrial Engineering. The annual event highlights emerging talent in industrial engineering and gives students the opportunity to compete, build professional networks and develop skills they can carry into the workforce.

Competition Showdown

Throughout the conference, students participated in a variety of academic and cultural competitions. Academic events included case study challenges, theoretical exams, industrial challenges and technical paper presentations, testing students’ technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities and communication skills.

Outside the academic competitions, students also took part in sports events such as spikeball, dodgeball and basketball, along with E-games and the Budding Genius challenge.

The events wrapped up with a basketball final that brought the competition to an exciting close. Dalhousie claimed first place in the game, securing the overall title in the sports competition.

Team Success

But that wasn’t their only honour. Dal also placed second in the industrial challenge, second in the team video competition and third in overall team energy, finishing fifth overall among the participating universities.

For many, the conference gave them the opportunity to apply what they had learned in the classroom while collaborating with peers from other universities. It also offered the chance to connect with industry representatives and build relationships with other students in the field of industrial engineering.

Students say their experience would not have been possible with the support from sponsors and fundraising efforts by the Industrial Engineering Society’s executive team. In total, students raised more than $10,000 to support the trip. Sponsors included Irving Shipbuilding, Irving Sawmills, PepsiCo Canada, The Sextant and Continental Conveyor.

Students returned from the conference inspired by the experience and proud to represent Dalhousie and Atlantic Canada at the national event. And, as they put it, “watch out for next year. Dalhousie’s team plans to come back stronger than ever.”