Roundtable

Subsequently, a round table was held that was moderated by Natalia Lopez Celani (Argentine Chapter IEEE-EMBS, Bioengineering National University of San Juan) and Fernando Ballina (Advisor of CADIME and the DPT Foundation, Arturo Jauretche University), acting as panelists Roberto Lavarello ( Representative of the Administrative Committee of IEEE EMBS for Latin America and Caribbean Region), Eliot Vernet (President of CORAL), Rubén Acevedo (President of SABI), Luis Kun (Representative of IFMBE, IEEE SSIT and EMBS), Virginia Ballarin (Representative of IEEE WIE EMBS for Latin America and the Caribbean Region – Representative of CORAL), Ricardo Taborda (Representative IEEE SSIT Arg) and Leandro Cymberknop (President of the Argentine Chapter IEEE EMBS).

In her capacity as moderator, Natalia Lopez Celani stated the objectives of the round table: (a) indicate what actions and lines of work have been undertaken and analyze the relevance of their continuity, (b) identify possible milestones that have marked the trajectory and its possible projection into the future, and (c) analyze to what extent the performance of biomedical engineering responded to the expectations raised in 2010

Roberto Lavarello (Representative of the Administrative Committee of IEEE EMBS for Latin America and the Caribbean Region) referred particularly to the membership in the EMBS in Region 9 (Latin America) as of August 2020, which totals 663 members, which represents 8% of global membership (totaling 8,238 members). Within this participation, he pointed out that region 9 exhibits the peculiarity that more than 50% of its members are students, while in the world only 15% fall into that category. He stressed that this peculiarity represents an enormous and significant strength (largely originated in the EMBC’10) that it will be necessary to take advantage of in terms of involvement, commitment and effective participation.

Eliot Vernet (President of CORAL) raised the need to achieve continuity in the commitment of students, so that they can be trained to assume growing roles in society.

Rubén Acevedo (President of SABI), referred to the board of directors, the components and the regional chapters of the SABI. It currently has 200 partners, 70% professionals and 30% students. He referred to the relevant volunteer role played by graduates during the pandemic. Lastly, he highlighted that the biomedical engineering career registers –within engineering- the highest participation of women.

Luis Kun (Representative of IFMBE, IEEE-SSIT and EMBS) formulated an orientation for the students based on his own experiences. First of all, he advised them to become involved as volunteers in the committees and chapters of the relevant professional associations, since this will offer them valuable opportunities, it will allow them to expand their knowledge, capacities and abilities, connect with different actors, integrate diverse groups and incorporate learning that they can only be acquired in practice. He also suggested that they link up with organizations in academia (where ideas emerge), government (where the resources are), and industry (where they know what is being sold). He concluded by stating the priority of promoting student participation.

Virginia Ballarin (Representative of IEEE WIE EMBS for Latin America and Caribbean Region and Representative of CORAL) alluded to three stages of bioengineering, which culminated in the inclusion of cognitive sciences within her field of attention, together with the contributions of informatics, nanotechnology and biotechnology, in a confluence that practically implied a union between science and technology. Later she referred to the question of diversity in its different aspects (for example: gender, ethnic, cultural, languages, locations, abilities, professions or trades, beliefs, knowledge, ideas, etc). She pointed out that it is not a matter of incorporating diversity in the spaces for consultation and decision because “it is good” or because it is “politically correct”, but because these spaces: (a) work better when they are diverse, and (b) if they are not diverse perspectives and interests would be absent or excluded. She concluded by highlighting the importance of face-to-face meetings, since they allow ways of personal connection that are forbidden in the virtual mode (for example, that coffee and that informal chat, during an interval, with the expert one has as a reference). Finally, she expressed that a true “mentoring” cannot be developed at a distance.

Ricardo Taborda (Representative IEEE SSIT Arg) began by highlighting the semantic association (in English) of engineering (“engineering”) with the machine (“engine”) to point out that the teacher is responsible for stimulating and inducing the development of the “machine Most valuable in the world. From that point of view, he formulated the following five (5) lessons based on his own experience: (a) Do not fall in love with specialties; grow with diversity and cross-cultural fertilization, (b) It is essential to practice and “live” multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, whose possibilities are only limited by imagination, (c) We can choose the topic to which we are going to dedicate ourselves, but it is very probable that the subjects choose us; (d) Do everything possible so that knowledge reaches the appropriate place, to the people who should use it and at the right time, and (e) No one is the owner of the truth, least of all the “absolute truth”. As we all have a small part of the truth, the ideal is to take the place of that “someone” who does the things that must be done (for example: to contribute to a true “knowledge management”). He concluded by pointing out that the best role of the teacher is to “inspire followers”.

Leandro Cymberknop (President of the Argentine Chapter IEEE-EMBS) highlighted the importance for students of getting involved in volunteering in society. It allows them to meet people and join various groups, participate in meetings and conferences of professional interest, start writing to express their own ideas. Team members have a mission to orient, guide, and inspire them by their own example. Volunteering represents a relevant source of opportunities for students to connect with academia and with industry.

Fernando Ballina (Advisor of CADIME and the DPT Foundation, Arturo Jauretche University) referred to the actions undertaken in Argentina due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to the construction -in parallel- of twelve (12) modular field hospitals in different parts of the country. This implied the need to coordinate different jurisdictions (national, provincial, municipal) and ministries (Health, Public Works). The hospitals are equipped with intensive care units (with 24 beds) and intermediate inpatient units. Since equipment was a critical resource around the world, it was the determining factor in certain delays in the full enablement of units. The panelist highlighted the voluntary collaboration of final year bioengineering students for the installation and commissioning of the equipment. He pointed out that, even with the effort made and the difficulty that virtual study implied, the students involved exhibited a clear drive and motivation to study with greater enthusiasm. Some students (with technical degrees) were already hired as technicians in hospitals.