I am deeply honoured to take on the role of President of SEFI, following in the footsteps of the many successful leaders who have guided this society with vision and dedication. It is a privilege to lead our dynamic and diverse Board of Directors and to serve our vibrant community of individuals, institutions, and associations who share a passion for advancing engineering education across Europe.

One of the qualities that first struck me about SEFI, and something I often hear from those who continue to engage and contribute or who are new to our community, is its openness and welcoming spirit. We are a community defined by its willingness to share, to learn from one another, and to grow together. Over the past three years as a member of the Board, I have been fortunate to contribute to this culture of collaboration, and I have seen how our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have blossomed into dynamic spaces of exchange. Through their webinars, newsletters, seasonal schools, and joint research initiatives, the SIGs have become the heartbeat of SEFI, connecting members beyond our annual conference and offering tangible opportunities for engagement.

Looking ahead, my vision as President is to build on this foundation by creating even more space for diverse voices to shape the future of engineering education. Our priority must be ensuring that all those contributing—educators, researchers, students, institutions, industry partners, and policy makers—can work together in our shared mission. Additionally, we are committed to diversifying the voices within our European community and are looking to engage more with new colleagues and groups within underrepresented areas of our European community to build up their presence and contributions. Within our vision for wider inclusion, engineering education research plays a vital role, alongside supporting PhD students, early career researchers, practitioners and curriculum leaders seeking to understand and enhance their impact.

At its heart, SEFI is a community that shares best practices and supports one another in transforming how we attract, teach, and prepare students for the future ahead. In my leadership, I will work to encourage Deans and our senior leaders to play an active role in strategically leading change and reimagining engineering education for graduates of the future, preparing them for the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world they will inherit. Finally, I am committed to building meaningful and lasting connections with international partners, including industry and community representatives, educational and engineering alliances, European policy networks, student groups, and engineering education societies worldwide, so that together we can advance our shared mission with greater impact.

Emanuela Tilley
SEFI President