6th Chemical Engineering Week Kicks Off

Reporter: Adda Avendaño / Photographer: Javier González

Forum Emphasizes the Development of Strategies and Systems to Prevent Industrial Accidents

The Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas (ESIQIE) becomes this week a meeting point between academia and industry, aiming to build networks, open opportunities for internships, employment, and project collaborations that address current challenges through the 6th Chemical Engineering Week.

During the opening keynote lecture, Professor Juan Antonio Castro Reyes, member of the Mexican Fire Protection Association (AMPI), emphasized that chemical engineers must not only know how to control accidents but, above all, how to prevent them through well-designed systems and safety strategies.

In his presentation titled “Engineering to Keep the World from Burning,” the CEO of Prosynergya highlighted that, according to data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an industrial fire occurs every 23 seconds worldwide, mainly caused by electrical or human failures.

He explained that it is essential to apply innovative methods that combine green chemistry, automation, and smart energy, as the goal is to protect lives, safeguard infrastructure, and care for the planet.

Addressing the evolution of fire protection — particularly the role of chemical solutions — he pointed out that lithium battery fires pose a major challenge for chemical engineers since, once ignited, they can reignite even after being extinguished. This makes early detection systems especially critical.

During the event’s inauguration, Dr. Jahel Valdés Sauceda, Academic Deputy Director of ESIQIE, stated that these activities aim to foster the development of technical skills alongside soft skills such as leadership, critical thinking, teamwork, decision-making, and assertive communication — all highly valued by industry.

“As members of this Polytechnic community and the Industrial Chemical Engineering faculty, you must uphold professional ethics, social responsibility, and a commitment to sustainable development — values that guide you toward excellence in a field that demands dedication, reasoning, and discipline,” she remarked.

Accompanied by Administrative Deputy Director Norma Angélica Sánchez Rionda and Dean José Clemente Reza García, Óscar Guadalupe Rojas Valencia, Head of the Industrial Chemical Engineering Department, noted that the activities throughout this week will show that this discipline is built not only on technical knowledge but also on values, commitment, and collaboration.

“Industrial chemical engineers from ESIQIE don’t just aim to produce — they aim to transform responsibly. They seek not only results but impact, and above all, they work for the well-being of society. Today more than ever, we must communicate, lead teams, resolve conflicts, innovate, and, most importantly, work with empathy,” he affirmed.

As part of the activities taking place from today until Friday, November 14, under the theme “Industrial Safety and Human Skills for a Sustainable Future,” the program includes conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and an Open House showcasing the work carried out in the Unit Operations Laboratory.