The September 29, 2021 It was a very exciting day for Structuralia and for everyone who is part of its community: students, alumni, collaborators, the academic staff, and the technical staff who, day in and day out, make it possible for this incredible school—dedicated to—to thrive. Engineering E-learning. It's been 20 years of hard work and dedication to innovation in the field of online education.
On that day, the online event that had been in the works for several months took place, during which Structuralia wanted to celebrate its anniversary. An event that would not only bring together its entire community but also attract anyone interested in the world of education—specifically e-learning—or in any field related to engineering.
A virtual event that allowed people from all over the world to attend, connecting visitors from across Latin America—from Mexico to Chile—as well as, of course, from Spain, and a large number of engineering professionals who, for work-related reasons, are currently working in countries in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. We would like to thank all of them for deciding to share in this very special celebration.
The event was hosted by Carlos Barrios, who, with his professionalism and communication skills, guided the audience through the more than two-hour-long event. Throughout this time, he introduced and brought on the Four special guests who shared their valuable time and expertise to make this very special day even more enriching.
César Cernuda, Global President of NetApp; Eduardo Car, Doctor of Civil Engineering, e-learning specialist, and former Director of Structuralia; Victor Küppers, Trainer, Speaker, and Passionate Motivator; and José Manuel Loureda, General Manager of Business Development and Contracting at SACYR Construcción; these were the guests who captivated the entire audience. Below, by way of summary, we would like to highlight some of the most notable statements they made during each of their presentations.
The person who opened the event was Andrés Serrano Paradinas, CEO of Structuralia, who opened the event by taking stock of what these first 20 years have meant for Structuralia, and how, through hard work and determination, the company has positioned itself at the forefront of specialized online training schools.
Andrés Serrano: «20 Years of Structuralia»
«It is a great honor and a tremendous joy for us to be able to share and celebrate our 20th anniversary with more than 1,000 people around the world who are watching us right now. Indeed, it has been 20 years since we began offering what was, at the time, a disruptive form of training that we called e-learning. We were pioneers in launching this type of training, and many of the things now considered standard in the market were initiated by us—by Structuralia—in our early years.».
«Structuralia was founded 20 years ago, and since then we have been very well received both by engineers and professionals who needed up-to-date, high-quality training and by companies in the construction, energy, and engineering sectors that needed to provide comprehensive continuing education to their employees.».
«In 2011, ten years after it was founded, it was acquired by the Kaplan Group, an American group and the world's second-largest provider of education and training, who were part of the group The Washington Post and it was none other than Warren Buffett "who took a fancy to Structuralia and decided to buy it in 2011.".
«In the Structuralia is currently 100% Spain in private equity, and we're at all-time highs. Today, in terms of the number of students trained and any economic indicator we consider to reflect quality or service, as of today More than 60,000 engineers from more than 60 countries learn from Structuralia every day »and more than 94% of the students recommend the training they receive.".
«This is a success for which we must certainly thank all the »companies and all the students who have placed their trust in us over the past 20 years, and of course our professors and authors, as well as the universities that collaborate with us.".
«We are very proud of the contribution our work has made over so many years to the training of so many engineers, which ultimately leads to infrastructure being designed, built, and maintained much more efficiently and to a higher standard, and to companies in our sector becoming more efficient.».
Cesar Cernuda: «Digital Transformation: What’s in Your Data?»
«There is no doubt that what we are experiencing is accelerating the digital training process, over the past year and a half, the pandemic has accelerated this digital transformation at a pace we've never seen before, and today one of our goals is to discuss the changes and lessons we're experiencing, where A great example is Structuralia with its e-learning program. «.”.
«Some studies indicate that 96% of business leaders today prioritize digital transformation, and that digital transformation is based on better understanding how companies can use the data they have.».
«I know that eAt Structuralia, they place a strong emphasis on STEM courses and training, which is wonderful and very important given today's enormous demand. One of the biggest obstacles preventing us from moving forward globally is that we don't have enough people who are physically present and trained to make progress. Young students are digital natives, but really Many of us are going to need a «»reskilling,» and Structuralia does a magnificent job in that regard.".
Eduardo Car: «The Birth of Structuralia»
«It’s a pleasure to be here for this celebration, and I’d also like to thank Structuralia’s management for giving me the support and opportunity to share a bit about how the company came to be and, in doing so, to congratulate everyone who makes Structuralia possible. Remaining in the market and maintaining such an exceptional position as we did last year is a great achievement.».
«In 1999, the first version of LMS, Learning Management System, which began using Structuralia as a training management system. Obviously, these technologies didn’t exist back then; the amount of data Cesar just mentioned was very limited, not to mention internet bandwidth. In this context, we had developed software with remote computing capabilities that allowed us to design structures and send the calculations to powerful servers. With this, There is a need for a training platform to help train users on this new tool, And that's how Structuralia came to be. A few months after the project began, it became clear that the enormous potential that offered online training »and the high level of satisfaction with the courses offered in this format.".
«The artificial intelligence »They play an important role in developing a methodology, tracking courses, or creating a learning approach; they help ensure that a person has an extraordinary training experience.".
Victor Küppers: «Reflections on Boosting Motivation: Working and Living with More Joy, Enthusiasm, and Optimism»
«My job is to share whatever I come across about positive psychology—a field of study that examines what people do to go through life with enthusiasm, motivation, hope, and joy, which is something we need right now more than ever.».
«What does positive psychology say? We need to take care of our mood because there’s a direct link between our mood and bringing out the best in ourselves. Positive psychology tells us that we can’t lose our hope for the future, the g»You must keep fighting; don't lose heart or hope, because then you'll stop and fall.".
«What matters is how we deal with and approach the things that happen to us. »The practice of positive psychology involves pausing, reflecting on your current attitude, choosing the best possible one in that moment, and repeating this over and over again—until it becomes your unconscious way of living life. If you’re able to develop this habit, it will change your life.".
José Manuel Loureda: «The Panama Canal and the Internationalization of Spanish Infrastructure Companies»
«First of all, I’d like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to give this presentation. As a professor who has taught Structuralia classes for several years, I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the program and wish it at least another 20 years of tremendous success in advancing engineering knowledge.».
«This is a more technical presentation in which I would like to outline the entire process of carrying out the contract for the expansion of the Panama Canal.". An incredible and astonishing feat of engineering and construction—a landmark project. A glimpse into what globalization is and what it means for Spanish companies competing on the international stage«.
«We have demonstrated that we have an efficient model; the significant investments made in Spain have allowed us to gain extensive and impressive expertise in terms of quality, timelines, and technological capabilities, which has earned us high regard from government agencies and clients outside our country. People speak very highly of the quality of our engineers—talented and highly qualified individuals.».
To cap off the day, just before the event ended, he made a brief remarks Nelson Cardona, the Colombian «dream climber,» who was one of the guests at the graduation ceremony held the following day. Nelson has spent several years inspiring others with his example and helping people pursue their goals. And he didn’t miss the opportunity to say a few words:
«Happy birthday, Structuralia. It’s an honor for me to be here with you all, and I invite each of you to turn challenges into opportunities—to see how we can draw on the resilience that all human beings possess in times of crisis and adversity, and ultimately fulfill all our dreams and reach the summit of Mount Everest.».
«Because all of us have an Everest to climb, a mountain to conquer, and a challenge to take on.».
Without a doubt, it was a ceremony full of emotions, memorable moments, and valuable lessons shared by these incredible speakers, and the culmination of the 20th anniversary of Sstructuralia. Below is a a brief video summary of this wonderful event:
