Engineer's Day: History and current situation in Peru
The celebration of Engineer’s Day in Peru every June 8 became official in 1987 with the approval of Law No. 24648, in commemoration of the date of promulgation of the Law for the creation of the College of Engineers of Peru, the June 8, 1962.
Engineering plays a fundamental role in society, its activities cover the invention, design, improvement and management of new procedures applicable to technology, industry, use of natural resources and other scientific fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, among others.
The essence of an engineer lies in his inventive capacity to solve problems and needs, which drives most of the technological changes in our society.
Over time, various Peruvian engineers have been recognized for their valuable contribution in the development of new technologies and contributions in science and mathematics, of which the following can be highlighted:
• Pedro Eleodoro Paulet Mostajo (1874 – 1945) Chemical Engineer from the University of Paris – La Sorbonne. He invented the “motor-rocket” in the years when rockets propelled by gunpowder were still being experimented with. His creation is the forerunner of the liquid-fueled propulsion engine used in NASA’s moon-reaching rockets.
• Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo Gomero (1887 – 1967) PhD in Mathematics from the National University of San Marcos and Electrical Engineer with diplomas in Industrial Chemistry and Electrochemistry from the University of Grenoble, France. He proposed the construction of the Cañón del Pato, Machu Picchu and Mantaro hydroelectric plants, the latter being renamed the Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo Hydroelectric Plant.
• José Tola Pasquel (1914 – 1999) Civil Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and PhD in Mathematics from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. His scientific production was oriented towards the field of mathematics with numerous personal contributions in the qualitative theory of differential equations, theories of elasticity, among others. In addition, he dedicated himself to the specialty of analysis and structural calculation.
• Federico Villarreal Villarreal (1850 – 1923) Civil Engineer and Mining Engineer from the School of Engineering (today the National University of Engineering) and PhD in Mathematics from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. His scientific production was oriented towards the field of mathematics and science with more than 600 published articles. As an engineer, he carried out works that have influenced works of public, technical and social interest.
• Julio Kuroiwa Horiuchi (1936 -2019) Civil Engineer from the National University of Engineering with postgraduate studies at the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering – Japan and at Caltech – California. His contribution to engineering was in the study area of risk reduction due to natural and anthropogenic disasters. He carried out numerous design works for seismic-resistant buildings, repair and reinforcement of reinforced concrete structures and masonry.
Current Situation
• Engineering is one of the professions with the greatest demand in our country due to the opportunities it offers and the various engineering careers it develops.
• In Peru there are about 35 engineering careers, such as: mining, civil, mining, chemical, physical, mechanical, electronic, biomedical, systems engineering, mechatronics, industrial, environmental, aeronautical engineering, among others.
• To date, in Peru there are more than 311,900 registered engineers, of which the highest percentage of approximately 25% are civil engineers, followed by industrial and systems engineers with an approximate percentage of 17%.
On Engineer's Day, at Anddes we recognize the work carried out by all Peruvian engineers, who daily with their commitment, responsibility, and inventive capacity contribute to the development and transformation of our society for the benefit of all Peruvians.
