News release for immediate distribution

ENGINEERING: IT'S INGENIOUS!
Find out all about it at École Polytechnique's Open House

On Sunday, January 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., École Polytechnique is opening its doors and inviting the public--especially high school and CEGEP students interested in engineering--to visit Polytechnique and meet its professors and students. 

ON THE PROGRAM: 10 DIFFERENT GUIDED TOURS, 24 INFORMATION BOOTHS, LABORATORY DEMONSTRATIONS AND NUMEROUS DISPLAYS OF PROTOYPES

SOCCER-PLAYING ROBOTS, A SOLAR VEHICLE, A RACE CAR AND 3-D PORTRAITS
For the seventh edition of its Open House, Polytechnique is focusing on the wide range of career possibilities that await its graduates, its lively campus life and numerous activities, the support it provides to future engineers, as well as its students' keen interest for entering their prototypes in world-class competitions.

As soon as they come in through the main entrance, visitors will see seven prototypes built by Polytechnique students. An all-terrain vehicle (SAE Mini-Baja), a solar vehicle (Esteban), a racecar (Formula SAE), a human-propelled submarine (Archimede), the SAE cargo plane and the Robofoot robot-walker will amaze visitors of all ages. The Robofoot team and its four free-standing robots will compete in the RoboCup, taking place in Lisbon in July, the first Canadians to do so. On Sunday, the team will invite visitors to play soccer against its robot players.

A strong support network is an important element in the academic success of Polytechnique's students. Visitors will be able to learn more about the orientation program for new students, tutoring and mentoring.

The laboratories, which will no doubt attract much attention, include the anechoic room, where visitors will be able to experience total silence in a completely soundproof environment. They will also see demonstrations of the LIV4D, a camera connected to a computer program that takes 3-D portraits and then does virtual plastic surgery on them.
 
Polytechnique puts great emphasis on campus life, and several committees will be on hand to share their interests and projects. They include an international committee for overseas projects, the Folie technique science camp, the ÉGOTRIP improvisation league, which will present a few rounds of improv, Poly-Photo, Poly-Sports, Poly-Théâtre, PolyTV and PolyRad.

TOURS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND INFORMATION BOOTHS
 Guided tours will be led by third- and fourth-year students who will tell visitors about their daily experiences at Polytechnique. Their remarks will be complemented by demonstrations in the research labs, which will provide a glimpse of the work engineers do. More than 20 booths will provide information about training programs, research chairs and the many research projects under way.

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING
Women considering a career in engineering will want to take part in one of the two round-table discussions on this topic. They will learn more about the many career options open to engineering graduates, from researcher to international sale representative, from project manager to teacher. Speakers will include Dominique Anglade, a 1996 graduate who chairs the Montreal Junior Chamber of Commerce and works as director of external and government affairs at Nortel Networks, Jacinthe Désilets, a 1999 graduate who specializes in high-speed image processing at Matrox, and Emmanuelle Goulet, a 1995 graduate who teaches physical technologies at the CEGEP level.

Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's foremost engineering teaching and research institutions and the largest of its kind in Quebec for the size of its student body and the scope of its research. With  220 professors and nearly 6,000 students, Polytechnique offers programs in 11 fields of engineering and conducts nearly one-quarter of university research in engineering done in Quebec. Its operating budget is $72 million, in addition to a $40-million research and infrastructure fund. Polytechnique is affiliated with the Université de Montréal.

DATEBOOK

WHAT:  
Open House at Polytechnique for the general public
Guided tours by students, information booths
WHEN:  
January 25, 2004, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE:  
Université de Montréal campus
Access from 2900 Édouard Montpetit  Blvd, or metro Université-de-Montréal.

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INFORMATION:

Chantal Cantin
Tél. : (514) 340-4711, poste 4970