Conferences
As the University of Alberta is a member of the Western Engineering Student Society Team (WESST) and the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES), students have the opportunity to attend student-centric conferences to learn about topics ranging from leadership to sustainability as well as to connect with students across Canada!
The Delegate Selection & Oversight Committee reviews applicants for each conference and select delegates best suited to attend and learn from these conferences.
The ESS also covers 75% of the cost of WESST and CFES conferences, with the exception of the Canadian Engineering Competition where we cover 100% of the delegate fees and travel expenses.
If you have any questions about conferences or these organization that oversee these conference, please email us at essext@ualberta.ca.
WESST & CFES Conferences
Leadership in Engineering and Advocacy Development Summit (LEADS)
WESST Conference | October 1st - 4th, 2026 | Calgary/Camp Cadicasu, AB
Registration Link: Closed
LEADS is the largest engineering student conference in Western Canada. Typically, 60 to 80 student leaders from the eleven engineering universities in Western Canada attend this event, which encourages collaboration on topics such as student issues, leadership development, and future engineering student governance. Cited: LEADS 2026 Delegate Package
Conference on Diversity in Engineering (CDE)
CFES Conference | November 20th - 23rd, 2026 | Victoria, BC
CDE is a 3-day conference bringing together 150-200 delegates from CFES member schools across the country, combining formative workshops, networking opportunities, social connections, and transformative conversations aimed at inspiring students to champion Equity, Diversity, Belonging, and Accessibility (EDBA) at their schools and equipping them with the tools to do so. Cited: CDE 2025 Delegate Package
Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference (CELC)
CFES Conference | January 1st - 7th, 2027 | Edmonton, AB
Registration Link: TBD
CELC is Canada's LARGEST annual student-run conference of the year and is the perfect way for engineering students from across the country to ring in the new year! Attracting between 150 and 200 delegates from over 50 engineering schools from coast to coast, CELC is a great opportunity to reach out and engage engineering student leaders from every institution and field of engineering. This national transfer of knowledge is invaluable, as it provides students with tangible, real-life examples and advice on how to improve their personal and professional skills, their engineering societies, and their faculty as a whole. CELC boasts a wide range of speakers and topics ranging from professional presentations from our sponsors and industry partners to student-led round-tables and panels that dissect the finer points of running student organizations. CELC is an incredible opportunity for engineering students to expand their learning beyond the classroom and to provide the maximum possible benefit to themselves, their Engineering Student Organization, and their Engineering Faculty. Cited: CFES website
Western Engineering Competition (WEC)
WESST Conference | January 22nd - 25th, 2027 | Regina, SK
Eligibility: Must place 1st at UAEC in your respective competition category
The Western Engineering Competition was established back in 1985, and is Western Canada’s premier engineering student event. It showcases the ingenuity, technical skills, and creativity of the region’s brightest future engineers. Since its inception, WEC has seen over 200 competitors from all Engineering Disciplines each year from over 11 Western engineering accredited institutions.
Conference on Sustainability in Engineering (CSE)
CFES Conference | February 26th - March 1st, 2027 | Montreal, QC
Registration Link: TBD
CSE is an annual four-day national conference focused on educating and engaging engineering students on true sustainability and how it can be tackled within their engineering career and everyday lives. CSE provides a stage for engineering students across Canada to discuss innovative ideas and learn from fellow students and industry professionals in order to further their understanding of sustainability in engineering. The conference aims to educate students surrounding challenges in sustainability in engineering and encourage students to discuss and design solutions to overcome them.
Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC)
CFES Conference | March 5th - 8th, 2027 | Waterloo, ON
Eligibility: Must place 1st or 2nd at WEC in your respective competition category
CEC brings together over 200 of the most innovative and creative engineering undergraduate students from across the nation to compete against each other in eight categories. Each competition category at CEC challenges its participants to expand their frame of reference and to identify solutions to problems experienced by our profession.