The first session of SIAFI 2015, which took place at UIC headquarters, Paris from 18 – 22 May, was attended by participants from seven different nationalities.
The SIAFI training programme, which addresses talents from different backgrounds and competences, is an opportunity for trainees to learn, on the one hand, the railway as a system encompassing its different facets and activities, and on the other, to acquire a set of business skills. In addition to discussions around topical railway issues, an important part of the week was devoted to team building, project management, business model innovation workshops and sharing information sessions.
The international character of the programme offers trainees both the chance to view their own industry challenges in new surroundings and to see other perspectives.
The learning during this week was acquired through different training methodologies:
- Extensive networking activities and exchange of information and practices between the trainees themselves and through interaction with the presenters (international experienced professionals and experts, external consultants and academics)
- Group based working
- Intercultural team project work
The varied backgrounds and competences of the SIAFI audience, together with the experience of participants and of the lecturers favoured rich and fruitful exchanges, debates and discussion.
The topics eventually selected by participants are as follows:
- Justification for high speed rail decisions
- More intelligent rail infrastructure through monitoring systems
- Innovative intermodal freight solutions: Rail4Freight (R4F)
The three constituted project teams will continue working between the two sessions, with coaching web conferences with the active support from UIC experts and university professors from Newcastle University (Newrail), “Politehnica” University of Bucharest and Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa (University of Lisbon).
The SIAFI training programme is part of a complementary development management programme set up in the frame of the “Global Network of Railway Talents” (TALENT project)
An important date to save for SIAFI alumnae is the first networking and collaborative meeting of the Talent Network, which will take place from 16 – 17 July at the University of Newcastle.
