The Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management (IELM) jointly organized the first Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) conference to be held in Asia together with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in June 2011. Held in Shanghai, the conference gathered scholars and industrial experts to discuss industrial engineering research and applications in Asia as the region rises in importance globally.

With Asia now the largest manufacturing center in the world, there are fresh opportunities and challenges for industrial engineers in the region and a demand for a broad range of industrial engineering techniques. The environmental industry and other emerging fields also offer new directions and openings.

Prof Fugee Tsung, Head of IELM, was the conference's general co-chair. IIE is the world's largest professional society in the field.