QCESO’s History

The first organisation to bring together the province's engineering student community was the Fédération des associations générales des étudiants en génie du Québec (FAGEGQ). Founded in 1971, it facilitated the group purchase of the world’s latest piece of cutting-edge technology: the calculator. A second organisation is later created with a similar goal in mind: this time students sought to make a group purchase of a new technological advancement: a microcomputer. The Coalition des facultés d’ingénierie du Québec (CoFIQ) therefore emerges in 1984.

Six years later, the CoFIQ organizes the first Engineering Games, a competition that puts students to the test in all types of challenges, including improvisation matches, trivia competitions, and the machine category, which tests competitors’ technical skills and creativity. In 1992, the organisation of the Engineering Games becomes an entirely separate entity. Later came a second major event: the Quebec Engineering Competition (QEC), which offers a variety of events such as design competitions, innovative design, debates, and consulting engineering.

In 2004, the Engineering Games, the Quebec Engineering Competition, and the CoFIQ merge to form the Quebec Confederation for Engineering Student Outreach, better known as QCESO.