Ifae (pronounced ee-fie) is an interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the intersection of science and engineering. It is a relatively new field, having only been established in the early 21st century, and its boundaries are still being defined. However, ifae is generally concerned with the application of scientific knowledge to engineering problems, and vice versa.
Ifae emerged as a response to the increasing complexity of both science and engineering. As our understanding of the natural world has grown, so too has the need for more sophisticated technologies to harness that knowledge. At the same time, engineers have become increasingly reliant on scientific principles to design and build ever-more complex systems. The boundary between science and engineering has become blurred, and ifae seeks to bring these two disciplines together in a more holistic way.
Ifae is still in its infancy, but it holds great promise for solving some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. By bringing together scientists and engineers from different disciplines, ifae can help us find new ways to tackle problems like climate change, energy insecurity, water shortages, and food insecurity. Ifae also has potential applications in areas like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, construction, and environmental protection.
There are currently no ifae programs at any universities worldwide; however, there are a number of research centers dedicated to ifae research. The Ifae Institute in Germany is one such center; it was founded in 2009 with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary research in ifae. Other notable institutions include the IfAE Center at MIT in the United States; IFASIC (the International Federation for Applied Science and Engineering), which promotes collaboration between engineers and scientists across borders; iafei (the International Academy for Interdisciplinary Studies), which offers online courses in ifae;and ISCIE (the International Society for Computational Identification), which hosts an annual conference on computational identification – a field closely related to ifae.