Challenging times lead to transformative innovations. Even during the pandemic, the research community has been quietly working behind the curtains to make the world a better and safe place. With the experience of successfully conducting, one National conference (NCICE-2012) and 3 International Conferences (ICICE 2013, ICICE 2014, and ICICE 2017), the Department of Civil Engineering, SCMS School of Engineering and Technology (SSET), Ernakulam, Kerala puts forward 4^th International Conference on Innovations in Civil Engineering, ICICE-2022. The conference will be held over 2 days in online mode and intents to provide a common platform for researchers to put forward the results of the research. The objective of the conference is to update the advancements and innovations relevant to the field of Civil Engineering. Scope of the conference is to bring together the global research community, students, teachers and practising engineers to a single platform to share their knowledge. The organizing committee anticipates around 120 delegates.

The Department of Civil Engineering, spearheaded with highly competent, well qualified and experienced faculty, has been in existence since the inception of SSET in 2001. The Department offers an Undergraduate programme in Civil Engineering and two Post-graduate programmes namely Computer Aided Structural Engineering and Environmental Engineering under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. The Department has seven full-fledged laboratories supplemented with modern equipment with adequate research facilities. The Department is actively engaged in testing and consultancy activities for various governmental as well as non-governmental organizations. MoU's established with foreign universities have opened up avenues for faculty/student exchange programs and over the past three years, many faculty and students have been part of this program.

The Department works in close liaison with SCMS Water Institute (SWI) - a research wing of the institution which renders support to achieve a sustainable and secure water future. The several initiatives of SWI in creating awareness and for transfer of relative findings of research of the institution to the outside world provide our students with ample opportunities to work towards neighbourhood renaissance and community development. Since its inception, the SWI has been involved in a number of consultancy works contributing to service learning of engineering students. SWI was involved in carrying out water auditing of each of the stations of Kochi Metro. Water audit was carried out as a part of a larger goal of developing a water policy for Kochi Metro. As part of our MoU with KMRL, feasibility study and for rainwater harvesting at metro stations, depot and viaducts of each of the 16 metro stations were done by our students. The SWI was involved in consultancy for Guruvayur Municipality on preparing the City Water Audit. It also carried out a consultancy for identifying the reason for transmission loss of treated drinking water from within a three-kilometre-long pipe line laid underground at the Kochi airport as per the request made by CIAL management. In the aftermath of the recent flood in Kerala, the SWI along with our students were involved in preparing a Flood Disaster Preparedness Plan for Meloor Panchayath. The 'Kerala Declaration on Heritage & Disaster' prepared by Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit has selected the work of SCMS Water Institute on Flood Disaster Preparedness for Meloor Panchayath as a case study.

These service-learning initiatives undertaken by the institute will prove to be of immense value for our students as they gain invaluable hands-on, field-level and real-time experience