Abstract: Simulation has become a powerful tool for system’s design, analysis and optimization in industrial processes. Every day there are more powerful computers, with cheapest costs and easy for use. Also, software or application programs with highly flexible programming languages, has allowed the wide use of different simulation techniques in processes control.
Artificial intelligence is one of the scientific areas with greater diffusion and application in the last years. Every day is more common to find tools for industrial, commercial or academic use that involve the use of intelligent techniques in the resolution of critical and recurrent problems, due to their simplicity, implantation facilities and design characteristics.
Virtual systems, allow creating similar environments as the ones found in industrial processes, that can be used for accumulating knowledge and experiences that could be later used in real conditions. These virtual systems can support the learning, emulating real situations and have been widely used in engineering field applications.
The joint use of the three previously mentioned areas can be a powerful tool for decision making that allows, among other things:

• To predict the result of the actions that has been taken on the process or control system.

• To understand the reasons for events occurrence.

• To identify conflictive areas before the system installation.

• To explore the effects of some modifications given to the system.

• To evaluate ideas and their viability, and to identify their problems.

• To stimulate the creative and to train personnel.

• To optimize processes (energy savings, bottle necks, results improvements, etc.).

In this Plenary Speech, it will be presented diverse applications of Simulation, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Systems in Industrial Processes Education, It will be also considered the methodological framework for designing this applications.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Francklin Rivas-Echeverria Systems Engineer, MSc. in Control Engineering and Applied Science Doctor. Full professor in Control Systems Department, at Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela. He has been invited professor in the Laboratoire d'Architecture et d'Analyse des Systemes (LAAS, Toulouse-France) and some Venezuelan and international Universities. He has also been technical advisor for "Venezuelan Oil Company" (PDVSA), "Aluminum Venezuelan Company" (VENALUM), "Steel Venezuelan Company" (SIDOR), Trolleybus System in Venezuela (TROLMERIDA). He has created and is the Director of the Intelligent Systems Laboratory and is the head of the University consulting unit (UAPIT-ULA). Over 180 publications in high level conferences and journals: the main topics of his papers are: Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Control, Automation Systems and Industrial Applications. He has applied his results to many fields: Processes Control and Supervision, Oil production, Steel production processes, among others. Also, has developed several tools for automatic control teaching. He is coauthor of two books concerning Artificial Intelligence and Nonlinear Systems.