DCU Conference on Linking Education and Enterprise

Last week I was kindly invited by DCU Vice President for Innovation Richard O'Kennedy to speak at their intervarsity Conference organised jointly with University of Massachusetts Lowell and Queens University College. The title of the conference was 'The University and Economic Recovery - The role of Technology Enterprise and Learning Approaches.

Professor O'Kennedy had attended my Presidential Address in September on behalf of DCU and requested that I repeat my theme 'Building a Sustainable Recovery' but amend to suit the conference agenda which I did.

On arrival I was greeted by Professor Brian McCraith DCU President who opened the conference and gave the keynote address. He was followed by Dr Ruth Freeman Director of Enterprise and International Affairs at Science Foundation Ireland http://www.sfi.ie/ and Dr Muiris O'Connor Head of Policy and Planning at the Higher Education Authority http://www.hea.ie/. SFI is the principal funding agency for third level research in Ireland mostly in Biotechnology, ICT and sustainable energy. HEA is the statutory planning body for higher education in Ireland. Both Muiris and Ruth outlined their recent and future policy and funding priorities for higher education in Ireland.



Brian MacCraith President DCU
Courtesy www.dcu.ie



Dr Ruth Freeman
Science Foundation Ireland
Courtesy http://www.sfi.ie/

Muiris O'Connor
Higher Education Authority
Courtesy http://www.hea.ie/

In my speech I outlined the results of the 2010 US Critical Skills Survey of employers seeking to grow their business. In their prospective employees they will be seeking the 4 Cs - Critical thinking, Communications ability, Collaboration/team building and Creativity/innovation. Indeed in his earlier remarks, the DCU President expressed similar views based on a DCU commissioned survey of employers. I pointed out that the current education system in Ireland has not traditionally recognised these skills but instead has been based on ‘rote learning’ and ‘single point assessment’ through end of term examinations to a significant degree. There is thus an urgent need to reconfigure our education system to address these skill deficits if we are to recover the economy. The teaching of Maths is a good example of this issue with the recent introduction of the Project Maths approach of “learning through understanding”.

Engineers are uniquely placed to assist in this reconfiguration as the 4 Cs are in fact the key competences also sought by Engineers Ireland to attain Chartered Engineer status for over 10 years now. That includes radically reconfiguring our approach to the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) subjects at second level especially mathematics which more than other subjects needs a new approach to curriculum, teaching method and assessment. In terms of the humanities and the need to increasingly export our knowledge services, we also need to invest in foreign languages both European and Asian in particular.

I instanced all of the educational initiatives which Engineers Ireland are now taking to assist the situation nationally in the STEM subjects including the STEPS programme at primary and secondary level, the Innovative Student of the Year at third level, the Maths Grinds on Saturday in Dublin which we hope to extend to other cities and the recently launched TV advert promoting Chartered Engineers - 'Will You Come With Me' (click here to view advert)

I was delighted to hear that my views on education policy were closely aligned with those of Brian McCraith DCU President and Muiris O'Connor of HEA in particular on the maths and many other issues including the need for better management of the transitions between primary, secondary and third level.

Can Engineers Save the Economy?

Last week I was kindly invited by the UCD Dean of Engineering Professor Gerry Byrne to a 'Celebration of UCD Engineering Past and Present' in the Clinton Auditorium in Belfield. I was joined by UCD President Hugh Brady and by both Vice Presidents - Des Fitzgerald VP Research and Peter Clinch VP Innovation all of whom I have met at previous engagements in UCD.

It was also the occasion of the presentation of the UCD Engineering Graduates Association (EGA) Distinguished Graduate Award 2011 to Professor David O'Reilly former Chairman and CEO of Chevron plc based in the US. Before the Award presentation Professor O'Reilly presented a lecture on 'Can Engineers Save the Economy?' David O’Reilly graduated in Chemical Engineering in UCD in 1968 and went on to head up Chevron’s worldwide organisation with 58,000 employees and annual turnover of $200 billion.

In an inspiring address Prof O'Reilly pointed out the contribution that engineers had in building the Irish economy in terms of development of hydropower, energy water and transport infrastructure and the smart economy. He urged engineers to get out of their comfort zone and enter management and politics if we are to effect change in society.

He acknowledged though that this was not happening sufficiently in the US either so engineer reluctance to engage actively in community and political life was not just an Irish problem. He also urged engineers to keep their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and life long learning up to date.

David was a worthy winner of the 2011 EGA Distinguished Graduate Award. The UCD President gave the closing address and presented Prof O'Reilly a metal bound presentation copy of the book 'Building of the State'. This is the fabulous book on the 100 year history of Government Buildings Merrion Street launched by the Taoiseach in early July (see my blog of 8th July 2011).



Michael Loughnane EGA President, Professor Hugh Brady UCD President, Professor David O'Reilly 2011 EGA Distinguished Graduate and Professor Gerry Byrne UCD Dean of Engineering.



Professor Gerry Byrne Dean of Engineering and Principal of the School of Engineering and Architecture in his opening remarks outlined some very welcome changes in the further restructuring of the UCD School of Engineering and Architecture - the reinclusion of the Dept of Food Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering into the School of Engineering taking it back from the School of Agriculture, the inclusion of Materials and Bioengineering in the Dept of Mechanical Engineering, the inclusion for the first time of Communications in the Dept of Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering and the inclusion for the first time of Environmental Engineering in the new Dept of Civil Structural and Environmental Engineering. I have no doubt that each of these reconfigurations will allow the new UCD School of Engineering to continue to prosper and reach its full potential in the years ahead. As my own third level Alma Mater, I wish UCD every success.

Will You Come With Me

Today and tonight the new Engineers Ireland radio and TV advertising campaign for Chartered Engineer goes live. This will coincide with the result of the Presidential election when target audiences are high especially this evening around 9 o’clock.

To the lyrics of ‘Will You Come With Me’ we invite Second Level students to consider engineering as a career and we invite existing graduate Engineers to become Chartered Engineers. The title of Chartered Engineer or CEng is only possible to achieve in Ireland through Engineers Ireland.

Chartered Engineer is only awarded following a Third Level engineering degree followed by a period (minimum 2 years) of Technical Training and a further period (minimum 2 years) of professional experience. Typically therefore new Chartered Engineers are in the age group 26 – 35.

Claire Lillis
Mechanical Design Engineer
Aerogen

    

Nick Gray
Senior Software engineer
Havok

                                                                                 

The radio advert is 30 seconds long and the TV advert is 60 seconds. The messaging has to be more direct on radio to get the impact across while the visual imaging on TV carries its own powerful message. The TV advert involves the work of 10 existing Engineers (5 male and 5 female) operating in 10 diverse branches of engineering if Ireland.

The new advert shows that engineering is an exciting career – building bridges, turning the ocean waves into energy, developing new water supplies and giving life to people in our hospitals through biomedical engineering. Engineering also makes the work of defence forces more effective technically and creates jobs to new software development e.g. in gaming and entertainment.

Hope you enjoy the advert and all comments welcome. Link here to the advert.

Calling all Environmental Scientists

Engineers Ireland knows that we cannot rebuild a national recovery or even engineer a new Ireland on our own. While international companies exporting computing, medical and pharma products account for much of our current growth these enterprises employ a lot of different professions.

While there are many engineers involved in the design and manufacture of products and services there are also many other professionals contributing also to this great endeavour. The same is true of infrastructural projects in the Transport, Energy, Water, Food, Process and Environmental sectors where Engineers work closely with Scientists, Geologists, Statisticians etc.

That is why Engineers Ireland decided to open up our membership in recent years to 'cognate professions'. These are professions akin to engineering whose graduates are working 'in an engineering role' i.e. working on engineering projects or services. For instance, there are many environmental scientists working in engineering firms on Environmental Impact Assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments.

These cognate professionals many with level 8 (BSc Hons) and 9 (MSc) qualifications can now become Members of Engineers Ireland (MIEI). If after suitable professional experience in an engineering role, they can then graduate to the title of Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEI) and when they become eminent in their field can apply for Fellowship of Engineers Ireland (CEng FIEI).

Last year my predecessor as President Martin Lowery conferred a Fellowship by Presidential Invitation on Elizabeth Arnett a Senior Environmental Scientist. Elizabeth qualified with a BAgrSc and MAgrSc by research from UCD, then worked as Green Schools Officer with An Taisce before joining MCOS as an Environmental Scientist in the late 1990s.



Martin Lowery President of Engineers Ireland, New Chartered Engineer and
Fellow of Engineers Ireland Elizabeth Arnett MSc and John Power Director
General Engineers Ireland at the Conferring of Titles in May 2011.



She subsequently developed her own brand of Stakeholder Engagement on sensitive infrastructural projects. That business then grew into an integrated Project Communications team employing environmental and social scientists, engineers, communications scientists and media consultants.

Elizabeth is now Director of Project Communications with RPS in Dublin leading communications on many national engineering projects. She has frequently been interviewed on national media shows such as Morning Ireland, The Right Hook, The Last Word and Prime Time.

Elizabeth as a scientist is not unique in gaining membership of Engineers Ireland. But she is a role model to demonstrate that Engineers Ireland membership at all levels is now open to other allied professions. I personally know a number of geologists who have also become members and apart from scientists I also know a forestry graduate engaged in GIS for engineering projects who has achieved MIEI in recent months.

So I'm calling on all those professions who work closely with us on engineering projects to consider membership of Engineers Ireland. Application forms are available on our website at http://www.blogger.com/www.engineersireland.ie.

Farewell to a Great President

As this week draws to a close we will know who will be the 9^th President of Ireland. I wish him or her well when elected by the people.

It signals the end of 14 years of Mary McAleese as our President. She has been an outstanding ambassador for Ireland crowned by two extraordinary visits in May by Queen Elizabeth and President Barack Obama.

She has represented us abroad with great distinction. Her predecessor Mary Robinson proved to be the symbol of a new tolerant Ireland. Mary McAleese was the symbol of a modern Ireland at peace with itself North and South. 'Building Bridges' was her motto and she fulfilled that ambition admirably. Her husband - now Senator Martin McAleese - also played a vital role in building these bridges North and South between nationalist and unionist traditions.

I had the pleasure of meeting the President when she invited Engineers Ireland to the Áras in June 2010. Our President Martin Lowery was abroad so I led the Engineers Ireland group together with Director General John Power. The occasion was the 175^th anniversary of the founding of Engineers Ireland in 1835 - when Sir John Fox Burgogne was our first President of what was then The Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland. Fox Burgogne was Chairman of the Board of Works based at the Custom House.

President Mary McAleese with Engineers Ireland Vice President PJ Rudden and Director General John Power during our visit to Áras an Uachtaráin in June 2010 to mark our 175^th anniversary celebrations

President McAleese made the visit of our 50 members so memorable. She gave us a tour of the State Apartments and then treated us to tea with the help of the Áras staff.  She was very informal to make us feel at home insisting on pouring out our teas herself and chatting with us throughout about the many challenges we faced professionally and personally. She has an engineer daughter which greatly helped her understanding of the profession.

Also striking was the courtesy of her military aides who were most helpful in explaining the history of the Áras and indeed the history of the Presidency. The confident ease of these aides bore large testament to the respect they had for the President and her family and it was obvious that it went well beyond their professional duty. You could see too the confidence that she had in them also to be faithful custodians of a proud heritage.

She expressed her wish that there would be a visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth before she left the Áras in 2011 and her wish was granted. No doubt the short visit by President Obama also in May of this year was an added bonus during her term.

As she retires to private life, we salute her two terms as President for all the people. We wish herself, her husband and family a happy and fulfilling life in the years ahead.