Well, the dust has settled after a great annual conference in Cork last thursday and friday. Well over 300 people attended, and I suspect the final figure may be as high as 350.
Last monday (19th), I was very concerned since we had lost four featured speakers due to Eyjafjallajökull - Minister Conor Lenihan, Craig Barrett, Ian Quinn and Bertrand Barré. Conor was stuck in Dubai; Craig on US east coast; Ian on US west coast and Bertrand in Paris. Bertrand very kindly agreed to do a video conference instead. I approached Ian's CEO, Helen Ryan who happened to be in the country, and she very kindly agreed to take his place. But both Conor and Craig were completely unavailable.
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Water Research Facility at Tuam
This afternoon, I spent a few hours visiting the recently opened Water Research Facility at Tuam this afternoon, hosted by Dr Michael Rodgers and Dr Eoghan Clifford, both of the Department of Civil Engineering at NUI Galway.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Council
We held our January Council meeting yesterday in Clyde Rd. It was extremely well attended and, although there are occasional Liaison meetings after Council including yesterday, I think it was the largest Council participation I've seen to date.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
RTE "This Week" radio programme
A short interview with Paraic White, former head of the IDA, and myself was broadcast at lunch time on the RTE Radio 1 "This Week" programme, giving our reaction to the recent budget.
Monday, July 27, 2009
2010 Conference, and debate series
I met with John Power (DG) and Fionnuala Kilbane (marketing & comms. director) this morning at Clyde Rd., to review the plans to date for next years conference, and a new debate series.
Our conference will be hosted by the Cork Region on 22nd April and 23rd April next, and will celebrate out 175th anniversary. In discussions with the Cork Region, and in particular with its Chair Kevin Murray, we are planning to extend the conference to a full two days, including in particular a new session on the afternoon of the friday. This new plenary session will consider a number of specific resolutions, which will be proposed by the Regions, Divisions and Societies this autumn. Six of these will then be debated at Conference in the new afternoon session, with a proposing delegation (from a Region, Society or Division as appropriate).
There also a number of social activities around the conference being planned by the Cork Region.
In discussions this morning, we also examined the conference fees for 2010, and hope to be soon able to announce a modest reduction in conference fees, despite the longer conference (of two full days, rather than a day and a half).
In addition to the Conference, we are also planning a series of evening debates throughout the autumn, winter and spring, culminating in the Conference itself. Topics for debate could include national water policy; national energy strategy; the future of the construction industry; innovation; job creation, and regulation of the profession. The exact topics will be chosen in consultation with the Regions, Divisions and Societies in early autumn.
I believe that the new plenary session at Conference, and the debate series, should both provide an excellent way to further engage the Regions, Divisions and Societies; as well as provide further visibility of Engineers Ireland with the public at large.
Our conference will be hosted by the Cork Region on 22nd April and 23rd April next, and will celebrate out 175th anniversary. In discussions with the Cork Region, and in particular with its Chair Kevin Murray, we are planning to extend the conference to a full two days, including in particular a new session on the afternoon of the friday. This new plenary session will consider a number of specific resolutions, which will be proposed by the Regions, Divisions and Societies this autumn. Six of these will then be debated at Conference in the new afternoon session, with a proposing delegation (from a Region, Society or Division as appropriate).
There also a number of social activities around the conference being planned by the Cork Region.
In discussions this morning, we also examined the conference fees for 2010, and hope to be soon able to announce a modest reduction in conference fees, despite the longer conference (of two full days, rather than a day and a half).
In addition to the Conference, we are also planning a series of evening debates throughout the autumn, winter and spring, culminating in the Conference itself. Topics for debate could include national water policy; national energy strategy; the future of the construction industry; innovation; job creation, and regulation of the profession. The exact topics will be chosen in consultation with the Regions, Divisions and Societies in early autumn.
I believe that the new plenary session at Conference, and the debate series, should both provide an excellent way to further engage the Regions, Divisions and Societies; as well as provide further visibility of Engineers Ireland with the public at large.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Chinese Academy of Engineering
We had a visit from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) this morning at Clyde Road, led by their Vice President, Prof. Pan Yunhe who in turn was a software academic and prior head of Zhejiang University. From our side, we had Jack Golden, representing the Irish Academy of Engineering and its Vice-President; John Power, Director General; Damien Owens, from the ICT Division, and myself.
The CAE was formed in 1994 in Beijing as an independent, not-for-profit organisation to represent Engineering perspectives to the Chinese Government. It is limited to 1,000 elected & nominated members: it currently has 711 domestic members, and 32 foreign honorary members (no Irish at this time). It has a secretariat of 70. Its general assembly meets every 2 years. It has a Governing Board, 9 Divisions and 7 Committees. The Divisions and Committees are somewhat similar to our own in focus, but unlike us it does have a Division on Agriculture (ie Engineering in Agriculture), and on Medical Systems.
It conducts strategic studies which influence national Chinese technology policy and to vet and review major engineering projects. Recent major national studies include water infrastructure; renewable energy; population trends and the consequences for urbanisation; environmental protection; and disaster management (in the light of the Wuchen earthquake and separately the Guangdong snows, both in 2008).
It has 20 international co-operation agreements with Engineering Academies worldwide. Mr Cheng, deputy DG of international co-operation, noted a particularly longstanding and mutually fruitful co-operation with the Swedish Academy which has included joint study groups on renewable energy, and environmental protection. There have been student exchanges, and bilateral secondment of student engineers into industry positions for work experience. In oher cases - the UK and USA - there have been Young Engineer seminars on a bilateral basis.
We expressed a strong desire to put a formal agreement in place between Ireland and China which could support such activities, but noted that in the current national fiscal environment it may be very difficult to finding Government funding pro rata equivalent to the support of the Chinese government to the CAE. Jack Golden, as VP of the IAE, will be leading a delegation to Beijing next year.
The CAE was formed in 1994 in Beijing as an independent, not-for-profit organisation to represent Engineering perspectives to the Chinese Government. It is limited to 1,000 elected & nominated members: it currently has 711 domestic members, and 32 foreign honorary members (no Irish at this time). It has a secretariat of 70. Its general assembly meets every 2 years. It has a Governing Board, 9 Divisions and 7 Committees. The Divisions and Committees are somewhat similar to our own in focus, but unlike us it does have a Division on Agriculture (ie Engineering in Agriculture), and on Medical Systems.
It conducts strategic studies which influence national Chinese technology policy and to vet and review major engineering projects. Recent major national studies include water infrastructure; renewable energy; population trends and the consequences for urbanisation; environmental protection; and disaster management (in the light of the Wuchen earthquake and separately the Guangdong snows, both in 2008).
It has 20 international co-operation agreements with Engineering Academies worldwide. Mr Cheng, deputy DG of international co-operation, noted a particularly longstanding and mutually fruitful co-operation with the Swedish Academy which has included joint study groups on renewable energy, and environmental protection. There have been student exchanges, and bilateral secondment of student engineers into industry positions for work experience. In oher cases - the UK and USA - there have been Young Engineer seminars on a bilateral basis.
We expressed a strong desire to put a formal agreement in place between Ireland and China which could support such activities, but noted that in the current national fiscal environment it may be very difficult to finding Government funding pro rata equivalent to the support of the Chinese government to the CAE. Jack Golden, as VP of the IAE, will be leading a delegation to Beijing next year.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Jean Venables ICE Presidential Address
We hosted Jean Venables, the current President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, this evening in Clyde Rd where she gave her presidential address.
I have previously met Jean at the ICE Northern Ireland annual dinner dance earlier this year in Belfast.
Jean has a distinguished career in water and flood management, and served as the Chairperson for the Thames Region Flood Defence Committee, leading to the construction of the Thames barrier. She was recognised with an OBE in 2004. She also lectures to university engineering students, as well as having her own consultancy with her husband Roger.
Her talk tonight focussed on the threat to flood levels due to global warming, and also the carbon dioxide and energy required to maintain fresh water supplies. She argues strongly for action needed today, and fresh thinking - and she was delighted to visit the wetlands water purification project at Glaslough, Castle Leslie during her visit here. She feels that Engineers must make their voices more articulately heard with the general public, and the policy makers and Engineers have to have more active engagement.
The full text of the Presidential address is here.
I have previously met Jean at the ICE Northern Ireland annual dinner dance earlier this year in Belfast.
Jean has a distinguished career in water and flood management, and served as the Chairperson for the Thames Region Flood Defence Committee, leading to the construction of the Thames barrier. She was recognised with an OBE in 2004. She also lectures to university engineering students, as well as having her own consultancy with her husband Roger.
Her talk tonight focussed on the threat to flood levels due to global warming, and also the carbon dioxide and energy required to maintain fresh water supplies. She argues strongly for action needed today, and fresh thinking - and she was delighted to visit the wetlands water purification project at Glaslough, Castle Leslie during her visit here. She feels that Engineers must make their voices more articulately heard with the general public, and the policy makers and Engineers have to have more active engagement.
The full text of the Presidential address is here.
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