Chris Snowden (IET President) visits the US
Having previously lived in California, IET President Professor Christopher Snowden returns to the US to meet with business and education leaders. During the three day visit his itinerary will be updated with a daily summary.
Why have you chosen the US as your first international trip since attaining the presidency?
Our profile is growing quickly in the US and so it is important to meet with business and education leaders, many of whom are actually more familiar with our family of Inspec databases and less with the parent organisation.
Visit - In the news
- ICIS Chemical Business - IET aims to develop "polymorphic" engineers
- IEN Europe - IET President Meets With U.S. Academic And Industry Leaders
- Product Design & Development - IET President Meets with U.S. Academic and Industry Leaders
- Structural Engineering & Design - IET President Meets with U.S. Academic and Industry Leaders
9 December 2009
First off, I am excited to have arrived. It is great to be back in the US - and a beautiful state I once called home.
Day 1 has proved to be both diverse and insightful. I was interviewed by editors from ICIS Chemical Business and Design Engineering, and I also met with a SRI local member and IET advocate. IET is not only recognised in North America, especially with resources such as Inspec, but also because our organisation is on target to meet the current challenges facing the engineering community. What I found particularly interesting about these conversations, is that regardless of their diverse fields of focus, the people I've met so far all addressed two common themes.
First, our profession is evolving. From chemical to design to electronic engineering, it seems the demand for what I call a “polymorphic” engineer is growing. Many confirmed that engineers are becoming critical contributors at the ‘decision-making table’ and key players in the innovation process.
This truth is central to our mission at the IET. We strive to help engineers along their professional journey, by providing the tools and resources they need to expand their knowledge-base to meet increasingly diverse demands.
Second, while all seemed to agree that engineers play a very central role in government, business and academia, a challenge brought up quite frequently was recruitment - not only related to current professionals but also future generations. I believe as “polymorphic” engineers evolve, the global community will increasingly recognise the value engineers play in the innovation process. This will ultimately help fuel interest in our profession. It is also critical that organisations, like the IET, government, businesses and academia, continue to engage with future generations and encourage them to pursue engineering as a profession and help them see just how essential engineers are to solving world issues such as: carbon reduction; infrastructure renewal; security; health and well-being and energy security.
10 December 2009
Today’s agenda included meetings with the President, Dean and leading faculty at Caltech University and the President of Dow Key Microwave Corporation. The day was topped off by an interview with the Editor of Product Design & Development, ECN and Wireless Design. I am grateful to these individuals for taking the time to speak with me and surprised to find that our conversations did not stray much from the topics of my meetings yesterday. Basically, it seems recruitment and the shrinking global economy are front of mind for professionals in the engineering community.
Each conversation today led back to the pertinent question: “How do we engage future generations to pursue engineering as a profession?”
I believe we must take a bird’s eye view to identify what truly excites our youth today and use those hot issues to showcase the significance of engineering in developing solutions for the world’s most pressing problems. In doing so, we have a much greater chance of reinventing the perception of engineering as an exciting and stimulating career.
The IET’s Flipside magazine, aimed specifically at younger audiences, addresses issues such as energy and space exploration, highlighting engineering’s role in developing exciting innovations like rocket cars. Caltech University is especially interested in the publication and intrigued by the concept. Furthermore, the IET hopes to engage students through competitions, awards and scholarships.
The second reoccurring theme in today’s conversations questioned: “How do engineers and corporations meet growing global demands?”
Our global economy is undeniably shrinking, and the engineering and business challenges faced by the US are quite similar to the rest of the world. The IET recognizes this shift and is working to bolster its online resources to unite global communities of engineers across multiple disciplines.
The IET offers engineers an opportunity to become chartered. The certification process is quite rigorous; however, once qualified, engineers have a “practicing passport” that gives them recognition as professional engineers and access to some of the most comprehensive bodies of research available worldwide. The certification also assures prospective employers that the chartered engineer is not only globally recognized, but has substantial experience in their field. Going back to the concept of the “polymorphic” engineer, I believe it is imperative for engineers to expand their professional development. By increasing their knowledge base across more disciplines and cultures, engineers will become more universal – not only geographically but within their own companies.
11 December 2009
Today was the final day of my US tour as President of the IET. I was interviewed by the editors of Chief Learning Officer (CLO) and Structure and Infrastructure Engineering. These conversations helped the IET build a bridge between new communities and its organization.
On reflection, I am pleased to see that the IET is even more relevant to the US market than we thought. Our challenges really are global. Collaborating across borders and waters gives engineers a greater opportunity to solve our biggest challenges: carbon reduction, infrastructure renewal, global security, health and well-being, and energy security.
We plan to continue our efforts to promote the IET and reinforce its commitment to creating a ‘home for life’. In professional development, local or global networking , or simply seeking solutions to meet current demands, engineers can rely on the IET fulfill its pledge to build ‘collective inspiration’ worldwide.