Engineers Are Creative Problem

Engineers make a world of difference Engineers are creative problem- solvers Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety Engineers help shape Engineers connect science the future to the real world FEANI NEWS Issue 06 February 2010 Issue N° 06 FEBRUARY 2010 www.feani.org Contents February 2010 THE EuropEAN MorE ENgINEErS For EuropE ENgINEErS is the official • Did we all use the wrong message? p.3 publication of FEANI, the • Welcome the new EU 2020 Strategy p.5 European Federation of • Need for Actions for More Engineers for Europe: Further Arguments p.6 National Engineering Associations. • Engineering Solutions are no Silver Bullet, but… p.8 Published by: STrATEgIC proJECTS AT FEANI FEANI Av. Roger Vandendriessche 18 • Global University Ranking system for European Universities and studies B-1150 Brussels Tel 00 32 2 639 03 90 in engineering disciplines p.15 Fax 00 32 2 639 03 99 • ENGCARD p.16 Email: [email protected] • ENAEE/EUR-ACE p.16 FEANI Editorial staff: Isabelle Vandenberghe, Philippe Wauters, Françoise Declercq, Rita Heissner Responsible Editor: ACTIVITIES AT FEANI Philippe Wauters [email protected] • FEANI Annual Business Meetings 2010 in Den Haag p.17 • WEC 2011 in Switzerland p.20 Coordination: Isabelle Vandenberghe • Facing the Global Energy Challenge p.20 [email protected] • WFEO & Energy congress Kuwait p.22 Graphic Design and Production: FAB www.fab.be Advertising sales: CoNTINuINg proFESSIoNAL DEVELopMENT Isabelle Vandenberghe • Mentorship – a cornerstone in CPD p.24 • Essential aspects of mentoring training p.28 While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the material • FEANI CPD Committee met at VDE Testing and Certification Institute p.29 published in The FEANI NEWS “The • Competence development using career coaching inside the company p.30 European Engineers Publication”, neither the Federation, the publisher, nor their • Career coaching for Norwegian Engineers p.31 agents can accept any responsibility for the veracity of contributors’ articles or • Expeert Career p.32 statements appearing in this magazine • 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Institute and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. of Continuing Engineering Education p.33 We do not accept responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited contributions. This publication is protected by copyright and no parts may be reproduced in whole NATIoNAL MEMBErS CoNTrIBuTIoNS or in part without the written permission of the publisher. © 2007 • FR CNISF conferences on climate change p.36 • UK Engineering Council conference on accreditation hailed a success p.38 ISSN: 1374-1187 • FI World record in diagnosis speed p.39 The cover front-page is designed by • MT The Malta Engineering Excellence Awards for 2009 p.40 FAB. • CH Convention Series on Renewable Energy in Switzerland p.41 • DE Der Bachelor ist kein Abschluss zweiter Klasse p.42 • DE Deutsches Kompetenzzentrum für Ressourcenschutz gegründet p.43 FEATurE • Eurocodes p.34 • Engineers dive the world over… and under p.44 I 2 Editorial Public understanding of Engineering: DID WE ALL USE THE WRONG MESSAGE? Author: Philippe Wauters Secretary General of FEANI It is today well known that in developed countries, countries (whereby the success or failure is not as it is the case in the EU, we observe a decline of shared with the other countries)? interest in scientific and engineering studies among What could the EU undertake to complement the the young generation. actions or to initiate new ones? This has been confirmed by several independent reports (see “References” at the end of the article) In a report of a very detailed study by the High and has already been brought since many years Level Group on Human Resources for Science and to the attention of the public authorities of the EU Technology, appointed by the EU Commission, on countries, the EU institutions, education Institutions “The crisis in the production of human resources and the public at large. for science and technology” dated 2002, covering almost all EU countries, several recommendations This decrease in interest is however not evenly for actions were formulated aimed at reversing the spread in all the EU Member States. The percentage trend in the “production” as reported by the study. of graduate engineers a country “produces” per It was stated in the report that some of the actions year compared to the total number of graduates, recommended could directly be implemented in the all disciplines included, varies among the countries framework of the European Research Area while as well as the demand for engineers. The latter is some others at national or international level. dependent on the economic and industrial situation The EU Commission has indeed started projects of each country. in the Framework Program on Research – corresponding to some of the recommendations. However, if the demand varies from country to country, for Europe as a whole the total demand Among those actions, the University Business exceeds the total offer. Large companies today Forum aims at initiating reviews of the Higher have to import engineers from outside Europe or Education system to ensure a better match between have engineering activities be performed abroad. the education, the professional training and the The necessity to attract the young generation for industry need. Indeed, the Higher Education system studies in science and engineering and to embrace is still today largely patterned for a preparation for the engineering profession is thus not only a Member academic careers. State national problem but also a European one. One should however observe that all the actions However, until now, following an agreement between initiated until now by the EU Commission, while the EU Institutions and the Member States, the being necessary, will give their results only on the responsibility to find solutions to solve that issue is long term as they all concern further development under the responsibility of each country and not at of the Higher Education system. European level. Does this make sense? However, the necessity for ‘More Engineers for Europe’ already exists today, and we cannot wait for Would a coordinated and well-targeted action more decades until above actions give their results. under the umbrella of the EU Institutions not be There is thus an urgent need to accompany those more promising and/or complementary to individual actions with some others, likely to give results activities that exist today in a limited number of already on the short-term. Feani News - February 2010 3 New Positioning To do this, as investigated in the above mentioned study, the media (printed press, TV, radio, movies, Statement novels, comics…) which is a key source of information/ intermediary between science and people, should be No profession unleashes the spirit used to boost recruiting for science and engineering of innovation like engineering. From by presenting what engineering is, what the skills needed are, as well as the perspective of the research to real-world applications, profession. This means in fact using the media for engineers constantly discover how to a marketing campaign to reposition the profession of engineer in the mind of the students, teachers, improve our lives by creating bold new parents, policy makers and the society at large. solutions that connect science to life This marketing should use well tested messages, in unexpected, forward-thinking ways. having proven their attractiveness in the different Few professions turn so many ideas categories of addressees as listed above. into so many realities. Few have such Recently, the results of a study entitled ‘Changing a direct and positive effect on people’s the conversion: messages for improving public understanding of Engineers’ conducted by the everyday lives. We are counting on National Academy of Engineers in the United States engineers and their imaginations to have been published. The study was supervised by the Committee on Public Understanding of help us meet the needs of the 21st Engineering Messages, which consists of several century. university professors in engineering. In the US, millions of dollars are spent every year placing “Math and Science” (to be excellent in math to improve the public understanding of engineering. is the most frequented attribute for an engineer in It seems that this huge investment gave only poor the public understanding, and which can be a barrier results until now: teachers and students still have a to engineering studies) as just two of the number of poor understanding of what engineers really do, the skills an engineer needs to have to be successful, public does not associate engineers with societal as for instance collaboration, communication, and community concerns or with issues related to teamwork, languages, finance, etc. saving lives, the prestige of the profession is below medicine, nursing, science and teaching. Finally, this Several messages have been tested during the investment apparently did not increase the number study and four have been selected as performing of young people embracing engineering studies as very well on the selected audience: the number remains steady since years. • Engineers make a world of difference • Engineers are creative problem solvers There is thus a necessity to set up an action and • Engineers help shape the future a strategy to transmit a more accurate and a more • Engineering is essential

Load more