New global partnerships he Royal Academy of Engineering has become a partner countries. This scheme will bring to the UK talented delivery partner of the UK Newton Fund. Launched researchers, who have developed commercially viable Tby the Chancellor, The Rt Hon George Osborne ideas, for an intensive residential course of training and MP, the Newton Fund will provide £375 million over five mentoring in entrepreneurship and business. On their years to promote science and innovation activities that return, researchers will be supported in their own country to contribute to social welfare and economic development in focus on commercialising their innovation, while benefiting 15 emerging economies. from ongoing mentorship from senior experts at home and in the UK. Through a programme of mobility schemes, fellowships, research collaborations and innovation partnerships, Finally, the Academy will extend its Enriching Engineering the Newton Fund will facilitate science and innovation Education Programme, successfully piloted in Africa, to other capacity building and support research that helps to tackle Newton Fund partner countries. The aim of the programme the challenges faced by disadvantaged people across the is to increase the innovation capacity of higher education globe. The funding is drawn from the UK’s international institutions in those countries, primarily through the creation aid budget and is being matched by contributions from the of structured and strong partnerships between universities partner countries, which include China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and local industry. It will bring engineering curricula in Indonesia and South Africa. universities in line with current industrial practice, improve teaching practices in engineering and catalyse research As part of its commitment to the UK Newton Fund, the collaborations. Academy launched a new international exchange programme in September 2014, building on the success of the Research More information about the Newton Research Collaboration Exchanges with China and India scheme. The Newton Programme is available at: www.raeng.org.uk/newtonfund Research Collaboration Programme aims to develop capacity in science and innovation by enabling researchers to travel between the UK and a range of Newton partner countries for visits of three to twelve months. Exchanges with researchers from the following Newton Fund Partner Countries are eligible for funding under this programme: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam. The Programme is now open and the closing date for applications is 4pm on Friday 24 October, 2014. The Newton Fund was launched on 9 April in São Paulo, Brazil. The Chancellor visited labs at São Paulo University to promote closer collaboration and more In addition, the Academy will support the Leaders in opportunities for UK research Innovation Fellowships programme involving Newton Photo: ©HM Treasury President’s column 2 Innovation and entrepreneurship 8 Governance review 3 Business and manufacturing 10 Newsletter Infrastructure and transport 4 Academy roundup 11 Energy and natural resources 4 News of Fellows 11 Autumn 2014 Technology and society 5 Obituaries 12 People and talent 6 1 President's Our Academy has come far, but there is to increase the quality of engineering much more to do. Our Fellows are core to education and training in colleges. Over the column everything we aim to achieve and I will be last five years, we have led the analysis of calling on, indeed relying on, the support FE STEM data, which is so poor compared and active participation of the Fellowship to the data available for higher education. as we look to increase still further our The Academy has worked closely with impact and influence across policy, government to implement reforms across research, education and skills. The newly the FE sector and provided expertise and appointed Trustee Board will be updating input for a number of influential reviews of the Academy’s strategy, last refreshed in vocational education, apprenticeships and 2011, and will engage the Fellowship in skills. We are also taking forward a number setting priorities for the next five years. of recommendations from the Perkins I hope that all our Fellows will embrace the review of skills by means of four task- opportunities to get involved. and-finish groups led by Fellows, including one dedicated to FE. My first official assignment as President was less than 24 hours after my election. However, change is not happening at the We invited a number of very senior leaders pace and scale we require. Furthermore, from engineering industry to a breakfast there is no one organisation that is roundtable to discuss the shortage of championing the cause or delivering engineering skills and the role of the specific and targeted interventions for further education (FE) sector in addressing teachers and students on a national scale. I would like to begin my first newsletter it. While the engineering skills debate column by paying tribute to Sir John Parker often revolves around higher education With the right support, we can deploy for his enormous contribution as President. and the need to produce more graduate the expertise, experience, influence to His leadership of the Academy and its engineers, FE is frequently overlooked. transform FE and vocational teaching and contributions to the national debate on Part of the reason for this must be due to learning for engineering. many critical issues has created a lasting the complexity of the FE landscape, which legacy both for the engineering profession is certainly the least understood of all the Our vision is to double the numbers and for the country. I would also like to education sectors. of 16- to 19-year-old students taking take this opportunity to personally thank full-time, publically funded engineering Sir John for his warm welcome and for the The critical issue is that most of the qualifications across the UK at Level 3, support he has given me as I prepared for engineering FE qualifications gained are by 2018. By working together with our this role. at GCSE level (Level 2) but what industry partners and supporters, the Academy can requires is a much greater number of make a difference in this important area. I am delighted and deeply honoured that students with Level 3 qualifications (A Fellows of the Academy have elected me level and higher BTECs) who can go on to as President at the AGM and look forward become the skilled technicians that the to the challenge. The names of the new nation needs. Currently, only a quarter of Fellows were announced at the same FE engineering qualifications are at Level 3 AGM, and I would like to congratulate and and a mere 2% are at Level 4 and above. welcome them all. We look forward to involving each of them in the work of the The Academy has been focusing on FE for Academy over the coming years. some time. We run a portfolio of activities AGM 2014 Fellows, 51 Fellows and one Honorary Enterprise Hub Member; Professor Fellow was noted. The full list of new Brian Falzon, who is Bombardier/ The Academy’s 38th Annual General Fellows can be found at Royal Academy of Engineering Meeting was held at Prince Philip House www.raeng.org.uk/New-Fellows-2014 Research Chair in Advanced Aerospace on 15 September. Composites; and Silver Medal winner The Annual Review and the Financial Professor Máire O’Neill, who is a former In his final review of the year, Sir John Report and Accounts for the year RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellow. Parker GBE FREng highlighted key ending 31 March 2014 were received. developments and activities, including Following the formal business of the Sir John Parker presented a 2014 Silver the implementation of the review AGM, Fellows had the opportunity to Medal to Professor Máire O’Neill; the of governance that had created a hear from three recipients of Academy 2014 Sir Frank Whittle Medal to Professor Trustee Board as the Academy’s new grants and prizes who talked about Peter Wells CBE FREng FRS and the 2014 governing body. work they have undertaken. The Sir George Macfarlane Medal to Eur Ing speakers were: Dr Daniel Elford, who Mark Wallace. The election of seven International is a former Enterprise Fellow and an 2 President's column Governance review In October 2011, Professor Sir William group consulted widely with Academy • An immediate priority for the Board will Wakeham (Senior Vice President) was stakeholders and was advised by an be a review of the terms of reference of tasked by Council to conduct a review independent expert. all Academy committees. of the Academy’s governance. The Charity Commission recommends regular Following preliminary reports, the review • The Academy will draw up intergroup governance reviews, and the Academy had group presented its final report to Council agreements with its subsidiaries. not conducted an in-depth review since in October 2013. its formation in 1976. Substantial changes The implementation of these over the intervening period include: The main report recommendations were: recommendations required significant amendment of the Academy’s Charter, • An increase in the number and • The Council of 26 trustees to be Statutes and Regulations. The complexity of the Academy’s activities. replaced by a Trustee Board of 13 amendments were approved by Council trustees all elected by the Fellowship. on 8 January 2014, at an Extraordinary • The requirement to comply with new General Meeting on 7 April, by a postal legislation including the Charities Act • The Board will appoint up to three ballot of the Fellowship on 19 May and 2011, Briberies Act 2010 and others. Vice Presidents from its members, one finally by the Privy Council on 16 July. responsible for Fellowship engagement The new governance structure became • The recent formation of two Academy and another for the coordination of the effective immediately after the AGM on subsidiaries, the Queen Elizabeth Prize Academy’s committees.