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Railway Quiz 2017 The IET Railway Network Quiz challenged the teams knowledge of all aspects of the railway industry – in a quite demanding way! Hosted by our quiz-master Peter Sheppard, the IET Railway Network Quiz night is an annual event that takes place at Doggett’s Coat and Badge pub near Blackfriars Bridge and we supplied a free buffet which was sponsored by Ricardo Rail. The quiz was an ideal event for people interested in networking with railway professionals and did not only challenge their knowledge on railway but also encouraged an enjoyable evening with peers in the industry and have some fun. We had teams from AECOM, Apollo Train Control, CPC Systems, Network Rail, Ricardo, RSSB, Transport for London and London Underground. With a full house, 47 attendees and 8 teams, it…

Lynsay Callaghan
How Do We Cool The Tube?

The IET Railway TPN had the pleasure of introducing Sharon Duffy, Head of Station Systems Engineering, LU Crossrail and Stations, to an audience at IET London: Savoy Place to hear about how LU are looking to Cool the Tube. The Cooling the Tube programme was established in 2005 to mitigate the problem of increasing temperatures across the London Underground network, and to ensure the continued safe operation of trains. With plans for line upgrades and increased services through the introduction of new, faster trains that will use more energy and create more heat, there is a need to find effective methods of controlling temperatures. Over a decade on, this session covered what London Underground has achieved and what future plans are in development, including the opportunity for waste heat to…

Lynsay Callaghan
Extend Your Professional Network: Action Learning Sets

As the Initial Professional Development (IPD) and Mentoring Manager at the IET , it may seem illogical for me to write a blog about not seeking a mentor for Professional Registration – but in doing some research around students and mentoring I came across an idea which fits in with IPD that I wanted to share. Research has shown that young professionals, particularly those in Generation Z (those born from the mid-1990s), are a generation of self-starters who are comfortable with technology. Given their ambition and drive, there is potential in supporting a wider pool of development than traditional mentoring allows for. Action Learning Sets Action Learning Sets can be formed as a small group who meet regularly to discuss and understand issues and problems around a particular task or area…

Kathryn Bain in CEng
International Conference On Railway Engineering (ICRE) 2017

ICRE17 returned to Hong Kong on 24-25th May 2017 The International Conference on Railway Engineering (ICRE) is held every three years in Hong Kong with the objective to provide a forum for sharing knowledge and experience; promoting collaboration among practitioners; as well as revealing recent development and applications of new technologies in railway engineering. The organiser, Railway and Transport Section of the IET Hong Kong is composed of engineering professionals from disciplines of electrical, electronics, industrial, mechanical and railway engineering. In this connection, the conference is a railway event of high regard in the industry. The conference was held on 24 to 25 May 2017 at Hotel ICON in Hong Kong and was followed by a technical visit on 26 May 2017. ICRE 2017 Theme The…

Lynsay Callaghan
IET Solent Rewards Highbury College Student

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is keen to reward success on courses that lead the way to the student becoming a Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, or Engineering Technician. Sergio Gomez who is employed by NATS and studies at Highbury College had been recommended by his course supervisor to receive an IET award for his excellent performance during the 2016/17 academic year. Sergio received a certificate to acknowledge his success, a cheque for £100 and his name engraved on the perpetual shield trophy that remains on display at the college. The award was presented by Simon Blumlein, the Chairman of the Solent Retired Members Section at Highbury College on Thursday 22nd June 2017 in the presence of engineering students and Engineering Department lecturers. Simon Blumlein…

Joe Dunn in Aerospace
International Robotics Showcase: Speaker Highlight

Speaker highlight: Professor Tony Pipe Professor Tony Pipe is Deputy Director of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. He has 20 years of experience in carrying out research on advanced sensor-systems, medical robotics, biologically inspired robotics, machine learning and adaptive behaviour, applied to intelligent and distributed control/monitoring systems for robotics. His research foci are: innovative medical technology, safe physical Human Robot Interaction for robots co-located with humans; modelling animal brain signal processing and control structures; self-healing VLSI electronic hardware for safety-critical applications. He has co-authored over 200 internationally reviewed publications. Prof. Pipe will be speaking at approximately 09:40 on the topic of Social Care and Independent Living…

Gemma Hadley
Behavioural Psychology In Transport – Behavioural Insights (“nudge”)

Back in May 2017 the Automotive & Road Transport Systems Network held a seminar on this informative and interesting subject which attracted a high demand for places and covered the following topics: Results from behavioural insights trials, and how behavioural insights and people-centred approaches are being embedded at DfT. Transport project management: behaviourally informed ways of working. Behaviour change in young and novice drivers. Behaviour Change at Transport for London. How people deal with travel disruption. Investigating customer experience on the railway. Gamification and active travel. Delegates heard from a number of key experts in this field and we were fortunate in being able to film most of the speakers (the DfT speakers were unable to be filmed due to the general election…

Deborah-Claire McKenzie
Antarctica And Beyond - Predicting The Extreme

IET Central London Evening Lecture Savoy Place, 14-Jun-2017 Speaker: John Griffiths explorer & meteorologist Important note: These are the author's personal recollections and interpretations, which are likely to suffer from errors and selectivity. There is no endorsement from the IET or the speaker. On a warm and sunny evening, it seemed incongruous to be transported down to the frozen wildness of Antarctica. Yet it was well worth the journey to get an expedition into meteorology in extreme environments. What a hostile environment to operate in: On a floating ice-shelf, over 100 km away from the nearest base and 1000 km from any other land mass With temperatures from -56 to -1 degC, 3 months of no sunshine and 3 of sun (when 24 hr shifts are possible, if so desired!), very windy …

David Tabor
International Robotics Showcase: Speaker Highlight

Speaker highlight: Dame Mary Archer Dame Mary Archer DBE started her career as a physical chemist and taught Chemistry at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She was chair of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for ten years and is currently chair of the Science Museum Group, Imperial College Health Partners’ Advisory Council and Cambridge Early Music. She is President of the UK Solar Energy Society and the Guild of Church Musicians, a trustee of Britten Sinfonia, iCould and the Global e-Health Foundation, and a non-executive director of Hydrodec Group plc. In 2012, she was appointed DBE for services to the UK Solar Energy Society and the Guild of Church Musicians, a trustee of Britten Sinfonia, iCould and the Global e-Health Foundation, and a non-executive director of…

Gemma Hadley in Robotics
International Robotics Showcase: Speaker Highlight

The IET Robotic and Mechatronics network are delighted to be working with the EPSRC UK-RAS once again to deliver the International Robotics Showcase, the pinnacle event of UK Robotics Week 2017. Over the next few days we’ll be highlighting some of the fantastic speakers and exhibitors who will be attending the event. Speaker highlight: Professor Guang-Zhong Yang Professor Guang-Zhong Yang is co-founder and director of the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery at Imperial College London. Building on research expertise in medical imaging, sensing and robotics, he holds leadership roles in multiple centres of excellence. Professor Yang pioneered the concept of perceptual docking for robotic control and led the development of a number of medical robot platforms. Professor Yang is also a recipient…

Gemma Hadley in Robotics
3rd Annual Future Of Medicine Highlights

A month has now passed since the 3rd Annual Future of Medicine – the role of the doctor in 2027 took place. Let’s look back at some of the highlights of the day… Nick Hunn ‘The best way to save the NHS is to use it less.’ The above concept has spawned much of the new Medtech industry. Nick’s presentation mainly covered wearable technology and the reasons why this hasn’t made the revolutionary changes we think it has. Watch Nick's talk on IET.tv. Shafi Ahmed ‘Med students aren’t buying books anymore so how do we train them?’ Shafi talked about his experience in medical education and training and how we can move things forward using modern technology. He mentioned his use of Google Glass, Twitter and Snapchat to live broadcast surgeries to interact with a younger audience. Watch Shafi's talk…

Gemma Hadley
Bluedot Festival at Jodrell Bank – call for volunteers for IET stand

The IET Mersey & Western Cheshire Network are hosting a stand at the above event, which is being held at the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre from 7-9 July 2017. The festival will take students on a Scientific Voyage from the Antarctic to the depths of Space via live experiments, science discussions and lots more see the website. In addition to a range of STEM and career pathways literature, the IET stand will also have the following interactive displays/activities: Build your own LED torch - a simple assembly project but at the very least shows that an LED has to be correctly polarised in order for it to function students take these away after assembly, always a popular demonstrator. The Pump Storage Demonstrator is a device showing how during the hours of darkness when electricity demand…

Deborah-Claire McKenzie
Help Needed For 'fun' Event

The last of our 'schools' events this year is at the West Sussex Scout and Guide International Camp taking place at the South of England Showground at Ardingly. We have agreed to run a number of half-hour sessions for children aged between 10 and 15 years on Tuesday 8th August and Thursday 10th August. For the first time we will be trying the IET ball-launcher activity, where pairs of children will assemble a ping-pong ball laucher and then compete to get their ball into a box. If you are available on either of these days, have a current DBS certificate and would like to help (or want further information), then please contact me at dejames@theiet.org . The event was a great success. We had four volunteers on each of the two days, so thanks to those who helped.

David James
IET PSB Academy On Campus And Myanmar

Myanmar(Burma), officially called the Republic of Union of Myanmar, was once colonized by the British. The English people brought their technology, railways and built ports which led to the growth of economy which led to Myanmar, becoming the richest country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar got independence from 4 Jan, 1948. Then, coup d'état followed, which was joined by unsystematic governance later. The country turned from best to worst and it shut itself off from the world until 2011. British rule in Myanmar in 19th Century. Credits: alchetron.com Then, in 2011, the country opened up to the outside world which led to many transformations, especially in telecommunication industry. This further led to tremendous increase in usage of the internet in the country, opening more doors for the foreign…

Former Community Member
Leading The Charge Conference 2017

Toronto LN is sponsoring the event. If you are a member of IET and are interested in attending, please send an email to iet.toronto@theiet.org by 19 June 2017 for discount tickets . Event Details

Former Community Member
IET BRUNEI NETWORK ORGANISED TALK ON THE ARCHITECTS, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND QUANTITY SURVEYOR (APEQS) ORDER 2011

IET Brunei Darussalam recently organised a talk on the Architects, Professional Engineers and Quantity Surveyor (APEQS) Order 2011. Dr. Dayang Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abd Razak, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Development, gave a presentation on Continuous Professional Education (CPE) requirements of BAPEQS. Next was a talk was presented by the Registrar and Secretariat, Brunei APEQS about BAPEQS organization, professional requirements for architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. The talk also touched on the requirements for registration, who should register, how and where to register, as well as the benefits of being a professional and the legal requirements to register by practicing professionals. The talk was attended by about 25 engineers from IET members, consultants, oil…

Siong Tang
Leading The Way With IET Singapore’s Life Skills Workshop

Like Skills Workshop: Leading & Developing Successful Teams The rooms was at its full capacity, with everyone listening intently while jotting down notes on the margin of their booklets. A familiar sight at our IET’s technical talks and seminars. This event, however, was slightly different. Here the participants are delving into a topic seldom associated with engineering: Leadership. In a world that increasingly place emphasis on collaboration and teamwork in the workplace, engineers are finding that technical expertise alone is sufficient. IET recognises this growing need for engineers to develop “soft” skills like communication and leadership, and Singapore Network is among the first to kickstart the series of Life Skills Workshop Our lively Local Trainer, Morgan, introduces the attendees…

Former Community Member
PATW SW June 13th Final At Fundamentals

Congratulations to all three of our candidates in the South West PATW Final and to our prize winner Mrs Alex Pickering from IET Devon & Cornwall for her presentation 'The Crash of the smiler rollercoaster’. Johnathon Jackson for ‘TSR-2, The bomber that barely flew’ and to Michael Agyeman for ‘Building Information Modelling’.

Paul R
Ethics for Engineers – Professional Development Course

• If you help build a technology that is then used by others in questionable ways – are you responsible? • What should you do if you suspect a colleague to be working outside the bounds of their competence? • If there is a conflict of interest between your voluntary and professional roles, how should you act? If you can relate to any of the questions above, then our Ethics for Engineers course can help you! This one day course, which is based around UK-SPEC competence E, will provide you with the expertise to deal with those listed about, plus many other ethical dilemmas. Our Ethics for Engineers course will teach you how to: • tackle difficult situations within your workplace with confidence • make and assert decisions, which you can then justify using ethical principles • understand…

Former Community Member
IET BRUNEI NETWORK ORGANISED A TALK ON THE ARCHITECTS, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND QUANTITY SURVEYOR (APEQS) ORDER 2011

IET Brunei Darussalam local network has organised a talk on the Architects, Professional Engineers and Quantity Surveyor (APEQS) Order 2011. The talk was presented by the Registrar and Secretariat, BAPEQS on Saturday, 20 th May 2017 at Radisson Hotel. The talk briefed on the BAPEQS organization and the professional requirements for architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. The board is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Development and it also touched on the requirements for registration, who and why to register, how and where to register, and the benefits of being a professional and the legal requirements to register by practicing professionals. In addition, a presentation on Continuous Professional Education (CPE) requirements of BAPEQS was also given by Dr. Dayang Nor…

Siong Tang
IET PSB Academy On Campus and Myanmar

Myanmar(Burma), officially called the Republic of Union of Myanmar, was once colonized by the British. The English people brought their technology, railways and built ports which led to the growth of economy which led to Myanmar, becoming the richest country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar got independence from 4 Jan, 1948. Then, coup d'état followed, which was joined by unsystematic governance later. The country turned from best to worst and it shut itself off from the world until 2011. British rule in Myanmar in 19th Century. Credits: alchetron.com Then, in 2011, the country opened up to the outside world which led to many transformations, especially in telecommunication industry. This further led to tremendous increase in usage of the internet in the country, opening more doors for the foreign…

Former Community Member
CCAP Meetings - Taipei and HK

It's been a busy few months for CCAP - we had a meting in Taipei at the end of April, where we met some of the Taipei LN volunteers, and learnt about their successes and challenges. We also discussed a whole range of things - what does diversity and inclusion mean for the different countries with AP, the upcoming regional Communities Volunteer Conference (CVC), the CCAP Strategy document, and various sundry things like challenges to becoming a member in Myanmar. A few weeks ago the Finance Committee met in Hong Kong to discuss the Local Network budget submissions. That's right, it was money time. As is always the case, we don't have an infinite pot of money, so had to make some hard choices and decisions, but hopefully most Local Networks (LNs) will be reasonably happy. Letters will be going…

Karla Smith
Do you have an interest in Remote Sensing Satellite Systems?

Earlier this session the Satellite Systems & Applications Network hosted two excellent speakers on the topic of Remote Sensing Satellite Systems for Global Sustainability and I'd like to draw your attention to the presentations in this blog which are well worth watching. The speakers from the technical and commercial sectors outline how satellites are assisting in the management of the Earth’s natural resources and future trends in remote sensing systems. Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, Senior Strategic Geospatial Global Advisor and Director, Location International Ltd demonstrates how geospatial information is assisting around the globe to provide greater insights into global sustainability and its societal impact. There’s some interesting points that Vanessa makes during her presentation: …

Deborah-Claire McKenzie
Women in Engineering ‘High Flyers’ – volunteers needed

The IET Aerospace Network are supporting the above event which is being held at the Shuttleworth Collection, Biggleswade on Friday, 23 June 2017 from 4pm – 7pm. The focus of the evening which is part of the International Women in Engineering Day is an activity driven careers event to encourage/engage year 9-13 students with a mix of exhibitors and Further/Higher Education establishments. Ray Smith, Vice Chairman of the Aerospace Network will be manning an IET stand but is looking for local members in the area to come and help him out, especially female engineers in view of the focus. If you are able to help Ray it would be appreciated if you could please email him here by Monday, 19 June.

Deborah-Claire McKenzie

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