22/01/08

Happy New Year everyone - I guess my resolution should be to update my blog more often! Life is busier than I could have ever imagined.

Just returned from a BP/IMechE business trip to Egypt on a joint IMechE/ICE conference on climate change and sustainability and it was great meeting our Members from Middle East and Africa. Interestingly the  Egyptian Government announced plans to build their first ever nuclear power station at the same time as our own Government unveiled plans to go ahead with new nuclear  build .Being interviewed on TV about the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant proposal took me back to my Dounreay days - except that the interviewers were much less persistent in challenging my strong supportive stance on nuclear. I wonder how many of you blog readers agree with me that the UK urgently needs new nuclear build . I think it ironic that with 500,000 professional engineers in Egypt and  half the Egyptian cabinet being engineers, they clearly won't have the same problem with skill shortages as highlighted by IMechE - and picked up across the national media last week - as we could.

Off to Munich for a Manufacturing Excellence meeting before catching up with ASME in New York.

On a final note, most of you will now know that Ruth Spellman is leaving us as Chief Executive. I will be chairing the selection panel for her replacement but in the mean time, we continue to stay in great form for 2008.

Yours aye

John

Comments

[Terry Mullard]

What a great shame that the IMechE has decided to follow the lead of the once great IEE in admitting Tech Engs to full membership. The IEE is now the meaningless 'Institution of Engineers and Technicians' 'IET'. I have a fear that the IMechE is also chasing 'numbers' rather than 'quality'.

As for Ruth Spellman I note that she is now moving to a 'non engineering' body. How a 'non-Engineer' was ever appointed as CEO, I just fail to understand. I assume an Engineer will take the reins from now on!