I have recently had the opportunity to address three consecutive engineering events in quick succession, the Chamber’s Annual Engineering Conference, the Ceremony of the bestowing of Engineering Warrants and today, the Engineering Projects Exhibition. I can get used to it !
Today, I must admit that I am most enthusiastic to go through the exhibition to witness for myself how the ingenuity, creativity and innovation spirit manifests itself in physical projects delivered by upcoming engineers together with the academic community.
I am confident that each of the projects has pushed the boundaries of applying, what I have described in previous occasions as the engineers’ unique ability to identify opportunities. For each and every student, it must have been an exercise in tenacity and determination to face problems and find solutions that now would have the potential to transform industries and have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. I have been told that the range of projects on display today is quite remarkable.
I reiterate my strong belief that modern engineering innovation involves a process of continuous improvement, rather than breakthrough discoveries. In this spirit, I encourage you to retain this innovative attitude throughout your careers.
We need our engineers to continue to develop our modern society not by being compliant with the status-quo but to defy it, being innovative and bringing forward novel ideas – new manufacturing processes, unique materials, cutting-edge medical devices, dependable utilities and so many more strides in all fields of engineering.
I also encourage you to engage with other professions, complementing each other to achieve sustainable but affordable solutions to reduce the human impact on the environment. A particular upcoming challenge in front of us involves the design of better energy efficient buildings and low-carbon transportation. As a country, we have already achieved some remarkable results, but now, going a step further this will be even more taxing on your innovation skills.
We now need to challenge our standing mindset and start measuring our success using a quality yardstick rather than by simply gauging quantity. I strongly believe that engineers should be at the forefront of this needed change. They should be leading this new approach towards the next step in a raised quality performance – by their enhanced designs, by employing better implementation methods and finally by shouldering professional certification.
I conclude by thanking the esteemed academic staff of the Faculty of Engineering who mentored and supported all students. Your expertise and commitment have produced several new engineers which are invaluable for the challenges that lie ahead. I encourage you to continue to foster the innovative outlook of this University in future students. In a world where it has become more difficult to lure students into engineering, your efforts in making the profession more attractive do not go unnoticed.
Finally, I augur that today’s event continues to motivate all of you to strive in your interest towards science, to leave a lasting legacy so that engineers continue to transform the world, one step at a time.
