Dr John Li – President
Xila Liu – Vice President
Dato Chuah Hean Teik – Immediate Past President, Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia Pacific
Ir. Tan Yean Chin – Secretary General
Members and Staff of Engineers Australia
Ladies and Gentlemen
My name is John McIntosh; I am a Loud and Proud Chartered Fellow, and National President of Engineers Australia.
Welcome to the beautiful City of Perth, Western Australia, an enviable backdrop for the 24th General Assembly of the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and Pacific.
ACKNOWLEDGE OF COUNTRY
As is our custom, Engineers Australia acknowledges we meet on the lands of the Noongar Nation, and that we recognise the Custodians of the Land as the Wadjuk People.
I would also like to pay my respect to Elders both Past and Present and extend that respect to other Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders present.
[PAUSE]
It is an honour for me to stand here and welcome so many friends and esteem colleagues to this annual event.
This is the first time Engineers Australia has had the privilege of hosting such a prestigious gathering, and we very much hope that over the next few days you take advantage of this forum for enlightened discussions, designed to advance the science and practice of engineering, world-wide.
Engineers are Problem Solvers. It is what we do. And let me add, it is what we do extremely well.
When you look out over a vibrant city anywhere in the world, there are many things to admire, not least the work of engineers in shaping the landscape.
As we are confronted by challenges, we must also acknowledge the enormous opportunities to showcase our work and the impact engineers have on the built environment.
As Problem Solvers we also have the responsibility to share our considerable skill and knowledge with current and future generation of practitioners.
No-one, not even engineers, has a mortgage on great ideas, and therefore it is incumbent upon all of us to look beyond our individual circumstances and learn from each other. There is no better forum than this gathering, and I trust you will learn from the experience.
The true value of our time together will be determined by what we have learned. So I urge each of you to take advantage of any opportunity to meet someone you have never met before and impart your knowledge of our profession with the same passion as you once did or continue to do.
As National President of Engineers Australia, I have the great fortune of travelling to many parts of the world; learning from and extolling the work of engineers.
What I have come to discover is the similarities that exist among those who have chosen the path of engineering.
Often times, I will speak to colleagues about the nobility of our profession.
We will exchange thoughts and ideas on why our profession is largely respected, even-though not everyone understands what exactly it is we do.
And then there are those occasions, we will look at each other and wonder why it is the Chemical Engineers get all the Babes.
You must agree, we all know those who fit into this bracket.
[PAUSE]
Moving right along!
We, at Engineers Australia, have recently undergone an internal review, of who we are as an organisation, with the intention of being the ‘trusted voice’ of the profession.
That is indeed a high bar, for which I make no apology!
- Trusted by governments;
- Trusted by the engineering profession; and above all
- Trusted by the community, we serve.
The path we have undertaken has strengthened our ties with political decision-makers; it has earned the praise of an industry searching for leadership; and the respect of an academic world, which is quite frankly the cradle of our existence, as a professional body.
Being relevant and providing un-rival benefits for our members are the key ingredients to this strategy.
As representative bodies for the engineering profession, the number one challenge must surely be our relevance to our members.
Engineers Australia’s Facilities Management Program, will establish a bank of contemporary, state-of-the-art office environments, to service our members.
Whether you are a member living in Perth or the Pacific; Sydney or Singapore; Melbourne or the Middle East, the resources of Engineers Australia will be at your disposal.
As National President, I am determined to ensure our local and international members understand that we are and will remain the global home for engineering professionals.
This is a message not just directed at our members from the Southeast Asia / Pacific region, but to all engineers, regardless of your geographical location.
To further enhance this growing reputation, Engineers Australia – through our Charter and Engineering Executive credentials – has established a program that will guide our members in their pursuit of academic and engineering excellence.
Later this evening, we will be acknowledging our newest members to reach these international benchmarks.
This General Assembly is yet another fine example of our willingness to reach across oceans to further the global science and practice of engineering.
The engineering knowledge that exists within our sphere of the world cannot be overstated.
In fact, this region boasts some of the most advance engineering capabilities the world has known.
Whether your contribution extends to building a sophisticated transport network system which carries millions of commuters daily or an office complex that conforms to the very highest environmental standards, many of the engineers in this audience are unrivaled leaders of our profession.
Through the exchange of ideas that will deliver vital Continuous Professional Development programs, we are here to learn from you.
To continually look for opportunities to collaborate and lift the bar for engineering professionals, we want to know what fuels your ambition.
To hear you passionately speak about how your work has impacted our collective Humanity, we want to celebrate what it means to be an Engineer!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you.
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