Speech by Professor S.K. Chou, Deputy President, The Institution of ...

SPEECH BY PROFESSOR S.K. CHOU, DEPUTY PRESIDENT,
THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE,
DURING THE FINALE OF NATIONAL ENGINEERS DAY ON FRIDAY 11
NOVEMBER 2011 AT 1200 HRS AT LEVEL 5 POSSIBILITY ROOM IN NLB
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the
Arts & Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning.
Introduction
1. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the National
Engineers Day Finale 2011 Awards presentation and the opening of
the Engineering Exhibition at The Plaza on level 1 of National Library
Building (NLB). I would like to thank our Guest-of-Honour Dr Yaacob
Ibrahim for taking time off his busy schedule to join us in this National
Engineers Day Finale celebration.
Engineers’ Contribution and the Engineering Field
2. Engineers have played a key role in our country’s economic
development. In the span of just one generation since independence,
we have contributed much to transforming our economy from Third
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World to First. Going forward, as we strive to make Singapore one of
the most pleasant cities to live in, engineers will no doubt be
expected to step up to the plate.
3. We are a lands-scarce city state. Engineering solutions will
increasingly be challenged with constraints never before
encountered. Be it in flood control, ensuring potable water, and
sustaining a clean environment, engineers will be called upon to be
ever more creative. Furthermore, we will live in an increasingly
carbon constrained future where energy demand will continue to rise
and supply becomes ever more uncertain. We will have to be more
energy efficient.
4. Therefore, engineers of the future will need deep ingenuity to
develop elegant and cost-effective solutions while contributing to
ensuring our industry’s competitive edge. Engineers will be needed
to harness renewable energy and design infrastructure and systems
for future mobility. Elsewhere, engineers will contribute to ensuring
increased crop yields and food security. Engineering solutions will be
needed at peace time and in conflict resolution. Last month, IES
established the Humanitarian Engineering Alliance, marrying our
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technical know-how with experiences of other bodies, so as to
contribute to disaster relief and alleviate the sufferings of the poor.
5. The challenges we will face underscore the need for
engineering talent. Engineers are required to design smarter
products, make better use of resources and materials, and develop
smarter and sustainable infrastructure. Engineering skills will need to
be highly adaptable. The premium attached to engineering will be
sustained as the world population increases in this technologically
driven global economy.
6. In Singapore, engineers have proven themselves to be
remarkably versatile and enterprising, making major contributions in
many economic sectors beyond engineering. Many engineers hold
leadership positions in industry and government. One such notable
person is our Guest-of-Honour, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.
Grooming the Next Generation of Engineers
7. IES has begun to take an active part in the education of young
engineers. Singapore has maintained a strong emphasis on science
and technology, recognizing the importance of an engineering
education to our competitiveness. New models of engineering
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education are evolving and are being adopted by local universities
and polytechnics. In October this year, IES organised the Inaugural
Federation of Engineering Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP)
Convention, which incorporated a conference on engineering
education and accreditation. Participants from around the world
shared their views and experiences on future curriculum, training and
achieving desired outcomes. There is no doubt that to take us further
into the new millennium of economic growth and prosperity, we need
to transform our talented young into quality engineers.
8. Through the National Engineers Day, we hope to attract and
enthuse the next generation of engineers in Singapore - young
people who are passionate about making a difference to the world we
live in. Working with tertiary institutions and agencies, IES is
committed to finding and nurturing our future engineering thought
leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.
9. A major highlight of National Engineers Day is the industrial
visits which offer students the opportunity to gain insights and firsthand
experience on what really goes on in the daily life of an
engineer. We would like to get the students to see for themselves
how an engineering career can be exciting and challenging for them.
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We have received very positive feedback both from the schools and
students who had participated in the past visits.
10. We have started another project to show case leaders,
professionals and personalities who have had an engineering
education. The interviews written by engineering studentscan be
found in the NED website. The interviews provide inspirational
examples to our youths on how an engineering education is so useful
to their future endeavours; thus, the tagline “One Foundation, Infinite
Possibilities”.
IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2011
11. Today, we also have with us a group of people who have
demonstrated engineers’ ingenuity and inventiveness. They are the
proud recipients of the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement
Awards. Every year, IES recognises outstanding engineers or
companies who have contributed to the well-being of communities
and shown resourcefulness in solving problems. The 8 projects
honoured today out of a total of 20 entries have successfully
balanced sustainable development with the needs of various
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stakeholders. It is by no means an easy task. But our engineers
have overcome all odds and achieved the honour.
CONCLUSION
12. In closing, I would like to urge all our partners and stakeholders
to continue to work with IES to promote engineering to the young.
Finally, I would like to thank the organizing committee, our sponsors,
and supporters for making this event a success. I wish all of you a
wonderful day ahead. Thank you.
-End-
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