issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

People paradeTaking a breakMiddleEastern ICEThe most recently formed branch of theInstitution of Civil Engineers (ICE) hasopened in the United Arab Emirates.Over 250 ICE members, partners and theirguests attended the inaugural annual dinnerin January, held at the prestigious Jebel AliGolf Resort and Spa in Dubai.Halcrow officially sponsored two tables often, but scores more employees attended toenjoy the networking opportunity, dinnerand dancing.Our man inChinaShanghai-based Halcrow developmentdirector for China, Ralph Parkin, spent tendays on a whirlwind tour of the countrywith the UK government’s department oftrade and industry and British Water.The tour targeted three provinces ineastern China, beginning in Shanghai,before heading off to Hefei inAnhui province, Nanchang inJiangxi and ending in Fuzhouin Fujian.Ralph’s presentations on ‘improving thequality of your assets’ and ‘urban waterquality management’ were well received andlaid solid foundations for developing deepercommercial relationships in the future.Also benefiting were the Lighthouse Cluband RedR charities, with almost £3,000raised in a raffle that included a varietyof Halcrow-branded items such as caps,t-shirts, golf accessories and more.At each location, the programmeincluded a day of round tablemeetings with governmentofficials and a second day offormal technical presentationsto over 100 delegates. Thesewere then followed by one-toonemeetings with governmentofficials and other interestedprovincial parties.Ralph Parkin at a China Water plantPhone anenterprisingfriendThe winning teamBudding inventors transcended history at arecent Enterprising Inventors Challenge heldin Scotland, dragging iconic technologicalinnovations into the imaginative realm of the22 nd century.Held as part of the Scottish Government’s‘Determined to Succeed’ initiative – inpartnership with Young EnterpriseScotland – the event enabledinquisitive year seven students toexplore the forefront of scienceand technology.Halcrow’s Glasgow-based SarahLee donned her judge’s hat forthe 6 November innovation-fest,presiding over 15 teams of tentalented youngsters. Tasked withprojecting pioneering Scottishinventions forwards 100 yearsto 2108, the students produceda refreshed version of theirallocated avant-garde productsand developed a marketing campaign topromote the revitalised gizmos.Presenter Mary Queenof Scots (pre-execution)kept her head and thestudents on trackDoppelgangers representing famous Scots– Thomas Telford (civil engineer), AlexanderGraham Bell (father of the telephone), ElsieInglis (suffragette and medical pioneer)and John Logie Baird (television inventor)– provided snippets of information on theirdiscoveries, while presenter Mary Queen ofScots (pre-execution) kept her head and thestudents on track.‘Phoneomenal’, a 22 nd century take on Bell’stelephone, stormed to victory, and the winningteam members – as judged by their peers –flew the flag for Glasgow at the national finalin Edinburgh on 25 November.48Vox | issue two