The Institution of Civil Engineers in the North East (ICE) has welcomed the University of Northumbria into an academic partnership.
The partnership, which will provide opportunities for staff and students to connect with industry, was formally launched during a visit to Northumbria University by ICE Director General Nick Baveystock. On the trip, he emphasised the vital role civil engineers play in addressing global challenges, including population growth and climate change.
Speaking to an audience of staff, students and alumni, Mr Baveystock said: “This is an exciting time for engineers, the limits of what we can achieve are changing as technology develops and we have the opportunity to find solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing the global population.
“The cities and structures we are building today will have to cope with a population growth of 38% over the next 20 years. We will see more and more people moving into cities and capacity will be a major issue, different forms of housing will need to be constructed.
“At the same time we have a responsibility to minimise our impact on the environment and ensure the work we carry out is sustainable. Above all we need to talk to the public, listen to what it is they care about and ensure we deliver value in everything we do.”
The Northumbria University partnership was organised by Martin Crapper, Professor of Civil Engineering and Head of Subject at Northumbria University. He said: “The importance of educating civil engineers to tackle future problems is clear and Northumbria is proud to be part of this. A key focus of all our degrees is employability, educating students so that they can make a contribution to society throughout their careers. Our ICE Academic Partnership will offer tangible benefits here, helping our students engage with the profession from the earliest stage in their programme, as well as helping the ICE to advance its charitable aims of making the world a better place through civil engineering.”
