» Issue 2: Spring 2005

Presidents' Report

Giles Baynham

WELCOME to the second addition of Imperial Engineer, incorporating news, articles and events from both the RSMA and CGCA. The editorial team has worked hard to produce this second issue and has also taken on board the feedback from the inaugural edition. I’m looking forward to receiving my copy.

Since the last issue Dr Julia King has been appointed Principal of the Faculty of Engineering. I extend the RSMA’s warm welcome and best wishes in her new role.

The Bottle Match weekend continues to draw significant interest from the alumni body. The RSMA committee would like to thank the RSM students for organising the events despite a serious lack of funding from ICU and FoESU.

On the issue of funding, we’ve made some progress on sponsorship for student events and will be able to announce details in the next Imperial Engineer. We have an offer from an alumnus who has been supportive over many years and are now looking to solicit funds from other parties.

Whilst we have had great success in dealing with the College and putting the RSMA on a solid footing with the Faculty of Engineering, the official disbanding of the RSMU some years ago has led to a reduction in student funding and their ability to hold traditional events, such as Foreign Students’ Week, without increased funding from their own pockets – all at a time when costs of studying in London have been rising.

The RSMA Trust has been as busy as ever and the committee is currently considering bursaries and a scholarship as ways of increasing the assistance the alumni can make to students wishing to study in the RSM disciplines. Now we are settled in the new set-up with the Faculty, we can turn our attention back to helping the students. I know this is a theme my successor as president, Roger Clegg, is keen to expand on, especially as we’ve had success increasing student membership.

This will be the last report I make for IE. I would like to thank both the RSM committee and Chapter Manager Teresa Sergot for their support, and also Bernie Pryor and John Bramley for their continued efforts in keeping the RSMA and its values alive and well over the last few tumultuous years. It’s been a privilege to serve the RSMA and I look forward to many years of mutual interaction with it and its members!

Barry Brooks

MY YEAR as president of CGCA has flashed past with much left to be done. I am pleased that this second edition of Imperial Engineer is proving to be a popular means for keeping in touch with Guildsmen and Guildswomen. It’s also good that our collaboration with friends in RSMA is helping to produce something with even wider appeal.

I believe that, by appointing Bill McAuley as managing editor, to lead the joint CGCA/RSMA editorial board, we have a sound basis for making Imperial Engineer even more popular and valuable to members and other readers – such as employers who might be interested in seeing how they could gain from closer links to the Faculty and the associations.

I hope that Imperial Engineer will show the mutual benefit to be gained by enlarging companies’ participation in such events as the Union’s Internship Fair and our own Networking Reception. If we could capture some advertising, that, too, would benefit the associations by releasing funds to do more for members and students. But, to reach that stage, we need to deliver an attractive publication, so please continue to contribute good copy and excellent photographs, for us all to share in what you are doing around the world.

Our events programme has been very high class, with attractive venues and stimulating speakers who set us some challenges on what we, as engineers, should be doing for society. For example, we were most grateful to Lord Garden who hosted a tour of the Houses of Parliament followed by a dinner by the River Thames. He spoke about ‘Where now for global security?’ – a sobering review of the wide range of intractable issues which affect us all.

I just wish that more members had a chance to enjoy these London events, although it is good to see large numbers of students, particularly at dinners(!) – all part of their preparation for life after college. Reports can be seen elsewhere in this issue.

Our Annual Dinner gave us an opportunity to welcome Dr Julia King with whom we, the students’ union and RSMA, are working closely in the Chapter, through which CGCA ideas and events are made available to a wider audience. So look out for more activities over the next year. Or, come to the AGM on 25 May and tell your Committee what you would like us to do!