» Issue 6: Spring 2007

Presidents' Report

John Banyard

TIME has flown by since my last musings and my year as President will soon end. On May 8, I shall hand over to Peter Garratt. It would be easy to use this opportunity to review my year, but I wrote previously about the dangers of becoming totally retrospective. I therefore wish to pick up on the theme of Lord Browne’s address at the splendid CGCA annual dinner held on March 6. The event is reported in full elsewhere in this Imperial Engineer, but the message was very important.

Lord Browne identified a number of major problems that face society as we move into the 21st century. He pointed out that these problems can only be solved by engineers and scientists, because they are the only people who have the necessary skills to do so. The general population will not accept major reductions in their living standards, no matter how passionately they are argued for. What is needed is technological development that will enable the necessary changes to be accomplished so that our society can continue to prosper and the world to develop. This will mean a huge responsibility will fall on engineers in the future and the way in which they work will undoubtedly be impacted as well. For CGCA it means that our future members will work in an environment very different to the one in which most of us spent our professional lives.

I cannot forecast what those changes will be – it’s just too early to say and technology is developing at a frightening pace. What is important is that CGCA should remain flexible and dynamic and be prepared to embrace engineering of the future, in whatever form it evolves.

Imperial College must do so too if it is to retain its current position as the pre-eminent science and technical institution school in the UK. Therefore, the alumni association must be prepared to follow – it cannot lead. I’m sure that we have the foundations in place for the next 100 years: we must now build on them with care. Finally. I should like to thank the executive and the committee for making my year in office so enjoyable and offer my very best wishes to Peter as he prepares to take over the reins.

Roger Clegg

IF YOU are not aware already, 2007 is the centenary year of Imperial College. Although there may be some older constituent parts of the College, it is, nevertheless, a momentous occasion to celebrate Imperial’s achievements and its standing as one of the finest university institutions in the world. It must be remembered that part of this success can be attributed to the contributions of the constituent colleges and their alumni over the many decades, including the RSM and the Association. Whilst Imperial as an institution and a commercial venture continues to go from strength to strength, it must be remembered that for the students of the College, studying and living in London is becoming ever more challenging. This is where I see that the RSMA has a dual function in supporting the current students and their activities as well as providing a link for alumni to come together and catch up on old times.

In addition to the sheer expense of living in London, funding from the main college to the RSM CSC (the old RSMU) has shrunk dramatically over recent years. Although the students have found innovative ways of raising external sponsorship, it is not always enough to cover the costs of some of the activities and opportunities the students have; it would be a crying shame if the current and future students were to miss out on an integral part of student life which we enjoyed and benefited from purely because of lack of funding.

Your membership fees and donations are vital in assisting students (home and overseas) in research through financial hardship as well as supporting some of the social events that we took for granted when we were students. In an effort to highlight more of our activities the committee undertakes and supports, I am delighted to announce the launch of the RSMA website (www.rsmaonline.org.uk) which is now live. Whilst the website is still in its infancy, the RSMA would appreciate any feedback - after all it’s your website. Also, we have been in discussions with the RSM on improving access to merchandise for alumni members. Remember those cuffl inks that you bought 20 years ago and, despite the battering, you still wear; or the sweatshirt that won’t quite fit around that waist anymore? Keep an eye on the website for updates in the next couple of months.

Lastly, as my presidency comes to an end in the Summer, this will be the last report I make for IE. I would like to thank both the committee and Chapter manager – Teresa Sergot – for their support and their continued efforts in keeping the RSMA and its values alive. It is a credit to them and benefits many hundreds of people. I would also like to thank the students who re-introduced to me late-night drinking as well as reminding meof the reasons why I took on the role. It’s been a privilege to serve the RSMA and I look forward to many years of mutual interaction with this fine institution and its members.