This November saw our President, Mark Hunt embark on his first international visit in representation of the Institution. The President was accompanied by his wife Lisa for the week-long visit to meet key members, universities and industry leaders in Hong Kong and China.
Within hours of landing at Hong Kong International Airport on 12 November, the President made his way to his first engagement: the Hong Kong Branch Newly Elected Fellow Reception. This Reception was held at the Hong Kong Club in Central Hong Kong and it was here that Mark made a short welcoming address at the beginning of the event, where he presented certificates for several new fellow members and met over thirty fellow members during the gathering.
The next day, 13 November, was among one of the busiest of the President’s visit, as he began his working day with a courtesy lunch meeting with the Department Heads of local universities. The department heads included: Prof Yuguo Li - Head of Mechanical Engineering (ME) Dept at Hong Kong University; Prof SQ Shi – Head of ME Dept at Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Prof Chris Chao, Head of ME Dept at Hong Kong University of Science; and Technology Dr Peter Chiu - Head of the Department of Engineering at Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education. The President was also accompanied to this courtesy meeting by the Hong Kong Branch’s Past Chairmen of and Branch office bearers including Barry Lee (Hong Kong Branch Chairman) Louis Szeto (Immediate Past Chairman) Coleman Ng (Hon Secretary) and Dr CW Tso (Past Chairman).
The meeting’s discussions- which were held in the restaurant of the Harbor Grand Hotel, where the President and his wife were staying- served to engage with local academia and to provide a better understanding of the local challenges faced by the Student Chapters, whilst recognising the strong role that the Hong Kong Student Chapters play in the local community and also in providing grass roots membership for the Institution.
Rather appropriately, shortly following this meeting with the Department Heads, the President visited one of the Institution’s Student Chapters at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPolyU). Here, Mark met with around 100 engineering students where he informally engaged with them to inspire them to remain in the profession as well as to promote membership of the Institution.
The President, who was delighted to meet not only HKPolyU students on his visit but also a number of students and staff at other Student Chapters in Hong Kong, said: “The five Hong Kong student chapters were vibrant and well motivated, showing great leadership of young members. The future is safe in their hands.”
That evening, the President presented his George Stephenson Lecture as part of a Presidential Reception held at the World Trade Centre Club, Hong Kong. Speaking to an audience of 120 members, representatives of sister institutions and local universities the President delivered his speech, entitled ‘From young member to Youngest President’ to raise the profile of the institution in Hong Kong at this networking event for the local membership and the engineering community.
According to Barry Lee, Chairman of the IMechE Hong Kong Branch : “The President's Reception and George Stephenson Lecture was well attended by our members and the President’s speech has impressed them a lot!”
-and-cy-shiu-hk-branch-committee-member-at-the-george-stephenson-lecture.jpg?sfvrsn=1407ef12_2 "The President with HK Branch Chair, Barry Lee (left) and CY Shiu HK Branch Committee member at the George Stephenson Lecture")
The day of the 14 November began with a breakfast meeting between the President and local industry executives at the Hong Kong Club to discuss the developments of the engineering industry in Hong Kong and the support of Professional Engineering Institutions. These executives included Otto Poon, Managing Director of CLP Power HK, Angus Cheung, CEO of China Aircraft Services Limited and HS Kuok Managing Director of Chevalier. Here, the president was supported by branch members to exchange views with these industry leaders on the opportunities and challenges that mechanical engineers normally face in industry in Hong Kong.
Following this visit, the President made a courtesy call with Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) to meet their new President and team. According to Barry Lee: “The President and the Hong Kong committee members had a very successful meeting with our counterparts in Hong Kong and explained to them the proactive steps we have made to improve our professional interview process in Hong Kong, particularly through the new introduction of an Interviewer Facilitator”.
That evening, the President attended a Joint ball of the IMechE Hong Kong Joint Branch of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology where he met a large group of professional marine engineers and shippers to network with them. The ball, which was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Shangri-La hotel included a cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing to a live band and the ball was also attended by Hong Kong VIPs including Director of the Marine Department and one of the country’s Legislative Councillors.
On 15 and 16 November, the President, accompanied by his wife and HK branch Chairman, Mr Barry Lee and delegates of China Subcommittee visited Guangdong Province Society of Mechanical Engineering (GDMES), Guangdong Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (GDSNAME), Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology (GDAST) and South China University of Technology (SCUT).
On the afternoon of 15 Nov 2014, delegates visited GDMES and GDSNAME’s offices in Guangzhou. During two meetings, the President on behalf of IMechE conveyed the intention of further cooperation between institutions. All parties agreed to maintain a long term cooperation and mutual exchange of information and ideas. All parties would encourage relevant members including young engineers to participate in the academic and technology sharing wherever possible.
After meetings with GDMES and GDSNAME, delegates visited Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology (GDAST). GDAST was founded in November 1961, leading 154 Institutions, Society and Association in Guangdong Province in South China. The current member size of GDAST is 1.6 million in Guangdong Province in South China and the main task of GDAST is to organize international academic exchange programmes, organize and conduct research development, establish academic exchange platform for technology workers, engineers and academics, cooperation and exchange of information and technology across Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and to provide guidance to Institutions and Society.
During the meeting, Mr HO Zhen, Chief Secretary of GDAST welcomed IMechE and briefed that the current development of GDAST in recent years is to broaden academic exchanges, promote training and other aspects for high-end talent and hoped to cooperate with international bodies. The President briefed that the IMechE is an independent Professional body with global operations, licensed to appoint professional engineers and publish proceedings & journals throughout the world.
Subsequent to the meeting, Mr Barry Lee on behalf of IMechE Hong Kong branch signed a five-year cooperation agreement with GDAST. It is an historic signing of a cooperation agreement with GDAST and also recognizes that it is a major milestone of IMechE HK branch to be the first international institution signing an agreement with GDAST. By this agreement, GDAST and IMechE Hong Kong branch establish an agreement that recognizes the value of cooperation and the mutual exchange of information and ideas to explore the opportunity of young engineers for training, professional development and qualifications being recognized internationally.
The President was very happy to have been involved in this occasion, saying: “Signing the co-operation agreement with GDAST was ground-breaking. It demonstrated our intent to use the Hong Kong Branch and China sub-committee to give many more engineers the opportunity to benefit from professional registration.
On the morning of 16 Nov 2014, delegates visited South China University of
Technology (SCUT) to hold the inauguration of the Student Chapter at SCUT. The President congratulated students to set up a Student Chapter and recognize their contribution.
The two-day Presidential Visit in China culminated in the historic signing of a cooperation agreement with GDAST and the inauguration of the Student Chapter at SCUT.
For Mark the creation of a new Student Chapter was an important sign of the Institution’s presence in China. He said: “Establishing the first student chapter at SCUT achieved an important milestone for IMechE in GD province. It will provide a crucial launch pad from which to explore the possibility of professional accreditation and support future members.”
The China Sub-Committee have also confirmed that they will keep up the work and efforts to achieve more in the future.
The final days of the Presidential visit were spent back in Hong Kong, with the focus turning largely onto the Aircraft Maintenance Symposium activities which were held on 17 and 18 November. Along with the IMechE, the Symposium was co-organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Hong Kong Aviation Industry Association (HKAIA) and marked the launch of an initiative to support the development of the Aircraft Maintenance industry in Hong Kong and China called the Aviation Maintenance Engineers Asia Pacific Initiative.
Preparations for the event began in the form of meetings with key personnel at China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) to promote the Institution and to discuss their support and participation in the Aviation Maintenance Engineer Asia Pacific Initiative. That evening the President then hosted an Asia Pacific Aviation Centre Key Stakeholders Engagement Dinner. This was a great opportunity to network with the key stakeholders linked to the aviation industry which we hope will support the initiative now an in the future.
The Symposium itself was opened the next day on 18 November and was held at the the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Keynote speeches were given by both Tim Brandt, past Chairman of the Aerospace division as well as the President himself who gave a 30 minute presentation on the role of Professional Institution’s in the aviation industry.
Talking about the potential success of the Aviation Maintenance Engineers Asia Pacific Initiative, the President commented: “Our Aerospace Division helped mastermind the first symposium in Aircraft Maintenance. The IMechE is setting the standards and defining competencies in the aerospace sector for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.”
Following his return to the London, the President was delighted to let the World Bulletin Team know about his first international visit on behalf of the Institution and was particularly impressed by the volunteers who he met in Hong Kong and China:
“My wife and I were grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality shown to us by everyone in Hong Kong and China. The engineer s were also some of the best I have met since becoming President. Not only was I hugely impressed by all the engineers I met in Hong Kong and China but the energy and dedication of the volunteer members never fails to inspire me. As President, I am proud of the work that the IMechE is doing in the region. Together we are changing people's lives through engineering and giving them a stake in their own future.”
You can
read more about the Institution’s President on our website or you can visit the
North East Asia Region’s NearYou site to find out more about the Institution’s events in the North East Asia Region (NEAR) as well as how you could get involved as a NEAR volunteer with the Institution.