GMIT and Engineers Ireland present public talk on 'Engineering Matters'

A public talk by Engineers Ireland Western Region in association with GMIT’s School of Engineering will take place in GMIT, Galway, on Thursday, 24 September, 2015, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm (Room 994, new building).

The President of Engineers Ireland, Bill Grimson, will speak on the subject “Engineering Matters” and will elaborate on the themes he wishes to focus on during his term of office: civic engagement; trust; and the image of engineers.

The free event is open to all in the engineering professions as well as academics, third level students and the general public.

Mr Grimson’s talk will reflect on the views of non-engineers regarding today’s “grand” challenges, examine related societal and educational conundrums, deliberate on how Ireland can make a contribution, discuss why lobbying can be destructive, point to why engineers need to proactively provide appropriate leadership, and consider  if the ‘ideal engineer’ can exist.

The Chairman of the Western branch of Engineers Ireland, Dr Gabriel Costello, who lectures in the GMIT Dept of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, says “This free event is a great opportunity for all those interested in the future direction of engineering in Ireland to engage with the President of an organisation which has 24,000 members from every discipline of engineering.”

 

Bill Grimson, who holds an honours degree in electronic engineering from Trinity College Dublin and a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, succeeded Regina Moran as president. He is a past chair of the Membership and Qualification Board of Engineers Ireland and was also a member of the Board of Examiners. He served two terms as the Irish representative on the European Membership Monitoring Committee of FEANI.

 

In recent times, he has collaborated with both engineers and non-engineers in Europe and North America reflecting on the education of engineering undergraduates and the subsequent development of the professional engineer: he has authored and co-authored a number of book chapters and articles in the field.

 

For further information on programmes in GMIT’s School of Engineering, visit: http://www.gmit.ie/engineering/school-engineering and for information on Engineers Ireland, visit: http://www.engineersireland.ie/home.aspx