822P80324PCE UAE(NEWSLETTER 2008No4    DOWNLOAD A VERSION IN WORD                                     CHECK WEB    www..pceuae.net

PCE   PROFESSIONAL   CHARTERED   ENGINEERS         NEWSLETTER 2008No4

UAE    UNITED ARAB EMIRATES GROUP (PCE UAE)         & NOTICES MAR & APR  

We welcome all UAE based Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians (EngT)

Registered with the Engineering Council (EC) plus all other members of the 35 EC Linked Professional Engineering Institutions (PEI)

Date & week numbering aims to comply with International (ISO), European (EN), & British (BSI) Standards

Eg.:  ISO 8601& BS EN 28601:1992 “Representation of dates & times for information interchange”, & BS 4795:1972.

 

We meet on the first & second Tuesday of each month in Abu Dhabi & Dubai respectively & plan related visits on the third Tuesday plus other events throughout the Emirates.  Come along for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), meet colleagues and network

 

Dear colleague

 

INTRODUCTION

Our PCE UAE Aims include the following and I believe it is relevant to reconsider these in the light of what we have been doing and what we plan to do.  Above all, as individual present or aspiring professional engineers we have obligations to meet standards laid down by The Engineering Council and our individual Professional Engineering Institutions (PEI)

The AIMS of PCE UAE (founded effective 1996 01 01) include: - To increase the status and representation of the Engineering Profession and to improve its contribution to the further development of the UAE.  To promote and encourage the acquisition of knowledge relevant to the Engineering Profession and to establish friendly exchange between members.   To arrange meetings for the reading and discussion of papers and visits of engineering interest and to do so in collaboration with other relevant bodies including UAE national organisations as appropriate.    To stimulate among members interest in the work and qualifications of the Engineering Council (EC) and the Sponsoring Institutions and to promote the Sponsoring Institutions locally

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and even here we see commercialisation of the event – including a reference to ‘Easter Trees’!.  Also, Thursday was a holiday to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).  This month and next will have seen many PCE UAE and related events.  I summarise some of these below and suggest that those interested follow up on the PCE UAE web pages or elsewhere.

 

2008 JUST GONE & JUST COMING

Source:  PCE UAE Chair & ProgSec 2008 03 21

 

Below, I refer to some recent and planned events, and encourage all to participate (and suggest others to inform PCE UAE ProgSec) – especially younger members who we hope will volunteer to take over from those older members who have been around for far too longI  At the AGM while all Committee posts and related appointments were deemed vacant our HonSec received no nominations to fill these vacancies.

 

Fortunately existing members agreed to continue to fill the 15 main posts and others.  I thank them sincerely for their continued contribution.  If some of the nearly 2000 PCE UAE members here do not volunteer to fill PCE UAE Committee posts or offer to be available in reserve for nomination, then it is likely that the UK PEI will decide who will represent you.  It was with some regret that the PCE UAE Committee heard – via ICE UK – that EurIng Mahr Badr wished to resign her post as Seminar Co-ordinator and concentrate on her other task of ICE volunteer Interviewer once a year.  It is therefore all the more appreciated that our HonSec arranged the very successful two day weekend seminar on ‘The IStructE CPR Examinations’.  35 Attended.

 

We now refer in more detail to some recent and forthcoming events

 

RECENT EVENTS (CONTD.)

TALKS & VISIT TO HH Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Tue 2008 03 04, 11, 18)  See NOTICE.   It was appropriate that our PCE UAE PROGRAMME this month was based on the HH Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  We had the planned and well attended lectures and video presentations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai followed last Tuesday by a site visit. The mosque is one of the four largest in the world with records for the height of the main dome, the size of the hand woven carpet from Iran and the size and weight of the main chandelier with 1m pieces of Swarovski crystal.  15 registered to attend but over 20 turned up and gazed in awe at the workmanship – particularly the coloured floral designs in marble set in white marble.

 

Attached is a photograph of the Group after the briefing and on site with two of the many domes in the background.  What was particularly interesting was the fact that five committee members attended, formally apologised for absence or were represented – one by his daughter who is a student at my old University in Glasgow, Scotland founded 1451 and the fourth oldest in the UK. Also, among the group we had young engineering graduates from UK, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt and encouraged them to plan career qualifications to EC registration, attend the PCE UAE Professional Review Preparation meeting scheduled for Tuesday 2008 03 25 at Ghantout. And also join the UAE Society of Engineers (UAESE).

 

UAE-UK Education for Employability Roundtable Meeting (Sun 2008 03 09)    I attended this event which was held at CERT, Abu Dhabi supported by the UAE Higher Colleges of Technology and The British Council plus The Middle East Association (MEA) which has as Patron the Duke of York.  HE The Minister of Higher Education Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan and HE The British Ambassador, Edward Oakden gave key opening addresses and other presentations were given by National Academics and Members of the MEA delegation.  Of particular interest was “The Role of UK Sector Skills Councils” by Bill Twigg Technical Director of the UK Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Technologies (SEMTA). 

 

Topics ranged from careers advice to schools to Professional vocational standards.  On behalf of PCE UAE I made it clear to MEA DG, Bill Twigg and others that PCE UAE with aims covering many such topics has roots her since 1969 and is a Group of nearly 2000 present and potential professionals based in UAE.  Many  are willing to contribute more to UK-UAE relations, employability and employment.  HE Sheikh Nahyan has been good enough to meet with at least four Presidents of PEI when on official visits to UAE as have the different British Ambassadors.  An evening reception at the Ambassador’s garden was cut short when HE Sheikh Nayhan invited all to his Majlis for reception and dinner.  Discussion and networking continued.

 

Middle East and Africa Conference call / ICE Sub Committee (2008 03 12 AE 20:00 Hrs) – 9 individuals including the Chair, Peter Cameron and Secretary, Neil Bailey participated. Countries included UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, Mauritius, Ghana, Zambia, South Africa.  Regrettably some lines were cut and could not be reconnected.  The main topic related to the ICE / IMechE Convention in Cairo in January.  UAE had proposed that the next such conference be held here, but the decision had already been made for it to be held in South Africa in 20010.  The UAE offer stands for a future date.  We also proposed that all relevant PEI be invited to be involved / represented and that all representatives meet to discuss mutual interests related to RAE, ETB, EC and EAB etc prior to each PEI meeting separately to discuss their own affairs eg  ICE alone pays ₤750 000pa to ETB to ‘Market” CEng, IEng and EngT qualifications – worth a thought!.

 

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) 5^th Music and Arts Festival 2008 03 22-04 02 -  An encouraging number of PCE UAE members and families were noted as they attended two evening concerts given by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the first visit to the Middle East.  The festival is scheduled over 12 days in the Emirates Palace Hotel Auditorium. The skills of the composers, conductor and orchestra were well illustrated as were the planning logistics necessary to get nearly 100 members here to perform ‘on stage’.

 

SPECIAL EVENT – Visit to UAE (2008 03 30 – 04 02) by the Chief Executive of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Dr Keith Eaton BSc(Eng), PhD, FCGI, CEng, FIStructE, FRMetS, MIMMM, MASCE, Chief Executive IStructE.  This visit has been arranged at relatively short notice but will include an evening meeting at Ghantout on Tuesday 2008 03 31 at 18:30 open to all PCE UAE members and colleagues.  Following a small reception, Dr Eaton will address those present on the topic “ IStructE -  International Update”.  He will be mainly in Dubai.

 

APRIL EVENTS – (Tues 2008 04 01, 08, 15, 22 & 29) (SEE NOTICE) Presentations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on ‘Facilities Management (FM) – Today & Tomorrow in UAE by David S Graham BSc, CEng, MIMechE, MBIFM Operations Manager – Facilities Management for Crown House Technologies, a subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke a major contractor engaged on major contracts in UAE.  These will be followed by related visits in Dubai and Abu Dhabi rounding off with our monthly Professional review Preparation (PRP) meeting at Ghantout subject to those attending the March Meeting on Tue 2008 03 25.

 

STOP PRESS (2008 03 24)- The Gulf News heading reads “UAE to set up nuclear agency with initial capital of Dhs 375mUAE”.  While the technology may be from France it is interesting to note that The Institution of Nuclear Engineers (INucE) is one of the 35 PEI licensed by EC hence linked to PCE UAE.  Also, our speaker for April started with Babcock Power on nuclear work as did the present PCE UAE Chair.  We look forward to welcoming some INucE members here one day.

Signing off, Alister,                                   Er Alister I M Macmilan, Chair PCE            UAE,  2008 03 24