Thursday 20th November
Susan McDonald, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Ambassador, spoke to students about how engineers make the impossible, possible. They listened to her fascinating story of taking a 5-year joint Mechanical and Electrical engineering degree, which has led her to make huge real world impacts in implementing sustainable energy solutions. She impressed on students that engineering is about solving problems, from improving the PCR Home Testing Service for vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic to developing major off shore wind projects for the UK. She opened students’ eyes to the breadth of scope that a career in engineering can bring, and encouraged them to take all opportunities with both hands.
Wednesday 26th November
Chetan Kotur, Young Engineer of the Year in 2018 and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering inspired students with the story of his own educational and employment journey. Starting out as a child who loved cars, he pursued his interests, kept an open mind and ended up with an engineering career which took him to Sweden, Shanghai and then back to the UK, where he now drives a car that he helped to design! Students were given insight into the automotive design process, the significance of intelligent safety features and a glimpse at what autonomous cars of the future might look like. Chetan also explained the scale and challenge of vast engineering projects like the Hinkley Point nuclear power station and how the construction industry can be reimagined with innovative engineering.
Both events left students feeling inspired that engineering can not only be a rewarding career, but also has the power to solve many of the world’s problems.
