Institution news Getting involved
I concluded my January Chairman’s column saying how we have entered 2013 in a very positive frame of mind. We are an institution with some excellent values and pedigree, and over the past several years have been moving forward with the aim to improve the IED’s profile and deliver better services to our members.
Get Involved
If you would like to contribute to any discussions write to David Maffin, Chairman, at The Institution of Engineering Designers, Courtleigh, Westbury Leigh, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3TA or email:
david@ied.org.uk
The IED delivers a wide array of activities. Firstly there are our responsibilities as a professional institution. These include working with the professional engineering institutions and organisations such as Engineering Council and Royal Academy of Engineering to promote the engineering profession, undertaking university course accreditations and assessing individuals for membership and professional registration. We also provide membership services ranging from the publication of Engineering Designer, regular newsletters, support for CPD, discounts on professional services, through to organising conferences and events.
How is all of this achieved? The IED is run on a day-to-day basis by a relatively small team of staff at HQ who do a great job. However, due to the many individuals offering their high calibre expertise on a voluntary basis it is not only possible to do so much more, but to do it really well. These individuals range from members of Council and Executive Board; the key working committees concerned with membership, and education and training; specialist working groups; professional review assessors; regional coordinators and industrial liaison officers.
My own voluntary involvement in the IED started about 12 years ago. At this time I had a spell working for a company in Wiltshire, so not far from IED HQ. Call it serendipity, or our Membership Committee Secretary’s eye for an opportunity, but I was invited to join MEMCO. Soon after, and late for a meeting one evening, I arrived to find myself elected Chairman of MEMCO. In subsequent years I have unwittingly found myself on Council, Executive Board, and most recently pleased to be appointed IED Chairman.
Reflecting on my own involvement in the IED has had me wondering: Why do so many of us get involved in the activities of IED? Moreover, why does it usually continue for many years? At one level there is an expectation of all of us to have a ‘continuing involvement in the profession’. This forms part of anyone’s assessment for professional registration and it is an expected feature of our continuing professional development. So at one level there is a need to tick a box. There are also the tangible benefits of networking and opportunities to learn from others having a similar professional interest in the field of design, to discover new developments in different areas of industry, academia, etc.
Surely the main reason for being involved in the profession is a very human one, indeed emotional. It is about personal satisfaction, recognition, a need for a sense of belonging and wellbeing. It is a known fact that people who are actively involved in community groups, societies and charitable organisations, where they have shared interests and beliefs with others, are more likely to have a higher feeling of happiness than those who don’t. (See, for example, The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.)
It is interesting that in our members’ survey last year, many expressed a wish for more events and opportunities for networking. It is pleasing to see the popularity of the company visits and tours that have been organised recently (eg Thames Barrier). There are also opportunities to be involved in Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and the many other voluntary activities at the IED. I would not hesitate to recommend getting involved, and I’m sure all the other volunteering members would say the same. Developing the IED’s plans has to be based on growing our extended network, so if you are seeking such an opportunity, your ideas and input will be welcomed.
Please let me know your thoughts on any aspects of design and IED by contacting me at
david@ied.org.uk
David Maffin 4
Dr David Maffin PhD BEng CEng MRINA MIED Chairman
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