CHAIRS’ CORNER | BTS & BTSYM


Steering Committee elections, which was an exciting opportunity to connect with young tunnellers from across the globe. I also joined the WG 23 meeting on Education and


Training—an inspiring platform to share ideas on how to improve learning pathways and skill-building in our sector. It was equally encouraging to see Asil Zaidi and Negin Dolatraftarhaghighi representing the UK in other WGs, helping to ensure that both BTSYM and BTS continue to have a strong, long-term presence in international discussions. They join Thomas Macgowan, former BTSYM Chair and now a member of the ITAym Steering Committee, in reinforcing the UK’s meaningful engagement at the global level. Back home, the May workshop was ‘Connecting the


Dots – A Tunnel Engineering Knowledge Framework’, delivered by Si Shen. It was a major success, with engineers eagerly explore the topic through his freestyle, structured, accessible approach. The session sparked great interest across all levels of experience—from students to senior professionals. Later in the month, SENER delivered a technically rich


lecture on the Los Angeles Outfall Project, presented by Alfonso Navarro and Jorge Salas. Their insights into segmental lining design under squeezing ground conditions sparked great engagement. We’ve also made space for relaxation and


BTSYM CHAIR: ARABEL VILAS SERÍN The past five months as Chair of the British Tunnelling Society Young Members (BTSYM) have been intense, rewarding, and full of positive momentum. Since stepping into this role, I’ve focused on three key goals: deepening our collaboration with the main BTS; expanding our geographical reach across the UK and internationally; and, fostering a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and professional growth for all young engineers—whether members or not. To support this vision, I restructured the


subcommittees to include new sub-groups on Sustainability & Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion, and Industry & Partnerships, and also appointed regional reps in Leeds, Birmingham, and Manchester. We’ve worked hard to make our events more


accessible, hybrid, and welcoming—reviving in-person attendance post-Covid and connecting with young professionals and students across the country. We have also strengthened ties with academic


institutions and launched meaningful partnerships with organisations, such as Harris Futures, Inspire Education Group, and the BGA Early Careers Group. From hands-on outreach in schools to international


webinars, new lectures, and joint events, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved—and there’s still much more to come. We closed out the Spring season with a strong


presence at the World Tunnel Congress (WTC) in Sweden, where several BTSYM members participated in Working Group (WG) meetings and attended technical sessions and international networking. I had the honour of representing the UK in the ITA Young Members (ITAym)


connection. In June, Avantika Raj, our Social, Media and Communications’ Chair, led a summer social in Regent’s Park, London. The turnout was fantastic, and attendees enjoyed casual football, rounders, and great company. Our Youth Outreach and Education Committee, led by


Solomon Ekperuoh, has been working tirelessly. Recent highlights include presentations at Harris Academy Crystal Palace and STEMFest at Northolt High School in collaboration with HS2 and QPR. At the University of Cambridge, we co-hosted a fascinating session on Switzerland’s Deep Geological Repository, delving into the underground construction and geotechnical complexities of nuclear waste storage. Several more outreach events are in the pipeline, including a July webinar with the Nigerian Tunnelling Association Young Members, where Hashmi Sohawon will present on pipejacking and ground movement analysis from the Rye Meads project. Our Innovation & Sustainability Committee, led by


Negin, continues to grow in ambition and impact. Since launching, it has run a series of successful ‘Sustainability Series’ events with BGA-ECG and EGG- ECG, exploring topics such as lifecycle-based design and low carbon construction. A major highlight was our lecture on BREEAM Infrastructure in tunnelling, which brought together practical experience and sustainability standards. To build on this momentum, the committee has launched a Sustainability Questionnaire to capture a broad range of perspectives on how sustainability is currently being addressed in tunnelling. The survey is open to everyone—whether you’re a student, graduate, contractor, designer, academic, or client representative.


July 2025 | 39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45