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The sustainability of a competitive, national economy depends largely on the ability of companies to deliver innovative knowledge-intensive goods and services to the market. These are the ultimate outputs of a scientific knowledge system. Ideas flow from the critical, identifiable phases of (a) the discovery, (b) the development, (c) the deployment and (d) the delivery of end products. In order to develop a successful ten-year strategic framework for investment in science and innovation, the UK government will need to prioritize and secure contributions to economic development and public service. One particular goal of the framework would be to identify the desirable attributes of a knowledge system that could achieve these ambitions. The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) interviewed US stakeholders in science and innovation to gather insights on the UK's potential for long-term, scientific innovation, and the critical processes that fuel it. This paper reviews high-level observations, proposes a model for a scientific knowledge system and outlines its critical attributes. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The role and performance of the engineering and scientific institutions in the UK have been undergoing gradual change in response to external, State and global influences. Consequently, the institutions are having to adapt and in the process of doing so the traditional balance between learned society and qualifying association activities is now in a state of flux. The relevance of professional registration is being questioned by employers and practitioners alike and the institutions are now having to operate in a greater collaborative context than hitherto. This paper reviews developments which have been taking place since the early 1970's and, by using responses from a survey of engineering and scientific institutions, identifies significant current problems and some challenges which lie ahead and which have yet to be confronted if the institutions are to continue to make a constructive contribution to society.

This paper reports a survey of the progress of participants in a year in industry scheme for A' level graduates in the UK typically aged 18/19. The scheme involves spending a supervised year in industry prior to a degree programme in engineering. The evidence shows that the year in industry: has a beneficial effect on the degree classification of the academically weaker participants, but little effect on the stronger; encourages all participants to take up further study; provides participants with a more positive picture of industry and engineering; but does not provide greater motivation to enter industry; provides greater financial remuneration in the world of work than would otherwise be the case. These results can be interpreted in terms of the way young people weigh the benefits of different career paths. Our hypothesis is that this involves moving to situations where they are more likely to be treated as adults. (Contains 7 tables and 2 charts.)

At present, value management (VM) is struggling to survive amidst other management fads. The problem is that it is still not recognized as a professional or academic discipline. There is no sound academic base and a lack of understanding by the public, owners and corporate organizations. The future survival of VM is therefore always being questioned. This study adopts a quantitative approach, trying to gaze through a "crystal ball" to look at current practices and forecast the future courses and directions of VM by considering different aspects such as education, research, practice, VM societies and promotional activities. Various influences on VM development are also examined. The survey sample was taken from the membership directories of SAVE International, USA, and the Institute of Value Management, UK. Forty per cent of the members were selected for the study on a random basis, and the response rate was 23%. From the survey findings, each of the different aspects will be examined in detail. In addition, the paper introduces a building engineering and management programme on offer in Hong Kong, which integrates the VM topic into the syllabus of a course in engineering economics. (Contains 17 tables.)

The programmes offered by both institutions are geared to the application of current technology. All the University of Derby programmes, including the BSc(Hons) degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Higher Technical Institute Diploma in Electrical Engineering, are accredited in the UK at Incorporated Engineer level by the Institution of Incorporated Engineers. Both academic institutions have adopted outcomes-based assessment and this paper examines how this influences the assessment of student learning, and considers the experience gained from quite different approaches used to deliver a similar learning experience. (Contains 5 tables.)

Engineering Design is rightfully regarded as a key element within all university Engineering courses and most laboratory assignments and project work seek to optimise the student's acquisition of knowledge and understanding of this process. Within this paper Engineering Design has been classified into a new "hierarchy of task level" each one defined by an increased degree of design freedom that an Engineer has to consider. It is argued that this classification accurately reflects the varying complexity of tasks found within real world industrial environment. The optimal matching of these task levels to university course assignments is discussed and limitations identified. The need for further design experience within a wider industrial context is shown to be essential if the nature of design freedom is to be fully appreciated by the next generation of professional Engineers. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This article presents summaries of papers on engineering sustainability. One of the summary was Green municipal engineering for sustainable communities by P.M. Condon and K. Isaac. This paper details the design and function of the East Clayton green infrastructure plan, focusing on stormwater management, pedestrian and bicycle movement and lowered infrastructure costs, and illustrates the vital and expanding role of the engineer in the move towards liveable, affordable and ecologically sound communities. Another summary was "A review of the UK cycle network," by R.J. Blackwell. This paper explores some of the reasons for this decline in use and reviews the role the National Cycle Network in trying to reverse the trend.

Purpose: A smart city is a city that functions in a sustainable and intelligent way, by integrating all of its infrastructures and services in a cohesive way using intelligent devices for monitoring and control, to ensure efficiency and better quality of life for its citizens. As other countries globally, the UK is keen on economic development and investment in smart-city missions to create interest in monetary environment and inward investment. This paper aims to explore the driving forces of smart road transport transformation and implementation in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved interviews with 16 professionals from the UK road transport sector. A semi-structured interview technique was used to collect experts' perception, which was then examined using content analysis. Findings: The results of the study revealed that the technological advancement is a key driver. The main challenges faced during the implementation of smart-city elements in the UK road network are lack of investment, maintenance, state of readiness and the awareness of the smart road transport concept. The study concludes that an understanding of the concept of smart cities from a road transport perspective is very important to create awareness of the benefits and the way it works. A wider collaboration between every sector is crucial to create a successful smart city. Originality/value: The study contributes to the field of digitalisation of road transport sector. This paper reveals the key driving forces of smart road transport transformation, the current status of smart road transport implementation in the UK and challenges of the smart road transport development in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is potentially tension between world class research and global standards on the one hand and local contexts of engineering and development practice on the other. One aims at scientific status and entirely new knowledge, suggesting just one standard of quality. The other at building products and processes that might bring socio‐economic development, often prizing pragmatism and bricolage. The UK‐funded programme 'Understanding Sustainable Energy Solutions in Developing Countries' (USES) was set up on the understanding that such tensions, if they exist, can be transcended. It was funded by two organisations, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the UK international development agency, Department for International Development. This paper analyses the USES research programme, looking at the processes of its establishment, partnership building, the research undertaken and its early impact. The paper shows that the USES programme goes beyond 'normal' pure versus applied, research versus policy and low‐tech versus high‐tech dualities. Instead, it throws up a complex series of issues that require attention if research is to lead to long standing and sustainable economic and social development. The paper suggests that the concept 'liquid engineering' might be a good way to conceptualise the ways in which the programme, without denying the tensions of dualistic realities, has moved towards a more fluid process to take account of its multiple and complex goals. The programme highlights that progress can be made towards engineering and development being accepted as a legitimate area of engineering theory and practice. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of using several commercial tools in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects for enterprise education at Newcastle University, UK. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper provides an overview of existing toolkit use in higher education, before reviewing where and how tools are used across science and engineering disciplines. Feedback was collated from Newcastle educators and students to determine whether the projected enterprise learning outcomes were achieved. STEM learning outcomes were also mapped to the NCEE entrepreneurship learning outcomes framework. Findings |!|#8211; The paper investigated the use of three key enterprise toolkits across the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, where the focus is on innovation and product/service development, rather than on the desire to |!|#34;be an entrepreneur|!|#34;. This reflection on practice evaluates the benefits and student perceptions of workshop tools for enterprise, decision making and teamwork. It makes comparison between the perceived employability needs of these students, and addresses the intended and actual outcomes of these tools. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; Evaluating toolkit use within a single university is constrained by common internal workings, however as exemplars of good practice this is of value to other UK higher education institutions. Practical implications |!|#8211; Consideration is given to entrepreneurial support and development, and whether using existing tools should be used for summative or for formative assessment. It also questions whether tools are fit for purpose. Originality/value |!|#8211; This paper reveals patterns of tool use and their effectiveness across science and engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of science education policy is, for most practising educators, somewhat shrouded in mist. Policies are currently conveyed by the present Secretary of State with responsibility for education through presentations of governmental papers and curricular documents. While it may seem strange that a politician can be elected one day, and announce policies within days of coming to power, these are often the products of months or years of deliberation beforehand. Core values or educational intentions are usually evident in political manifestos. These statements of position and intent inform the electorate of carefully crafted policies, intended to highlight potential governmental aims and objectives, at least in the UK system. These often judiciously construed plans represent a careful collation between ideology, evidence (from the UK or international), and appeal for the voters to gather popularity that will secure an elected government. Inevitably, only part of the process is transparent, that for which evidence and debate is in the public domain. Much of the policy formulation is channelled through specialist advisers and civil servants, whose contributions are highly influential, but largely hidden from public view. This article considers information available within the public domain and, as such, therefore only really begins to assess how evidence informs policy-making. It is intended to highlight for readers how far policy appears to be informed by evidence. It should be noted that, whilst this piece draws heavily upon material about education policy in general, that which refers to science education policy specifically is relatively sparse.

Purpose — This paper aims to investigate how Canadian engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies address lessons learned (IL) on their construction projects. Design/methodology/approach — This paper adopts a case study methodology. Findings — The exploitation of LL to improve performance on future projects is highly desirable for many construction organisations. The vision of an organisation that can readily recall what went well on a project and attempt to recreate those successes, as well as avoiding the repetition of past mistakes offers commercial sense. Originality/value — The paper provides a number of recommendations for UK companies regarding how the process may be improved in terms of encouraging LL to occur, the timing of LL sessions, identifying participants, the format for documenting LL and how these should be disseminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Existing research has established that women drop out of engineering careers in part because of a dissatisfaction with their career development, but women's understanding of career development in engineering has been as yet largely unexplored. This paper aims to explore female engineers' experiences of navigating their careers and their perceptions of barriers to career development, through the lens of the intelligent career framework (ICF). Design/methodology/approach: The in-depth interviews of this study were conducted with female engineers in the UK and analysed using template analysis. Findings: The authors identified three structural barriers that participants felt hinder women's career development in engineering: (1) promotions are more likely to be given to people who are widely known – more often men; (2) promotions are more likely to be given to people on whom high status is conferred in this context – more often men and (3) promotions are more likely to be given to people who conform to the ideal worker ideology – more often men. The women also offered a series of counter-narratives in which they reframed the behaviour they witnessed as something other than sexism. Originality/value: The findings highlight the significant and systemic bias against women's career development through gender stereotypes in workplaces and an implicitly gendered organisation that hinders the development of the three competencies needed for career advancement. The authors describe a range of counter-narratives that the participants use to help them to make sense of their experiences. Finally, the authors illustrate the application of the intelligent career framework (ICF) as a lens to view the career development culture of an organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the important differences between continuing education in the United Kingdom compared with that in many European countries. In addition, the role of Cranfield Institute of Technology in the provision of continuing engineering education is outlined. (Author)

The discourses around globalisation and internationalisation within higher education to date have tended to focus on institutional change. While recognising the importance of these debates, this paper suggests that issues around curriculum change and teaching and learning through global professions such as health and engineering have so far been largely neglected. Using evidence from the UK and Ireland, the paper looks particularly at how students perceive the importance and value of global perspectives to their professions. It concludes by noting that there is evidence of interest in integrating global perspectives within health and engineering degree courses from students, but that this raises major challenges concerning discipline-based knowledge, valuing differing perspectives and approaches towards teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite sustained efforts to promote engineering careers to young women, it remains the most male-dominated academic discipline in Europe. This paper will provide an overview of UK data and research on women in engineering higher education, within the context of Europe. Comparisons between data from European countries representing various regions of Europe will highlight key differences and similarities between these nations in terms of women in engineering. Also, drawing on qualitative research the paper will explore UK students’ experiences of gender, with a particular focus on the decision to study engineering and their experiences in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging skills development is a key part of the UK Government’s strategy. This emphasis on skills has led to changes in Higher Education, where there is an increasing recognition of the need to enhance students’ employability. This paper reviews the data on the type of employer skill needs available in the existing literature with a particular emphasis on those skills required by engineering and manufacturing employers. Statistical data related to skill gaps in engineering and manufacturing in the UK and London/Thames Gateway are presented with the intention to determine whether and how these relate to the employability skills and competences listed by various organisations. The paper arrives at a number of conclusions. In summary, for the ‘engineering and manufacturing workforce skills development’ ethos to become widespread in London (and the UK in general), a lot more needs to be done to understand the needs of industry to be able to develop provision that supports Londoners (and the UK citizens in general) in gaining appropriate skills in engineering. This can only be achieved through cooperative, inclusive, transparent and centrally coordinated approaches to skills assessment, monitoring and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering in the UK has a popular image of being tough, heavy and dirty and has helped to reproduce occupational segregation whereby engineering has been perceived as unsuitable for women. Despite these widely held views, some women do decide to study engineering with the possibility of pursuing a career in the sector (in 2002/03 15% of engineering and technology students were female1). However, research suggests that increases in the number of women studying engineering and related courses have not been matched by a similar increase in women engineering professionals. This paper therefore addresses women engineering students' perceptions of the engineering sector for two reasons. Firstly, to explore how these women's views of engineering differ from society's perception that engineering is a masculine domain. Secondly, to analyse whether these views change as students progress through engineering education and their industrial placement, and if they do, the impact this has on career intentions. The industrial placement is particularly significant given that it is usually women's first major contact with their chosen professional and also a key transitional stage in their career. These issues will be examined using the findings of a larger Economic and Social Research Council funded study exploring the impact of women engineering students' workplace experiences on their career intentions. Specifically, the research presented uses qualitative, semi-structured interviews with forty-eight female students. The paper concludes by explaining how the findings will be built upon in future stages of the research in which a practical guidance document identifying initiatives to improve women's careers in engineering will be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a study of the recruitment to the first version of the International Journeyman Programme (IJP), a project to recruit and train young workers from the northeast of England for a craft and technician training programme in engineering organized by a French trade guild, Les Compagnons du Devoir (CdD). The initial version of the project was unsuccessful and the paper highlights the role played by UK state agencies and institutions in the recruitment process in the project's lack of success. The paper examines the strategic relevance of a model of French craft training to a UK firm, describes that system of training and development, and analyses the recruitment difficulties faced by the UP organizers when they attempted to launch the programme. The study finds that key elements of the UK VET system have severe problems in delivering high-skills training, and that there are in-built structural barriers that limit the extent to which such training can be easily imported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women remain underrepresented in UK engineering, constituting only 11% of the engineering workforce in 2017 (WISE, 2017). This paper summarises the findings from two focus groups. From a total of 12 participants, the groups explored the experiences of undergraduate women engineering and navigation students at the University of Plymouth. Our aim was to identify ways in which we might support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in these disciplines. By identifying common experiences, it was possible to illustrate how women as a group experience engineering and navigation differently to men. Our findings support those of many other studies and include the "non-visibility" of engineering as a career option for girls and women, and the need to adopt a range of strategies in order to fit in and claim an authentic identity as an engineer, rather than a "woman engineer." Participants were sceptical about initiatives overtly contrived towards helping women to progress in the disciplines, as these can be perceived as constituting a form of positive discrimination against male students with the added concern that male students view them as such. Future research and possible initiatives are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nineteenth-century Britain is often seen as being the great age of liberalism. It was also a great age of engineering and building. This paper explores the interconnections between liberalism and technology, using Samuel Smiles as its point of departure. Smiles eulogised liberal individualism in Self-Help (1859), and engineers in his multi-volume Lives of the Engineers (1862). In the first part of the paper, I produce a typology of 'liberal objects' - the machine, the network, and the device - paying particular attention to the kinds of human agency such artifacts made possible. In the second part, I connect this typology to the theory of liberalism and its historical practice. Liberalism, I argue, often functioned by using technology to materialise a mode of indirect rule. Machines, networks and devices encouraged a set of practices - productive labour, mobility, health, cleanliness, attention, independence - essential to liberal subjectivity, and were promoted and imagined as such. Considering liberalism as a government of, by and through technology explains why such a supposedly reticent and inactive mode of government became so involved in the regulation of material life. It also explains the origins of the 'technological fix' - the belief that technology is the solution to any social problem - which has become predominant in the West in the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scenes at UK airports on 10th August, 2006 demonstrated the impact that unplanned change can have on airport operation. However, change is nothing new to the passenger security-screening environment: over recent years, airports have implemented a series of aviation security regulations. If change is made to an operation without engineering the process, a reduction in throughput and productivity and an increase in passenger congestion and delays can be expected. These effects are experienced at many airports today. This paper explores a short-term solution to effectively integrating new processes into a passenger security-screening operation. It then discusses long-term options to respond to the challenges of the future. The paper applies the industrial engineering principles explored in the paper 'Optimising passenger security-screening operations' from Journal of Airport Management, Vol. I No. I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a calendar of events on engineering materials as of April 2007 at the University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, Great Britain. A short course entitled "Polymers for Advanced Applications" will be held from January 29 to February 2. An exploration on the deformation and fracture characteristics of the principal classes of engineering materials will be held from March 5 to 9. A short course which will focus on the principles underpinning adhesion phenomena will be held from March 26 to 30.

Purpose - It has been suggested that organisations with a better balance, or critical mass, of women would be more tolerant of difference and foster the inclusion of other women. This paper seeks to investigate whether a strategy of critical mass can really work in the engineering sector. Design/methodology/approach - The data are based on research funded by the ESRC, and problematise critical mass theory through semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups with female students from a range of engineering disciplines. Findings - The findings demonstrate that women engineering students accept gender discrimination, view the industry positively, value their "novelty" status, and are critical of other women. Research limitations/implications - While these attitudes may be a result of women's assimilation into the existing engineering culture, they do little to further women's cause in engineering. Furthermore, it points to both the necessity, and difficulties, of transforming the engineering culture to ensure that the engineering professions are a place where women can not only survive but also thrive. Originality/value - While previous research has addressed the critical mass of women in science, engineering and technology, this research critiques critical mass theory, not only because women continue to remain isolated within the sector, despite increasing numbers, but also because many women engineers reinforce the masculine culture within engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000 the UK Engineering Professors' Council (EPC) drafted an output standard to describe first-cycle engineering programmes that would prepare students for practice and further professional learning. The standard described what is authentic and worthwhile in engineering education—it identified complex outcomes of learning. This poses practical and theoretical challenges: how can we know if a student has met this standard? This paper argues that complex outcomes like these often resist measurement and that it is appropriate to use other forms of judgement when trying to assess student achievement. This differentiated approach to assessment, which values formative assessment (or feedback) as well as summative assessment (or feedout), is summarized. It becomes necessary, then, to think about the assessment arrangements for whole programmes, not just for individual modules. Some implications of this programmic and differentiated approach are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty is hard to measure but often a central factor that influences outsourcing decisions. Assessing the holistic cost of uncertainty within the context of supply chain activities is the focus of this paper. The aim was to assess the holistic cost of uncertainty within outsourcing manufacturing supply chains, with a view to assisting firms to make more informed decisions when outsourcing. Our specific objectives were to understand and contextualise outsourcing uncertainty, assess the tangible and intangible costs that this uncertainty can bring and explore ways to manage this uncertainty. Stage 1 involved understanding existing outsourcing relationships through a questionnaire survey. Results from 107 questionnaires and 15 interviews with companies that outsource some aspect of their manufacturing were analysed. This revealed that the majority of companies felt that expected outsourcing benefits were not fully achieved, with cost uncertainty emerging as a major issue. Stage 2 involved carrying out in-depth case studies with five leading UK engineering firms, in order to better understand and contextualise the causes and consequences of cost of uncertainty during outsourcing. A resulting framework contextualises holistic costs of uncertainty in manufacturing supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Engineering construction has specific characteristics that separate it from other types of construction such as technical complexity, onerous safety, health and environmental regulations, duality of new build combined with maintenance and repair, largely owner/user commissioning clients, value propositions revolving around a production Process, etc. The recent Gibson report (Gibson, 2009) highlighted several significant problems associated with engineering construction in the UK arising, in many cases, from skill shortages and poor client–contractor relationships. Informal observation and a literature review enable 12 factors to be proposed that differentiate engineering construction from other forms of construction. A new paradigm for the construction sector is Lean construction. This is an adaptation of Lean production and is based on a philosophy that focuses on delivering improved value through the assembly of problem-solving networks of knowledgeable and skilled people. Accepting that Lean construction exists in theory as a method for improving a raft of construction production issues, the question is asked here as to whether it is also relevant to the set of additional factors identified as applying specifically to production in an engineering construction context. The discussion concludes that Lean construction principles can be applied in engineering construction and that an improvement in value could be achieved. Note: throughout this paper the word ‘process’ is used in two contexts—the design and construction process and the end Process that is the function of the client business, e.g. water treatment Process, food manufacturing Process. The context is distinguished by the capitalization of the first letter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of the steam indicator, with a particular focus on the relationship between the scientific theory regarding engineering and its practice in late 19th century Great Britain. The steam indicator's development by the Scottish engineer James Watt's manufacturing company Watt & Co. is discussed. An overview is provided of the 'Reynolds Controversy,' which derived from the engineering professor Osborne Reynolds' questioning of the steam indicator's accuracy on the basis of his theoretical investigations and experiments.

The UK engineering and technology (E&T) sector is male-dominated, with women facing various cultural and structural barriers in entering and developing their careers within it. Existing research in this area has focused on women's recruitment or retaining women in employment, but little has addressed women's transition to industry through the higher education (HE) system. This paper therefore explores women's experiences of HE in E&T, focusing particularly on the gendered help and support women were found to receive, as well as possible causes and consequences of this behaviour. The research adopts a qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews with women E&T students. The gendered help women received is shown to be something of a 'poisoned chalice'; although there are sometimes short-term benefits, this is likely to hinder women from progressing in their careers at the same rate as their male peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore a potential mechanism through which gender segregation in the engineering profession is created and sustained. Specifically, boundary spanners for women and men were examined because they may be a source of valuable information to job seekers. Design/methodology/approach – Applicant data for the role of a senior technical engineer (n=100) from an engineering organisation in the UK were analyzed. Findings – A logistic regression analysis showed that women applicants were significantly less likely than men to be offered a job as a senior engineer. A mediation analysis revealed that women did not use networking with boundary spanners as a primary job search tool, providing a partial explanation for why women are less likely to be hired in senior engineering roles. Originality/value – This study uses a dataset collected in 2009 to widen the investigative lens of processes that influence hiring outcomes for women in a male-stereotyped job, namely, engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that email is increasingly becoming the medium where in collaborative engineering work is done; yet, this assumption has not been properly examined. Thus, the extent of engineering information contained in emails and their potential importance within the context of knowledge management is unknown. To address this question, a study was undertaken with a large aerospace propulsion company to investigate the role and characteristics of email communication in engineering design projects. This paper describes the development of a taxonomy and classification method for achieving an understanding of email content and hence its use. The proposed approach is based on relevant techniques for analyzing communication and design text. The method codes the content of e-mail based on a hierarchical scheme by assigning email to categories and sub-categories that denote what topics the email is about, for which communicative purpose it has been sent, and whether it shows evidence of engineering work. The method is applied to a corpus related to the full life cycle of an engineering design project. Metrics for validation are discussed and applied to a sample case. Exemplar findings are presented to illustrate the type of investigations the method supports—including eliciting knowledge about project performance and identifying and accessing engineering knowledge. Finally, lessons from the development of the method, including a discussion of iteratively adaptive variants used to arrive at the final outcome, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Courses in product design are offered within the United Kingdom at the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex and in both cases are run within engineering departments alongside traditional engineering courses. This paper outlines some of the intrinsic pedagogic practices that are employed by these, and other, design courses. It highlights why creativity is a central tenet within these courses, which has underpinned the successful bid by the universities to jointly become the UK Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Creativity (CETL in C), and why, in particular, creativity is a key requirement in sustainable design. It supposes why these practices might, and should, offer a suitable role model for more traditional engineering courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives a synopsis of an extensive programme of case studies on real uses of computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials within UK engineering degree programmes. The programme was conducted between 2000 and 2003 and followed a questionnaire-based survey looking at CAL use in the UK and in Australia. The synopsis reveals a number of key messages for academic tutors and authors including students' enthusiasm for notes, self-tests and features to aid visualisation. Publishers should also consider pricing and licensing arrangements suited to the individual user. Cet article donne une synthèse exhaustive des études de cas concernant l'utilisation concrète des logiciels d'enseignement assisté par ordinateur (EAO) dans les études d'ingénieur au Royaume Uni. Ces études, conduites entre 2000 et 2003, sont basées sur l'analyse de questionnaires concernant l'utilisation de l'EAO au Royaume Uni et en Australie. La synthèse révèle un certain nombre de points clés destinés au corps enseignant et aux auteurs, dont notamment l'intérêt des étudiants pour les cours papiers, les exercices d'autoévaluation et les éléments d'aide à la visualisation. Les aspects liés aux coû ts et aux droits d'auteurs devraient aussi ûtre pris en compte par les éditeurs, afin de faciliter l'accès aux logiciels par les utilisateurs individuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role and performance of the engineering and scientific institutions in the UK have been undergoing gradual change in response to external, State and global influences. Consequently, the institutions are having to adapt and in the process of doing so the traditional balance between learned society and qualifying association activities is now in a state of flux. The relevance of professional registration is being questioned by employers and practitioners alike and the institutions are now having to operate in a greater collaborative context than hitherto. This paper reviews developments which have been taking place since the early 1970’s and, by using responses from a survey of engineering and scientific institutions, identifies significant current problems and some challenges which lie ahead and which have yet to be confronted if the institutions are to continue to make a constructive contribution to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a survey of the progress of participants in a year in industry scheme for A’ level graduates in the UK typically aged 18/19. The scheme involves spending a supervised year in industry prior to a degree programme in engineering. The evidence shows that the year in industry: has a beneficial effect on the degree classification of the academically weaker participants, but little effect on the stronger; encourages all participants to take up further study; provides participants with a more positive picture of industry and engineering; but does not provide greater motivation to enter industry; provides greater financial remuneration in the world of work than would otherwise be the case. These results can be interpreted in terms of the way young people weigh the benefits of different career paths. Our hypothesis is that this involves moving to situations where they are more likely to be treated as adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the influence of the business environment on the choice of strategy within the UK textile industry. The question raised is whether a more radical strategy such as Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is required, as opposed to TQM, which makes incremental improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the notion of clusters and clustering from the perspective of complex capital projects, drawing on two detailed case studies of long-term engineering projects. It suggests that conventional notions of clusters are often predicated on a high volume model of production and a stable environment for innovation. The case studies illustrate how the locus of innovation is shifting in response to changes in the nature of demand for major capital goods and the services associated with them. It is suggested this leads to greater dispersion in networks for innovation within complex capital projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor events throughout Britain are increasing in number and complexity. It is now common to have street-based events for crowds in excess of 100000 spectators and it is essential that public safety issues be addressed. Edinburgh's annual International Festival and Fringe has for the past 21 years ended with a bang. The month-long festival concludes with a spectacular classical concert and fireworks display with thousands of fireworks launched from Edinburgh Castle over the heads of 100000 spectators and into the night sky. This paper describes how the engineering of a major street-based event such as the Festival Fireworks can be achieved by professional multi-agency planning, a designed infrastructure, and by acting on the issues raised by previously identified points in the debrief report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents news and developments relevant to engineering in Great Britain compiled as of May 2003. Development of a Structural Integrity Monitoring Network by SimoNet with funding from the industry and government organizations; Launch of a forum on engineering structural integrity; Membership with the Society of Environmental Engineers; Survey of finite element analysis.

The creation of the UK motorway network in the last half of the twentieth century facilitated a dramatic improvement in the mobility of people and goods, and contributed greatly to the prosperity we enjoy today. Drawing on material collected by the Motorway Archive Trust, this paper begins with examples of advances in procedures for designing motorway alignments and provision of earthworks before moving on to pavement and bridge design; finally there is consideration of how the motorway system is operated, both in normal traffic conditions and at roadworks. Overall, the paper aims to provide an insight into engineering problems encountered and overcome in the building of the motorways through a selection of examples that, though necessarily limited by space, are broadly representative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]