Brunel – still the Daddy!
09 May 2011
Here is an interesting one. Who are the most inspirational engineers of all time? If you ask students of today you'd find Messrs Gates, Jobs and Dyson in the top five – but Brunel is still the Daddy of them all!
I am basing the above statement on some research carried out by GE, who surveyed 900 UK engineering undergraduates. Along with asking who were the industry’s inspirational figures it also asked what challenges the industry faced in the future. More of that later. First of all, when asked: “Who do you consider to be your hero/icon in your field?”, the top ten answers were:
1. Isambard Kingdom Brunel – leading civil engineer of 19th century, built bridges, dockyards and railways.
2. James Dyson – industrial designer who developed a new generation of vacuum cleaners and actively supports engineering projects in the UK.
3. Steve Jobs – co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc., which developed some of the most iconic personal technology products including the Mark II computer and iPod.
4. Nikola Tesla – inventor and engineer whose work formed the basis of modern alternating current electric power systems.
5. Bill Gates – co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft, who developed the industry standard operating system for personal computers.
6. Frank Whittle – RAF engineer who is credited with inventing the first jet propulsion engine. 7. Isaac Newton – physicist and theoretician who developed the concepts of mechanics, gravity and the laws of motion and invented the reflecting telescope.
8. Albert Einstein – theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity and is considered the founder of modern physics.
9. Charles Rolls & Henry Royce – developed early engine technology and luxury motor vehicles.
10. Thomas Edison – inventor of the first commercially viable light bulb, motion picture camera and phonograph who revolutionised electrics and communications.
If any of you have alternative top tens – or key characters that you think should be in there, then let us know and I will publish them next week.
The research also looked at what students saw as the biggest challenges that engineering technology should look to address. The top five were listed as:
1. Energy
2. Environment
3. Food, Water and Natural Resources
4. Societal Issues
5. Quality of Education
The study indicated that young people are increasingly positive about the prospects of engineering technology in the UK. 92% of students say that engineering technology has a “positive image” and the same number was confident or very confident about their career prospects on graduation.
Mark Elborne, President and CEO of GE UK, said: “In today’s celebrity obsessed culture, there is a risk that engineering will not be seen as particularly trendy. However it is crucial to our economic growth and prosperity; to our international competitiveness as well as to our future. It is refreshing to see that a new generation is turning to engineering - not just because of the career or salary prospects, but because engineering gives them the skills and tools to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. This in itself is inspiring and very encouraging.”
Both lecturers and students see developing a more positive societal attitude regarding the benefits of engineering (86% and 77%) and investment in higher education and vocational training (82% and 64%) as the most important ingredients for developing a best in class engineering technology culture in the UK.
That last point is one discussed in this column before, and as it seems to capture the opinion of the whole engineering sector, would be a welcome addition to our politicians’ agenda.
On the slightly related topic of celebrating the best in industry, could I remind you that May is the month for entering EPD’s prestigious e-Legacy awards. The association with the above survey is only partially whimsical. While it may be a big ask for the e-Legacy awards to come up with an Einstein every year, I do think it is incumbent on the electronics industry to inspire the next generation of students and then engineers to first of all come into the industry and then excel when they are there. That is one of the goals of the e-Legacy awards. Please go to the website where there are details of categories and entry procedure. But do it soon – the deadline is 27 May 2011.
Contact Details and Archive...
Most Viewed Articles...