March 2014
Increasing the number of women in engineering Special report from France on how they are increasing the proportion of female engineers // page 11
EYE ha EYE hass be been en br brin ingi ging ng tog toget ethe herr yo youn ung g engineers from across Europe since 1994. How has Europe changed since our first conference?
20 Years of EYE
// page 4
EYE@Sarajevo Come and celebrate our 20 th year with us in Sarajevo. Not convinced? You will be when you read about our last conference in Antwerp! // page 8
Exploring, sharing and growing since 1994
eye-contact
March 2014
Welcome
Welcome, 2014 is an exciting year for us: we are officially 20 years old (older than some of our members!). EYE was established in 1994 by young engineers from Belgium and Germany. Today EYE has 22 member associations in 15 different countries! Our last conference was hosted by two of our earliest members, KVIV and VIK, in Antwerp in September 2013. This was an impressive introduction to Belgium engineering, culture and hospitality. Thank you to all the volunteers who made it happen! To star startt the the cele celebr brati ation onss for 2014 2014 our our next next confe confere renc nce e will will be held held in Bosn Bosnia ia-Herzegovina – a first for EYE! EYE@Sarajevo, hosted by STELEKS, will be held from the 31st May – 1st June 2014 following the theme ‘Common Purpose’. More information can be found on the conference website www. www.eyesarajevo eyesarajevo2014.com 2014.com EYE was recently invited to speak at a conference on ‘Employability of Engineering Graduates: Graduates: A Vision for the Future’ Future’ in Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. We shared our expertise expertise on volun olunte teer erin ing g and and glob global al skil skills ls dev develop elopme ment nt with with the the part partic icip ipan ants ts.. With With high high unemployment levels for young people across Europe, a wide stretching professional network to improve mobility has never been more important. If you haven’t attended an EYE Conference yet, please make this the year that you do! You won’t be sorry. As the world becomes smaller, we have reached out to young engineers in Asia by attending the annual conference of the ASEAN young engineers last November. This has opened up opportunities for EYE to share knowledge and experience with young engineers from Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Japan! I hope that you enjoy reading this issue! Siobhán McGrath, Member of Engineers Ireland Secretary General of EYE
2
eye-contact
March 2014
Contents eye-catcher // // page 4 The EYE network turns 20 this year – the first delegates of our conference certainly lived in a different world! Read about how Europe Europe has changed changed in the past two decades (with an engineerin engineering g spin!)
eye conferences // page 8 We look back at our last conference in Antwerp and look forward to EYE@Sarajevo at the end of May.
engineering society // page 11 Learn how E.ON is tackling the challenge of storing surplus energy, and how Femme Ingénieurs are tackling the gender disparity in French Engineering.
careers // page 16 We talk to two EYE members about moving from their home countries to work and study abroad. The yearly Hannover Messe is fast approaching – the place to be if you want to work in Germany!
inside eye // page 21 What has EYE been up to since the last conference? News of our recent contact with young Asian engineers and interaction with international engineering groups.
3
eye-catcher
eye-contact
March 2014
Twenty years of EYE It’s been twenty years since EYE began with a conference in Strasbourg. Despite the records of EYE’s early days being lost to the sands of time, 1994 is still a recent memory for some, while some of our youngest members weren’t yet around! We look back at the state of Europe and of engineering in those days and consider how lucky we are to have the conveniences of the 21st century.
What did Europe Look Like?
Even Europe was a fundamentally diff diffe eren rent plac place e 20 years ears ago. ago. In January 1994 under the presidency of Greece the European Economic Area (EEA) was brought into existence existence,, followed followed by applications applications for membership from Hungary and Pola Poland nd.. Refe Refere rend ndum umss were ere also also held in Austria, Finland and Norway; with ith two two out out of thre three e resu resultltin ing g in positive responses the total number of EU countries rose to fifteen. Of course in 1994 there was no sing single le curr curren ency cy;; prev previo ious us to the the // European Union Member States in 1994 (blue) includEurope European an Moneta Monetary ry Union Union there there ing soon-to-be members (lighter blue), present-day existed eighteen different members in grey. currencies within the EU. In November 1994 the European Monetary Institute council met for the first time in Fran Frankf kfur urt, t, pavi paving ng the the way way towar towards ds the Euro Europe pean an Centr Central al Bank Bank and and the the sing single le curren currency cy.. In addition addition to this this a number number of cooper cooperatio ation n agreemen agreements ts and free trade trade arrangements between the EEC and neighbouring nations were in place, meaning money flowing around Europe was in even more currencies!
Getting around Europe in 1994
1994 1994 marke marked d the the open openin ing g of the the Chan Channe nell Tunn Tunnel el,, (affe (affect ctio iona natel telyy know known n as the the ‘Chunnel’ on the English-speaking side) creating a land link between England and Fran France ce.. Euro Eurost star ar serv servic ices es betw betwee een n Lond London on Water Waterlo loo, o, Pari Pariss Gare Gare du Nord Nord and and Brussels South began in November. The Channel Tunnel is the second largest rail tunnel in the world, and still holds the record for the longest undersea section of any tunnel; constructing the tunnel from both sides of the channel was a significant feat of 4
eye-catcher
eye-contact
March 2014
engineering. Like all modern tunnels, tunnel boring machines (TBMs), over a hunhundred metres long and weighing over 1000 tons, were used to carve the tunnel from either end. In total eleven TBMs were used; six from the UK and six from France. The French TBMs lived very different lives from the English; given names (Brigitte, Europa, Catherine, Virginie, Pascaline, Severine) while the English were simply referred to by their alphanumeric identification numbers. Once the tunnel was complete France’s TBMs were dismantled to reuse parts, while the majority of the English machines were steered under the tunnel to be buri buried ed fore forevver. er. One One of these still sees use today as a conv conven enie ient nt eart earth h rod rod for for the the elec electr tric ical al dist distri ribu butition on network inside the tunnel! The The Sche Scheng ngen en Agre Agreem emen entt which which allows allows us hassle hassle-fre -free e travel across borders within the EU was still a fledgling idea, signed in 1985 betw betwee een n Belg Belgiu ium, m, Fran France ce,, Luxembourg, The // The view’s not great, but Le Shuttle does allow you to drive your car from England to France Netherlands and West Germany and further augmented in 1990. However it was not until 1995 that free movement and the abolition of border controls between the signatory countries was implemented. It is now possible to travel all over Europe without ever getting a mark in your passport (if you even need one)! Communications
The younger EYEs may not recall a time time befo before re cell cellul ular ar phon phones es and and mobile mobile intern internet et were were common common,, but the delega delegates tes at Strasb Strasbour ourg g might might have been some of the initial designers of the GSM standard we take for granted today! In 1994 the jury was still out over which cellular standard would claim market dominance, and the notion of being able to roam across borders (even in Europe) was still a distant dream. // UK-based EYEs always always have to be a little more prepared before coming to ‘the continent’!
Even at home you wouldn’t dream of loading up your browser for a quick 5
eye-catcher
eye-contact
March 2014
YouTube or Netflix session - average dial-up connection speeds peaked at 28.8 kbps (that’s kilobits per second, meaning a 2-minute MP3 took 10 minutes to download!), wher where e the the like likess of Comp CompuS uSer erve ve and and World World-N -NET ET coul could d conn connec ectt you you to the the ‘CB ‘CB simulator’ (an early chatroom) or GIF-laden sites hand-coded in HTML that always seemed to be ‘under construction’. Of course this new way to communicate with friends came at a price, €0.024 a minute in addition to a monthly fee as well as the inconvenience of tying up the telephone line for the rest of the night! What lies in the future for EYE?
The Task Force and Council are working hard to ensure that EYE offers the most it can can to dele delega gate tess and and memb member erss who who cont contin inue ue to inter interac actt with with the orga organi nisa satition on throughout the year. We want to facilitate your careers and studies by helping you make contacts from across the continent and help you overcome the challenges posed by working of studying abroad. EYE is striving to expand and welcomes new member organisations, particularly from countries which don’t currently have any representation within EYE. The formulation of a long-term strategy is a key goal of the current Task Force, and we take very seriously the responsibility and duty of care we have to the network that has built up over the past two decades. We’ll never say you’re too old to come to a conference, but for those whose time has come to move on we plan to develop develop an ‘EYE Alumni Network’ Network’ that allows past EYEs to keep in touch and enjoy the benefits of being a forward-thinking, outward-looking European citizen. We’ll continue to work for you during this anniversary year and we hope you’re as excited as we are about EYE’s future!
// The EYE Task Force meeting in Paris, January 2014
Chris Waters, Member of YRP, UK EYE Task Force Member
6
eye-profile
eye-contact
March 2014
What type of engineer are you?
I work for Bord Gáis Networks, the national gas transmission and and dist distri ribu butition on comp compan anyy in Irel Irelan and. d. I’m a qual qualifi ified ed civi civill engineer, but the work I do is a variety of business and engi engine neer erin ing g disc discip ipliline nes. s. I’m curr curren ently tly on rotat rotatio ion n in the the Safe Safety ty Depa Depart rtme ment nt,, where here I work work to cont contin inue ue the the safe safe operation of Ireland’s natural gas network. What is a typical day at an EYE Conference for you?
ÚNA O’GRADY Graduate Civil Engineer Bord Gáis Networks
IRELAND
My first conference was EYE@Dublin 2013, so a “typical” day is difficult to describe. However, from that experience, I think EYE conferences consist of a balance of opportunities to learn such as the industrial visits, talks and workshops and the opportunity to socialise with peers throughout the conference. Why are you involved with EYE?
I real really ly enjo enjoyyed my firs firstt confe onfere renc nce e and I thi think it’s it’s a testament to EYE conferences that so many people return year on year. I particularly liked discussing how engineering happens across Europe with my European counterparts. I now look forward to seeing how engineering happens across Europe at the upcoming EYE conferences. The fact that the confere conference nce locatio locations ns are dotted dotted throug throughou houtt Europe Europe is an added bonus.
ENGINEERS IRELAND
// Úna and the EYE@Dublin Organising Committee What is your favourite impression of EYE?
It was great to meet all of the dedicated engineers that volunteer for the Young Engineers Society (YES) in Ireland and helped to run EYE@Dublin 2013. The effort that is put into organising and running an EYE conference is immense. It’s inspirational to think that this effort is made by groups of young engineers across Europe on an ongoing basis! 7
eye conferences
eye-contact
March 2014
Conference Preview: EYE@Sarajevo ‘Common Purpose: Together, Stronger, Into the Future’, 31st May - 1st June 2014
The 20th anniversary year for EYE begins in BosniaHerzeg Herzegovi ovina! na! From From the 30th 30th of May to the 1st of June June 2014 the student organisation STELEKS will host the EYE conference in Sara Saraje jevvo. Unde Underr the the the theme of ‘Co ‘Commo mmon Purp Purpos ose’ e’ we will ill experience interesting presentations, workshops and get to know the the regi region onal al indu indust stry ry duri during ng comp compan anyy visit visits. s. Apar Apartt from from just just info inform rma ation tion and and disc discus usssions ions about bout subje ubjeccts for for and and fro from engi engine neer ers, s, it is a matte matterr of cour course se that that in such such a hist histor oric ical ally ly significant town, the history and culture of the region is also a subject. As usual, there are also excursions, a gala dinner and all the other great activities that you can expect at an EYE conference! The total cost for this conference is €160 per delegate which will include two nights' accommodation, food, public transport, experienced guides, support in the case of staying on for tourism, your choice of industrial visits and the gala dinner. Places
are
limited,
so
please
register
as
soon
as
possible
through
www.eyesarajevo2014.com
// Join us in Sarajevo! Learn about Bosnia-Herzegovina from local young engineers
8
eye conferences
eye-contact
March 2014
Conference Review: EYE@Antwerp ‘Move. ‘Mov e. Transport. Transport. Transcen Transcend.’ d.’ 6th - 8th September, 2013
// Antwerp City Hall
For the organisers of EYE@Antwerp, a two year preparation period culminated on September 6th of last year with the arrival of our first guests at the hotel in the morning. From the original idea to highlight Antwerp as a transport hub of goods and services, we tried developing a programme that united this goal with immersing participants in Antwerp’s rich cultu ultura rall histo istory ry and and the the epic picurea urean n lifes festyle of its inhabitants (which included many of us).
Companies started buying into our idea, supplying us with not only sponsorship, but also possibilities to show our participants nuclear power plants, the new Antwerp Harb Harbor or exte extens nsio ion, n, and and gues guestt lect lectur ures es surr surrou ound ndin ing g our our main main confere conference nce theme. theme. City City Colleg College e supported us in allowing us the use of some of the nicest venues in town town,, such such as the the hist histor oric ical al city hall for our opening reception, and the newly reno renova vate ted d city city arch archiv ives es for the the clos closin ing g cere ceremo mony ny.. Volu Volunt ntee eers rs started pouring in from everywhere, providing a sometimes much needed // The conference concluded with a cruise down the helping hand in the last weeks Scheldt leading up to the conference. We were ready. At least, that's what we thought. Because there was one thing that we hadn't considered yet: our participants. We hadn't anticipated their enthusiasm on the company tours, their openness towards the experiences we offered them and most most nota notabl blyy thei theirr will willin ingn gnes esss to part party! y! And And it is exac exactltlyy that that whic which h made made the the conference a success well beyond our imagination. Thanks to everyone, and we will hopefully see many of you again (and many new people) in Sarajevo! Jeroen Janse, member of KVIV, Belgium 9
eye-profile
eye-contact
March 2014
What type of engineer are you?
I’m a materials science engineer. Belonging to the kind of engineers who are crazy about alloys, wood, ceramics, plastics or shape memory alloys. What is a typical day at an EYE Conference for you?
TABEA WILK
It starts with a black tea or coffee to get back to life. After that that some some work orksho shops about bout topi topics cs which ich are are real really ly inter interes estin ting, g, for exam exampl ple e on stre stress ss mana manage geme ment nt.. This This is foll follow owed ed by a nice nice lunch lunch and a bit bit of time time to talk talk with with the the people who you haven’t seen for a while or who are new. Then a trip to a company, other workshops or something else. Finally the day ends with a nice dinner and socialising, with dancing and talking and having a lot of fun. Why are you involved with EYE?
Materials Science Engineer BAM GERMANY
EYE events are special events: they are not like a normal conference where you just get scientific information. EYE confere conference ncess are about about scienc science e and the peop people le.. You You will will learn a lot but you also can make good friends at these conferences. One more thing is that you can travel a lot and see different European countries through the eyes of young engi engine neer erss liv living ing ther there. e. Loca Locall volun olunte teer erss orga organi nise se the the conference and show you a lot of special things about their country, which you won’t see as tourist.
VDI
// Traditional Irish music in the Jameson distillery What is your favourite impression of EYE?
That is not an easy question because every EYE conference I visited had its own favorite impression! My favorite memory of EYE@Dublin is the Jameson Distillery. We got yummy drinks, a tour through the exhibition, nice food and a lot of Irish dancing which was a lot of fun. All I have to say about EYE Conferences is come and visit one and make your own decision! 10
engineering society
eye-contact
March 2014
Report from France: Increasing the number of women in Engineering What do numbers tell us?
Even Even thou though gh girls girls repr repres esen entt almo almost st half half the the stud studen ents ts in scie scienc nce, e, techn technol olog ogy, y, engineering and maths (STEM) related classes in French high schools, and get high higher er grad grades es than than boys boys [1] [1] in thei theirr natio nationa nall final final high high scho school ol exam exams, s, they they only only repr repres esen entt a quar quarte terr of stud studen ents ts stud studyi ying ng engi engine neer erin ing g and and only only 17% 17% of work workin ing g engine engineers ers.. This This differe difference nce become becomess even even greate greaterr for some some specia specialtie lties; s; women women repr repres esen entt less less than than 10% 10% of the the work workfor force ce in Elec Electro troni nic, c, Civi Civill and and Mech Mechan anic ical al Engineering [2]. What is the reason for this very poor and stagnant representation of girls in French engineering studies in the last 10 years? What’s at stake?
Due to young people’s lack of interest in careers in science, France is lacking in engineers and scientists. While 50% of clients are women, businesses are slow to adopt gender diversity in their workforce and are therefore deprived of intelligence that would allow business business to adapt to the reality reality of our society. society. Firms that understand understand that a mixture of men and women in their teams can foster creativity and efficiency, some sometim times es find find they they cann cannot ot satis satisfy fy thei theirr need need to recr recrui uitt fema female le engi engine neer erss and and scientists. What are the impediments?
Reasons that hinder women to moving towards engineering studies are complex and multifaceted. They are based in part on stereotypes. Sciences are usually seen as masculine, which leads girls to censor themselves and doubt their abilities, parents to be afraid of this orientation for their daughters, teachers to unconsciously push boys more to science than they push girls. Even though some businesses do show their willingness to hire women, they have their share of responsibility as the average sala salary ry of fema female le engi engine neer erss is 27% 27% belo below w that that of men, men, with with a visi visibl ble e diffe differe renc nce e immediately upon hire, which increases over the years. The vast majority of women who study STEM degrees are flourishing, love their careers and are successful! What can we do?
At a time when STEM sectors are less attractive to young people, in order to avoid a global shortage of engineers and scientists, France must increase its proportion of 11
engineering society
eye-contact
March 2014
fema female le engi engine neer ers. s. One One of EYE’ EYE’ss Memb Member er Asso Associ ciati ation ons, s, Femm Femme e Ingé Ingéni nieu eurs rs (in (in English, ‘Women Engineers’) is committed to ensuring that French governments, schools, businesses and professionals are mobilised to change things by working on two components: 1. Upstream To promote girls' access to scientific careers, particularly Engineering studies. For example, we propose: • Mandat Mandatory ory educatio education n of school school teachers teachers to the issues issues and stereo stereotyp types es
that impede girls in the choice of studying technology and science [3] • Mand Mandat ator oryy pres presen enta tatition on of scie scient ntifific ic stud studie iess for for all all stud studen ents ts,, with with awareness of girls 2. Downstrea Downstream m To promote the personal and professional development of qualified engineers, we propose to: Promote e and encourag encourage e the develo developme pment nt of women' women'ss networ networks ks within within • Promot companies Promote female role-models, role-models, based based on highlighti highlighting ng the careers careers of young young • Promote women who have chosen to study sciences Exempt pt from from inco income me tax tax the the hour hourss give given n by volu volunt ntee eers rs work workin ing g to • Exem promot promote e scient scientific ific and and techno technolog logica icall profes professio sions ns during during their their workin working g hours European economy and society have everything to gain by encouraging more female engineers. engineers. Femme Femme Ingénieurs’ Ingénieurs’ wish wish is that all engineers, engineers, men and women, women, commit so that every girl interested in science is encouraged to follow a career in STEM, and has the opportunity to excel in a career in Engineering. [1] Information Information from the French Ministry of Education Education (July 2010) about the results results of the 2010 Baccalauréat Baccalauréat with 91% girls achievements and 87% for boys. [2] Annual survey of the CNISF (2009). [3] See our analysis and research summarized in the publication "Beyond ideas", carried out jointly by the associations Femmes et Sciences, Femmes et Mathématiques and Femmes Ingéniuers.
Aline Aubertin President, Femmes Ingénieurs What is the engineering organisation that represents you doing to (1) encourage girls to study study engineering engineering and (2) to keep qualified qualified females working in engineerin engineering? g? Join the conversation on LinkedIn! 12
engineering society
eye-contact
March 2014
Solving the energy storage challenge: technology and innovation at E.ON One One of the the key key chal challe leng nges es of the the trans transiti ition on from from trad traditi ition onal al to more more sust sustai aina nabl ble e energy sources is the lack of storage opportunities for renewable energy. Innovative conc concep epts ts in this this fiel field d are are the the so call called ed “pow “power er-t -too-ga gas” s” and and “pow “power er-t -too-he heat at” ” technologies, as well as various battery technologies, which can be used to store er b e r t v a n d e r W e i j d e , excess renewable energy and use it when demand arises. G er Technology & Innovation Manager at E.ON´s Innovation Center for Energy Storage, in Germany, is very familiar with these technologies and describes how he is part of this journey.
What is your area of expertise?
I currently work as Technology & Innovation Manager at E.ON´s Innovation Center Energy Storage. Over the past five years I have been working on understanding the role new technologies play play in our our indu indust stry ry,, subs subseq eque uent ntly ly demo demons nstra tratiting ng the most most promising innovations in concrete projects and developing the capabilities E.ON needs to make good use of these concepts in its businesses. Please describe some of the projects you are currently working
My colleagues colleagues and I are responsible responsible for setting setting up and coordinating coordinating E.ON’s activities activities related to energy storage. This includes batteries from household scale (refrigerator size) to grid scale (container size), power-to-gas and power-to-heat / heat storage. My foc focus is on prov provid idin ing g the the comme ommerrcial cial pers perspe pecctiv tive on thes these e acti activvitie itiess: understanding how we can best generate revenues with the various technologies; identifying and evaluating concrete business opportunities; setting up projects with partners within and external to our organisation.
// Power-to-gas unit in Falkenhagen 13
engineering society
eye-contact
March 2014
My work is very diverse. It varies from speaking with a large technology supplier about the characteristics of its technology and the role it could play for the company to sharing our knowledge with E.ON’s other units and developing projects to support their business. It also includes meeting with potential customers and drafting the sales contracts for the WindGas we produce in Falkenhagen – a unit that uses wind power to run electrolysis equipment that transforms water into hydrogen, which is then injected into the regional gas transmission system. Why are these technologies innovative and how could they be implemented in the market?
With an increasing share of renewables feeding into the energy system, it becomes more and more important to be able to provide additional flexibility, to keep the system in balance. Without energy storage, this will not be possible. Right now, most energy storage projects have a pre-commercial, demonstration character. Exactly when the large breakthrough of energy storage will take place is hard to predict, but we are working hard to make it a reality. How did you end up working in the energy industry?
I studi tudied ed Appl Applie ied d Phys hysics ics and and have ave a mas master´ ter´ss deg degree ree in Mana Manag gemen ment of Technology. While writing my master thesis in 2008, I learnt about the fascinating challenge the energy industry and society as a whole are facing: ensuring a reliable, affordable and sustainable supply of energy. Finding the right balance between all three factors is extremely important, but also very complex. I decided that I wanted to contribute in finding solutions and therefore pursue a career in the energy industry. I joined E.ON in 2009 through the Graduate Program as I wanted to work in a global company that could offer interesting opportunities for my personal and professional growth. What advice would you give to young young engineers engineers in Europe Europe who are considering considering a career career in the energy market? market?
The energy industry is currently going through a phase of rapid change. There are plenty of interesting topics to work on and many opportunities for young, ambitious engineers to make a difference. Determine what you would like to achieve in your working life, be informed about current happenings in the energy market and talk to people who are already working in the industry. If you feel you would like to join us at E.ON, check our website for job opportunities at www.eon.com/careers.
14
eye-profile
eye-contact
March 2014
What type of engineer are you?
I’m currently working as a Research Engineer in the area of biomass, solar and alternative energy technologies. I work on numerous development projects with a view to optimise and develop new energy generation technologies in addition to maki making ng more more effe effect ctiv ive e use use of both both curr curren entt and and new new energy sources. Why are you involved with EYE?
COLIN KEOGH
My first EYE Conference was Dublin 2013, which I helped to organise with Engineers Ireland. My main aim for attending the the conf confer eren ence ce was to inte intera ract ct with with fell fellow ow Euro Europe pean an engi engine neer erss and and lear learn n more more abou aboutt the the intr intric icac acie iess of mult multiicultur cultural al intera interacti ctions ons.. Meeting Meeting so many many engine engineers ers from all over Europe helped develop a strong network of friends and colleagues in many different countries, which I hopefuly can work with in the future.
Research Engineer and Energy Consultant
IRELAND
ENGINEERS IRELAND // Colin taking the Formula Student car ‘for a spin’
What is your favourite impression of EYE?
I really enjoyed working with other engineers from around Europe, which also allowed me to use the lessons learned duri during ng the the pres prese enta ntation tion on “Cul “Cultu tura rall Awar Awaren enes esss as Compet Competiti itive ve Business Business Advant Advantage age”. ”. I learne learned d a great great deal abou aboutt the the regi region onal al busi busine ness ss quir quirks ks exhi exhibi bite ted d by othe other r cultures and the workshops showed some of these quirks first hand. 15
careers
eye-contact
March 2014
European young engineers on the move Gett Gettin ing g invo involv lved ed with with EYE EYE open opens s up many any oppo opport rtun unit itie ies! s! Atte Attend ndin ing g an EYE EYE conference allows you to meet engineers from all over the world, and find out how they found opportunities to develop their global career. You’ll also have opportunities to meet guest speakers, sponsors and hosts from global companies or international research organisations. Two young engineers who have attended EYE Conferences discuss how involvement in EYE led them to global opportunities!
Jamie Shirra, UK Jamie Jami e ea earn rned ed a mu much ch-c -cov ovet eted ed su summ mmer er In Inter terns nshi hip p wi with th CERN in Geneva, Switzerland following a visit to them with EYE, during the World Engineers’ Congress (WEC) in 2011. Jamie now works for 3M.
What What was was the the main main reas reason on you deci decide ded d to seek seek an internship abroad?
It has always always been been an aim to get some some experien experience ce of workin working g abroad. abroad. During During my third academic year of university, there was an opportunity to gain some research expe experi rien ence ce in anot anothe herr univ univer ersi sity ty,, compa company ny or inst institituti ution on.. I saw saw this this as a grea greatt opportunity to meet my aim! Was attending an EYE conference helpful in finding your work abroad?
Duri During ng the the EYE@ EYE@WEC WEC even eventt I got got the the oppo opport rtun unity ity to spea speakk with with some some CERN CERN empl employ oyee eess who who help helped ed me to unde unders rsta tand nd more more abou aboutt the the orga organi nisa satio tion n and and the the people people who work there. Meeting Meeting many inspirational inspirational and keen EYE members, members, many of whom whom had had expe experi rien ence ce work workin ing g or stud studyi ying ng abro abroad ad ceme cement nted ed my idea idea to go abroad. How did you choose the internship you did? Were there funding issues to be addressed?
CERN is completely synonymous with research – it seemed an obvious choice for a research research project! project! CERN have have a fantastic fantastic and well established established student student programme whic which h suite suited d what what I want wanted ed to do. do. It was a bit bit of a whim whim apply applyin ing g as a chem chemic ical al engineer engineer to a particle particle research research establishmen establishment, t, but it was worth worth a try! The programme programme I applied for and got was the Technical Student Programme In terms of funding, CERN provide a very ample living allowance to all the students who join the programme – this provided more than enough for food, accommodation and a good social life! 16
careers
eye-contact
March 2014
How did you organise the trip before departure?
It was all very last minute for me – I had several exams in the week before I departed which which stopped me from organising organising much at all! CERN has a hostel (more like a hotel than than a hostel hostel though! though!)) which which can be booked booked before before you arriv arrive. e. Connec Connectin ting g from from Gene Geneva va airp airpor ortt to the the camp campus us is real really ly simp simple le,, so that that allo allow wed me to have have somewhere somewhere to stay for the first month month or so. If I’d have been more organis organised, ed, I would have have book booked ed two two month monthss in the the hote hotell up front front,, then then canc cancel elle led d once once I’d I’d foun found d accommodation, as the booking can be cancelled with 24 hours notice. Did you get to apply what you had learned at university while working? What kind of skills did your your internship internship teach you?
I learned quite a lot about computer modelling of processes and problem solving. Another skill which I didn’t appreciate until my final f inal year design project was the ability to work independ independent ently ly for long long period periodss of time on open open ended ended projects projects.. All these these skills were applied to my design project, an open ended problem which as a small team team we attempte attempted d to solve. solve. Comput Computer er modellin modelling g and problem problem solving solving were big parts of this process, and the independent working allowed me to complete my individual tasks effectively. Did this experience increase your employability?
I woul would d like like to thin thinkk so! so! As it happ happen ened ed,, I was was offer offered ed a posi positition on with with anot anothe her r company who I completed an internship with, but without achieving this placement and other extracurricular engineering activities I suspect I wouldn’t have been as appealing! What did you enjoy the most about your time at CERN? What did you enjoy the least?
CERN and Geneva are amazing places – meeting incredible and inspiring people (student interns, through to Nobel Prize winners and astronauts!) both inside CERN and in Geneva Geneva itself! There are loads loads of interns (from CERN, CERN, the UN and hundreds of othe otherr orga organi nisa satio tions ns), ), and and the the UN orga organi nise sed d an inte intern rnss drin drinks ks even evenin ing g every every Thursday. Thursday. This was a great way to meet lots of people from different different backgrounds backgrounds and with different different experience experiences. s. Being at CERN for seven seven months was much much longer than most of the interns so there would always be fresh faces and different people to meet! The flip side of Geneva is the incredible incredible demand demand for accommodation accommodation.. There are not enough enough apartments, apartments, so the prices are very very inflated. I ended up having having to live in two apartments, and doing two stints in the CERN hotel in seven months, which wasn’t ideal!
17
careers
eye-contact
March 2014
What advice can you offer to a student in the same situation, is there anything you would have done differently?
Just to jump at the opportunity! opportunity! Mixing Mixing with loads of people from so many different different cultures was a great experience, one which I haven’t had the pleasure of repeating yet! yet! There There are loads loads of ways ways of funding funding yourself yourself abroad abroad so do some researc research h and get the experience! What is your fondest memory of your time there?
I was at CERN on the day they announced the Higgs results – myself and a friend arrived at CERN at around 7 am to try and get a place in the auditorium (people who arrived at 5:30 :30 am didn’t get in so we had no chance!), but watch tched the the announcement from a satellite room filled with physicists and engineers, many of whom will have have had a direct input to the results. When the data was announced announced,, the room room was electric! electric! That That was an amazing amazing experie experience nce,, and one which which I’ll I’ll be able to say “I was there” to in the future!
Michaela Micha ela Spiter Spiteri, i, University University Engineering Engineering Stude Students’ nts’ Ass Associat ociation ion Malta (UESA (UESA)) Michaela moved to the UK to study for her MSc in Biomedical Engineering at Brunel University, and is now at the University of Surrey studying for a PhD in Medical Image Processing.
What was the main reason you decided to study abroad?
At the time when I applied for an MSc in Biomedical Engineering and PhD in medical image processing neither course was available in Malta. Studying abroad allowed me to use equipment and learn things that I could not have otherwise used/learnt in my home country. I enjoy meeting new people from different cultures and travelling, studying abroad is a winwin situation in that aspect, because you get to improve your education whilst being a tourist for the whole duration of the course! Was attending an EYE conference helpful in finding your work abroad?
It did not directly contribute, however it did give me the confidence to reach out and search for courses in countries other than my home country. How did you choose the university you did? Were there funding issues to be addressed?
I chose the institutions depending on location (I still wanted to be close to an airport to be able to travel back home) as well as for the ranking. Both Brunel University and University of Surrey rank highly in engineering. I obtained a scholarship from my own 18
careers
eye-contact
March 2014
home country to study at Brunel and I am currently sponsored by the University of Surrey for my PhD. How did you organise the trip before departure?
My mother flew up to the UK with me for the first week of my MSc. I also spent hours researching how to get around the area months before leaving. England, specifically the London area, is very well organised in terms of transport, therefore it is very easy to get around. Most UK universities also have ambassadors which help international students understand the culture and help them use the local public transport. Did you get to apply what you had learned at university while working? What kind of skills did your your placement placement teach you?
Following my MSc, I carried out a placement at the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service). It was a shadowing placement, throughout which I followed various medics around and was shown how biomedical equipment is used in the medical industry. I was not allowed to touch anything because of the nature of the internship; however I made many contacts and developed a new awareness of how biomedical equipment is used. It also taught me to look at engineering from a clinical aspect. Did this experience increase your employability?
Yes it did. I believe it helped me in obtaining my spot as a PhD candidate at the University of Surrey. What did you enjoy the most about the placement? What did you enjoy the least?
I enjoyed meeting new people and learning about the adverse range of jobs I could undertake in the future. The thing I enjoyed least was the paper work and the lengthy application process! What advice can you offer to a student in the same situation, is there anything you would have done differently?
Try Try your your best best to land land an inte intern rnsh ship ip befor before e grad gradua uatiting ng!! It real really ly incr increa ease sess your your employability and helps you grow as a person! What is your fondest memory of your time there?
I'm still here! Good times still rolling! On a serious note, I have really opened up my horizons in terms of opportunities. This is mostly through the different people I have met and things these different people have taught me.
19
careers
eye-contact
March 2014
Young Engineers’ Day at the Hannover Messe EYE members have been invited to attend the Hannover Messe, the world's biggest industrial fair, by German young engineers. Every year around around 6,500 exhibitors exhibitors and 250,000 visitors descend on the fairground in Hanover for this event. On Monday 7th April 2014 the VDI will host 80 students from Denmark at the fair and hav have inv invited ited EYEs EYEs to join join a spec specia iall prog progra ram m for for the the grou group. p. You You will will have have the the opportunity to listen to English presentations, take part in a company visit or talk to recruiters from global companies like Audi, DB or Schunk. After that there is enough time to visit the fair on your own and it’s definitely worth it! There are limited places free for EYE members. If you are interested in joining us at this event please contact us through
[email protected]
// Hannover Messe is a great place to meet companies look for jobs
20
inside eye
eye-contact
March 2014
EYE Meets Young Asian Engineers EYE was kindly invited to AFEO’s (ASE (ASEAN AN ( Association of South East Asian Nations) Federation of Engineering Organisation ions) annual annual meetin meeting, g, held held in Jakart Jakarta, a, Indon Indones esia ia,, last Nove Novemb mber er.. The The the theme of the the confe onfere renc nce e was ‘Implementation of Green Infrastructure in ASEAN Countries’, which focused on the challenge of sustainable develo developme pment nt of infras infrastruc tructur ture e to support support these nations’ economic economic growth. The young engineers met to give updates on the activities that they were doing to support their organisation’s young engineers. This included social activities like volunteering to improve the local environment, and organising internships between each other’s countries. // Siobhán and some of the Indonesian Young Engineers
2015 will see the formation of shared economic community among the the ASEAN countries (Brunei, (Brunei, Cambodia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Indonesia, Lao, Myanmar, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), simila similarr to the idea idea of the Europe European an Union. Union. This This agre agreem emen entt will will incl include ude impr improv oved ed mobi mobilility ty of workers between countries and mutual recognition of professional degrees. Thank you to all the young AFEO engineers for thei theirr hos hospita pitalility ty,, espe especi cial ally ly the the loca locall host hosts, s, Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia (PII)!
// EYE’s seat at the conference table
21
inside eye
eye-contact
March 2014
Want to work or study in Germany? The EYE Embassies project is designed to keep young engineers connected outside of EYE Conferences. If you are thinking of moving to Germany then join the EYE Embassy of Germany and ask local young engineers about where to live, study, eat, shop, pay taxes, or party! You’ll also meet other young engineers who have moved to Germany to study or work. Find the EYE Embassies through our Facebook page.
Click here...
...then ...then here ...
.....and discover Germany!
22
inside eye
eye-contact
March 2014
EYE invited to share its knowledge on global skills for employability EYE EYE was was invi invite ted d to spea speakk at a conf confer eren ence ce on the empl employ oyab abililitityy of engi engine neer erin ing g graduates, hosted by SEII (The European Society for Engineers and Industrialists) and CLAIU-EU (Council of Associations of long cycle Engineers from a University or a Higher School of Engineering of the European Union) in Brussels, Belgium. There were were view viewss from from stud studen ents ts,, indu indust stry ry and and acad academ emia ia on how how the need needss of thes these e stakeholders, and society, could be met through engineering education. Siobhán McGrath, the Secretary General of EYE, spoke about employability skills dev develop eloped ed by youn young g engi engine neer erss thro throug ugh h volun olunte teer erin ing. g. She She spok spoke e abou aboutt how how volunteering for EYE gives a unique opportunity for young engineers to bring their skills to the next level, by practicing them in an international environment. Team work, work, commun communica icatio tion n and leader leadershi ship p are all made harder harder when when everyo everyone ne in the group has different first languages, culture, and experience. Siobhán argued that young engineers can take responsibility for their own employability and professional development. She told how being involved with EYE demonstrates to employers that the candidate has a wide professional network, knowledge of the latest engineering issues across Europe, that they know how to conduct them self in a professional environment and are interested in engineering beyond what they learn in university.
Get involved! Call for new member organisations EYE offers offers free member membershi ship p to Europe European an engine engineeri ering ng organi organisat sation ionss with with young young members (typically under 35 years old). By joining EYE, your students and young professional members become EYE members. This entitles them to attend EYE Conferences and enjoy all other the benefits that come with being a member of EYE. Does your organisation want to offer its young members extra membership benefits including two international conferences a year and twice yearly issues of the EYE Conta ontact ct? ? Do you want ant to offer ffer your our young oung memb member erss the the chanc hance e to buil build d a professional network across Europe, and let them gain a competitive advantage in employment? If you are a young engineer who wants your organisation to get involved, let them, and us, know! We can be contacted by emailing
[email protected]
23
eye-contact
March 2014
Imprint Editor
European Young Engineers (EYE) c/o Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V. VDI Platz 1 40002 Düsseldorf Germany T +49 (0) 211 62 14 455 F +49 (0) 211 62 14 148
[email protected] www.e-y-e.eu
Image References
Thanks to: Cornelia Fleischer (VDI) for cover picture and pictures of EYE@Antwerp Chris Waters (YRP) for picture of Europe VDI - The Association of German Engineers for pictures of Hannover Messe Engineers Ireland for picture of EYE@Dublin organising committee E.ON for pictures of power-to-gas plants EYE@Sarajevo Organisers for picture of Sarajevo
The following images are used with permission of the originators under the CC-BY license: Christopher Elison (flickr: Chris-Elison) Picture of UK Passport and Euros Rich (flickr: rakh1) Picture of interior of Le Shuttle
Details of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY) are available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
24
eye-contact
March 2014
EYE Member Associations Belgium // Antwerp
Ireland // Dublin
KVIV - Royal Flemish Society of Engineers
Engineers Ireland
www.engineersireland.ie
www.kviv.be Belgium // Antwerp
Italy // Salerno
VIK - Flemish Chamber of Engineers
www.vik.be
GIOIN - Association of Young Engineers of the Province of Salerno
Bosnia-Herzegovina // Sarajevo
Italy // Salerno
Steleks - Student Association of Electrotechnics Electro technics of the University of Sarajevo
EYE Italia (eyeIT)
Bulgaria // Sofia
Malta // Valletta
FNTS - Federation of the Scientific engineering Unions
UESA - Univers University ity Engineering Students Association
www.fnts.bg Denmark // Copenhagen
www.uesa-mt.com Netherlands // The Hague
IDA - The Danish Society of Engineers
KIVI - Royal Institute of Engineers in the Netherlands
www.ida.dk Luxembourg // Luxembourg
www.kivi.nl Netherlands // Wageningen
ANEIL - Assoc Association iation Nationale des Etudiants Ingénieurs
KLV - Royal Agricultural Society
www.klv.nl
www.aneil.lu Finland // Helsinki
Norway // Oslo
UIL - Union of Professional Engineers in Finland
NITO - Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists
www.uil.fi France // Paris
www.nito.no United Kingdom // London
BNEI - National Bureau of Engineering Students
ACE – Asso Association ciation for Consulting and Engineering
www.bnei.org France // Paris
www.acenet.co.uk United Kingdom // London
FI - French Association of Female Engineers
IoM3 - Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
www.femmes-ingenieurs.org Germany // Düsseldorf
www.iom3.org United Kingdom // London
VDI - The Association of German Engineers
IMarEST - Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technolo Technology gy
www.vdi.de Hungary // Budapest
www.imarest.org United Kingdom // London
MTESZ - Federation of Technical and Scientific Societies
YRP - Young Railway Professionals
www.youngrailwayprofessionals.org
www.mtesz.hu
25
