Professor Paul Jowitt, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Professor of Engineering Systems in the School of the Built Environment was centre stage at Heriot-Watt Postgraduate Centre last night to deliver his presidential address to colleagues, friends and companions of the university.
The Heriot-Watt professor of 22 years and SISTech Executive Director, celebrated ‘the proudest moment of his career’ in November last year, becoming the institution’s 145th president.
President Jowitt had made an official visit to Heriot-Watt shortly afterward his inauguration to judge an Engineering poster competition, but this is the first time he had addressed the university as a whole.
President Jowitt was joined at the lectern by Heriot-Watt Vice-Principal, Andy Walker and Head of the School of the Built Environment, Garry Pender, and by an audience of staff, colleagues, students, friends and companions of the university.
President Jowitt called for an ‘engineering renaissance’ and insisted that ‘now is the time’ for civil engineers to lead the world through the challenges of climate change, natural and man-made disasters, and economic crises.
The new president has already put his new vision for change into practice by broadening the President’s Apprentice initiative to reflect an international approach. This years’ scheme focuses on providing the young engineers´ invaluable experience in the role civil engineers play in international development and the president recently returned from a trip to Rwanda, Tanzania and South Africa with his apprentices.
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