A new partnership between the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and Engineers Australia will better connect staff with the engineering community, including membership of Engineers Australia and supporting staff to be recognised for their engineering expertise through Chartered and Engineering Executive status.
The partnership will support more than 30 staff, including Vice Chancellor Professor Rufus Black, Head of Engineering Professor Andrew Chan, and Executive Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering Professor Brian Yates.
Professor Yates says the partnership reflects the University’s support of both engineering staff and students.
“The University’s partnership agreement with Engineers Australia, which will provide professional membership status to our staff, strongly aligns with our strategy to lift the profile and place of engineers in the community and supports our ambition to grow the pathways for students to engineering,” Professor Yates said.
“We deeply value our staff in our engineering disciplines who bring their world-class knowledge and understanding to their teaching of our students and to their contribution to industry research and development.
“Our ongoing collaboration with Engineers Australia recognises the transformative impact our engineering graduates make to our economy and how they help to solve many of the world's challenges.”
Dr David Pointing, who recently left his role of Engineers Australia General Manager – Tasmania to take on the CEO role at the Australian Power Institute, worked with UTAS to set up the partnership.
According to Dr Pointing, the partnership highlights the importance of engineering academics maintaining their connections to both the professional practice and the engineering community.
“The first engineers that student engineers meet are the professionals who are teaching them, so it is very important that these academics have strong connections to professional practice and to the engineering community”, Dr Pointing said.
“The partnership also ensures that these engineering academics are appropriately recognised for their industry-aligned competence and capability.”
Engineers Australia already has a strong relationship with UTAS, with engineering academics holding leadership roles in Tasmania’s community of more than 1,500 members.
“We’ve recently taken this relationship to another level and are proud to share news that we’ll be working with the University to support a group of staff to strengthen their connections and recognition through our membership community,” Dr Pointing said.
For more information on the partnership between Engineers Australia and UTAS, or to discuss opportunities for your organisation to partner with Engineers Australia, please contact Darren Beattie, Acting General Manager – Tasmania on [email protected] or 0467 001 626. For information on UTAS programs, please contact Moya Fyfe, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Engagement at UTAS on 0417 517 291 or [email protected].
Image: UTAS Executive Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering Professor Brian Yates and previous Engineers Australia General Manager Dr David Pointing marking the partnership between Engineers Australia and UTAS