Monday 29 October 2012

Professional Practice Interview Boards in Hong Kong

Whilst in Hong Kong, I was delighted to be part of some Professional Practice Interview Boards and welcome some new Chartered Members who were successful after their interview.


Thursday 25 October 2012

Presidential Tour of Hong Kong

Having found another internet cafe to access my blog, here are just a few images from my Presidential Tour of Hong Kong:

Building on our recent Memorandum of Understanding with the RICS, I met with the Commercial Director, Asia Pacific and Deputy Director, North Asia. RICS are keen to facilitate networking with our Hong Kong Centre and members are invited to RICS CPD events.




Here I am at City University along with the staff from the university, Francesca and Professor Sam Allwinkle

CIAT at City University
Then time for a spot of lunch with the staff at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education who run our approved programme there - HD Architectural Design and Technology

IVE staff
Snapshots from our meeting with the Hong Kong Centre, members and potential members - great to meet so many new members




I finish with me at the lecturn giving my Presidential address which was followed by a membership futures presentation by Sam.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

A President in Hong Kong

This week sees me, along with Francesca Berriman MBE, Chief Executive and  Professor Sam Allwinkle PPBIAT MCIAT in Hong Kong. We are visiting the CIAT Hong Kong Centre and also meeting with educational establishments and like minded organisations to advance the Architectural Technology discipline and ensure that recognition continues.

Hermann Fong MCIAT (centre) with fellow Centre Members

Francesca and I meeting with the Hong Kong Centre


Thursday 11 October 2012

Support of a letter to Government

CIAT is a signatory to the Society for the Environment’s (SocEnv) letter to support the IMechE in its call for the Government to analyse carefully the benefits of energy storage to Edward Davey MP as Secretary of State.

Dear Secretary of State

The Society for the Environment supports the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), one of its members, in its call for the Government to analyse carefully the benefits of energy storage and to consider whether current regulatory and commercial policies and mechanisms are holding back the development of innovative technologies.

There is a need to balance supply and real-time demand as renewable energy sources, which are by their nature intermittent, form an increasing part of the UK’s energy mix.   Storage is one way of helping to do this.  A number of innovative storage methods have been developed and demonstrated in the UK, and some reports have estimated a potential global market of up to $25 billion.  These include, for example, cryogenic storage, where electricity is used to liquefy air, which is later expanded through a turbine to recover the energy as electricity.  This technology has recently been demonstrated at pilot plant scale by a UK company.  The demonstration was covered by the BBC in its Today programme and on its website, and a summit at IMechE on the subject was attended by your own officials.  Other approaches have been developed and demonstrated, at a range of scales which can be suited to all parts of the energy market.  Storage is also important for other forms of energy, including heat from such sources as wood-fuelled boilers, which work most efficiently when run continuously and where supply therefore needs to be balanced to demand.

The potential of storage is serious enough to be the subject of a proper analysis.  There are a number of constraints that could hold back further development, including the rate-of return-requirements applicable to transmission and distribution companies and the fact that electricity storage, if it is not recognised as a market sector in its own right, could fall foul of European rules that exclude network operators from generation.  If the development of appropriate technologies is held back there is a danger that they will be exported and that UK businesses will lose out.                                                                                                                         

The Society for the Environment works to champion a professional approach to environmental issues by licensing institutions, under a Royal Charter, to award the title “Chartered Environmentalist”.  We acknowledge that there is a range of views on energy policy, but all our members support the need for policy decisions to be based on evidence and sound science, and to be implemented by qualified professionals.  We therefore support IMechE in its call for energy storage to be subject to a thorough analysis so that it can be properly considered as policy development is taken forward.   

Yours sincerely,

                          



CAROLYN ROBERTS
Chair
ALEX GALLOWAY
Chief Executive


Supported by

FRANCESCA BERRIMAN MBE
Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists

MICHAEL BROWN
Chartered Institute of Building

NICK REEVES
Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management

TIM BRIGSTOCKE
Institute of Agricultural Management

DOUGAL DRIVER
Institute of Chartered Foresters
MARTIN BAXTER
Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

CHRIS WHETNALL
Institution of Agricultural Engineers
NEIL ATKINSON
Institution of Chemical Engineers

WILLIAM POPE
Institution of Environmental Sciences
MICHAEL DORAN
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

NICK JONES
Society of Operations Engineers
TIM BOLDERO
Institute of Water
 

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Show time!

So, term time begins again at university and a quieter period in my role as President.

I'm very pleased to learn that the National Home Improvement Show held at Olympia at the end of September was a very successful show for us and Mark Wilson MCIAT is to be thanked for his Masterclass seminar all about Chartered Architectural Technologists and what we can do. I understand that the seminar was well attended and Mark had a queue waiting for him at the end! Excellent to hear.

I'm also very pleased to learn that Tony Holt MCIAT had a stand for his practice at the show and that he has for the past six months had his own column in the Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine - I shall have to source some back issues so that I can read them but what a great opportunity for the Chartered Architectural Technologist to be seen.

If you are going to Grand Designs Live at the weekend at the NEC, then keep an eye out for me as you may spot the President! I shall be visiting the show and also we have three Chartered Members in the Ask an Expert feature at the show. My thanks in advance to all those Members taking part and I hope to meet up with you there.

Across the waters, our Public Relations Director will be representing the Institute at the same time at the Improve Your Home Show in Belfast - it really is exhibition season at the moment!

Also, if you are a member then do join the CIAT Member Hub LinkedIn Group - there are plenty of debates going on and join them on Twitter as well @CIATHub - it is great to have this online CIAT community.