Visits to the American Society of Civil Engineers and UN were highlights of Anusha Shah and Janet Young’s US tour.
In the final weeks of her presidential term, Professor Anusha Shah, and director general and secretary, Janet Young, visited Washington DC and New York to meet with members, employers and partner institutions.
Professional mobility and new Mutual Recognition Agreement top of the agenda
Engineering institutions and employers were keen to discuss the recent landmark Mutual Recognition Agreement, signed by the Engineering Council UK and US National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
The agreement’s aim is to foster collaboration in key sectors such as construction, automotive and aerospace.
It does this by offering simplified pathways for UK Chartered Engineers to practice in the US and obtain Professional Engineer certification in a participating US state.
For the ICE, which has nearly 500 members living and working in the country, the agreement comes as welcome news.
Many of these engineers are already contributing to major American projects, such as the New Terminal One at John F Kennedy International Airport.
The agreement is expected to facilitate new opportunities for UK engineers looking to bring their expertise to the United States.
The presidential delegation also met with employers Mott MacDonald and the New York Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) during the visit.
ICE New York Local Association chair, Oscar Rich, said the presidential visit gave members an "amazing" opportunity to meet with the ICE first hand and ask questions specifically related to their region.
He added: "We opened new lines of communication with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, providing a path for transatlantic collaboration between transport agencies."
Engineering ethics with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
In Washington DC, Prof Shah met with ASCE President Feniosky Peña-Mora.
The meeting reinforced the ICE and ASCE’s longstanding Agreement of Cooperation and commitment to the exchange of information and professional advice in international, technical and scientific matters.
The president also discussed the ICE’s contribution to the PAS 2080 carbon management standard and an upcoming joint event on the ethical dilemmas facing engineers.
Register for the joint webinar
Nature-based solutions and resilience in focus
Prof Shah visited a range of major engineering projects while in New York.
First was a visit to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal organised by Jacobs. The historic terminal is being redeveloped to become one of the largest offshore wind terminals in the US.
Prof Shah also visited the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, a large coastal protection initiative on Manhattan’s east side, jointly funded by the City of New York and the US federal government.
Prof Shah’s company Arcadis was the lead designer for flood protection and modelling on the project.
Recognising the distinct resilience challenges across the Americas, Prof Shah hosted an online showcase with keynote speeches from across the region, including:
- Engineering in Extreme Environments by 2023/24 Future Leader Elena Lindsay on her work in South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands;
- Nature-based Solutions and Biomimicry by Megan Holder;
- Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management in Indigenous Communities in Alberta, Canada by Kerry Black; and
- Nature and people positive infrastructure - a Caribbean perspective by Dr Deborah Villarroel-Lamb.
Raising awareness of Enabling Better Infrastructure at the UN
Prof Shah and Young met with Ligia Noronha, UN assistant secretary-general and head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) New York Office.
The meeting built on the institution’s productive working relationship with UNEP in recent years.
Prof Shah discussed how the institution works with key decision makers and governments to strengthen strategic infrastructure planning.
For example, the ICE’s Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme will be working with Peru to strengthen the country’s third infrastructure plan.
The ICE delegation also met with Mustafa Shehu, President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO).
WFEO and the ICE are hosting a joint side-event at COP 29 on 11 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The event will focus on how ‘clean’ technology can enable equitable access to energy and support agriculture in small island states.
It will look at how to speed up the distribution of this technology by using the knowledge of communities and expanding skills through capacity building.
This all serves to support the just transition to a greener future.
Members debate concludes that a focus on carbon is crucial for today’s civil engineers
Prof Shah introduced a debate on whether engineers are too focused on carbon.
Members enjoyed the opportunity to hear differing perspectives on the relative importance of low carbon infrastructure and other environmental factors.
