The Institution of Electrical Engineers

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The Institution of Electrical Engineers Issue 14, June 199 1998 International Lecture Prof Charles Kao inventor of fibre optics, concluded a very successful International Lecture tour in April with Stuttgart as his last port of call. The lecture "Engineering the future" attracted large audiences of students, members and non members at all venues, the lecture travelling from Savoy Place, London via The Southampton Institute, Durham University to Stuttgart in Germany. Prof Kao considered to what extent the engineering profession could ensure a better tomorrow by looking at what it had achieved so far, what was planned for the future, and the possible social and cultural consequences.

He reminded engineers of their social responsibility to mankind when engineering new products and that mistakes of past projects affecting society or the environment should be avoided. Prof J Midwinter, Lecture Chairman, presents International Lecture Medal to Prof Charles Kao Prof Kao predicted society will have to accept that as a result of greater advances in technology even more manual tasks will be carried out by machines South Africa plans IEE Centre An inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee to set up a South Africa Centre took place in Johannesburg on January 21 1998 and ... more. less.

was wel supported by both local members of the IEE (including IEE Council Representative Richard Frantz) and from the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE). At the meeting, Christopher Guy was elected as Chairman (designate) of the Steering Committe and has already visited Centres Services at Stevenage, and visited Savoy Place. At regular meetings, including a working dinner with Dr Malcolm Kennedy, IEE Deputy-President, the Steering Committee has agreed to concentrate on the needs of younger members e.g by planning a Younger Members Papers Competition as well as supporting education and stimulating childrens 9 curiosity a imagination by local presentations of the Farada Lecture. With education a priority in South Africa, the Steering Committee is already represented at a national level on such bodies as the Information Technology National Qualifications Forum (ITNQF) and the extensive collective knowledg of the IEE is also being applied to a national initiative to combat the Year 2000 Bug. South Africa has a well established industrial and commercial infrastructure, and members of the IEE and the SAIEE are committed to ensuring that the millenium bug will cause minimum disruption. Local members are urged to support the Centre. 2/ 17/ 99 5:03 PM IEE - Interlink, Issue 14 June 1998 Page 1 of 3 http:/ / www.iee.org.uk/ Internat/ Intlink/ 98jun/ page1.htm with those without a paid occupation being rewarded for their contribution to society in the areas where they voluntarily gave their time. All lecture presentations closed with very interesting question and answer sessions where the audience and Charles Kao together looked further into the future. Thanks are extended to Prof Kao for sparing his time to present such an interesting and thought provoking lecture, and to the local organisers without whose enormous efforts the lecture tour could not have been so ably achieved. For more details contact: Christopher Guy; Ema feline@global.co.za ; Tel/Fax: +27 11 884 074 [ BACK ISSUES ] Last updated: 11/06/98 2/ 17/ 99 5:03 PM IEE - Interlink, Issue 14 June 1998 Page 2 of 3 http:/ / www.iee.org.uk/ Internat/ Intlink/ 98jun/ page1.htm neteditor@iee.org.uk [ Search ] [ Publishing ] [ Calendar ] [ News ] [ Services ] [ Younger ] [ Membership ] [ Activities ] [ Contacts ] [ Statements ] 2/ 17/ 99 5:03 PM IEE - Interlink, Issue 14 June 1998 Page 3 of 3 http:/ / www.iee.org.uk/ Internat/ Intlink/ 98jun/ page1.htm

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