FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT

1 APRIL 2001 - 31 MARCH 2002

Dr P W B Kruger
President

The global technological revolution is impacting on every country in the world. Old economy cultures are giving way to a new economy spirit with concepts like life-long learning, increased risk-taking, increased flexibility, competition for intellectual capital, operating with a sharing mentality, etc. Statements like the following are becoming familiar in the new business environment:

• "transformation has become a way of life"
• "relevance has a shelf life unless you innovate"
• "we are on a journey, not at a destination"
• "the mobility of the people is the society of the future"
• "think global, this is where the health and wealth of nations are defined in the 21st century."

The South African Academy of Engineering should, as our professional imperative, be supporting and guiding this new economy spirit to the benefit of our country. Our membership of 84 fellows embodies a great variety of engineering disciplines and career experience - a resource of immense value in a country and on a continent with a critical need of technological leadership and manpower.

During the past financial year the Academy has again advanced significantly in its mission. The most important outstanding milestone is an Act of Parliament formalising our role parallel to that of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa whose Bill was finally enacted on 1 December 2001.

The following actions took place during the past year: Three Executive Committee Meetings and one Special General Meeting (SGM) and an Annual General Meeting (AGM) were held in Pretoria during the year.
30 May 2001
30 May 2001 (AGM)
27 September 2001
24 January 2002 (SGM)
24 January 2002
 
Membership
 
Sixteen new members were approved at the Special General Meeting bringing the total membership to 84. Previous year-end membership totalled 69 and one fellow terminated membership. The new fellows are:
• Yunus Balim (Head of School, Civil &
• Environmental Engineering, WITS)
• Michiel de Lange (Managing Director, IST Nuclear Power Systems)
• Trevor G Fowler (MEC: Local Government and Development Planning, Gauteng Provincial Government)
• Hermanus S Joubert (Director, Arcus Gibb)
• Allyson Lawless (MD, Allyson Lawless (Pty) Ltd)
• F Wilhelm Leuschner (Lecturer to Acting Chair of School of Engineering, University of Pretoria)
• Philip J D Lloyd (Managing Director, Industrial and Petrochemical Cons.)
• Leendert Lorenzen (Associate Dean, Chemical Engineering, University of Stellenbosch)
• John N Marriott (General Manager, SASOL)
• Rodney V Milford (Director, CSIR Boutek)
• Ross Parry-Davies (Partner, Parry Davies & Associates)
• Adrian W Paterson (Head: S & T Branch, Dept Arts, Culture & Science)
• B Daya Reddy (Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Cape Town)
• Roelof F Sandenbergh (Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, Univ of Pretoria)
• Arnoldus Schoonwinkel (Associate Dean, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Univ. Stellenbosch)
• Friederich vM Wagener (Consultant, Jones & Wagener)
• The Induction Dinner for our new Fellows has been postponed from March/April to 11 June in order to have the President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering as our guest speaker. (See item below)

 
International
 

• SAAE gratefully receives regular publications and news on the activities of a large number of Engineering Academies around the world. Special acknowledgement should be made of the extensive material from the following Academies:
  
  • Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE)
  • Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) - China
  • Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) - India
  • The Engineering Academy of Japan (EAJ) - Japan
  • Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) - Sweden
  • The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) - United Kingdom
  • National Academy of Engineering (NAE) - United States
• An invitation has been received from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering for a Joint Workshop to be held in Australia in April 2003. It is proposed that this Workshop would precede the 2003 AWA Conference to be held in Perth from 6-10 April 2003. This Workshop would be a follow-up on the successful Joint Symposium held in South Africa between the two Academies on Public Private Partnerships, 1 to 2 November 1999. Whereas the PPP Symposium provided an opportunity to address mainly the financial aspects of providing infrastructure, the planned Water Workshop is intended to explore key issues, and identify approaches taken by one nation that could be of assistance to the other.
• The following activities of co-operation are currently being arranged with the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).
  
  • A triangular symposium between Transportek (CSIR), SAAE and CAE as part of the Annual South African Transport Conference, 15 - 19 July 2002.
  • SAAE and CAE to take part in a Joint Workshop in Beijing in October 2002 on Pavement Construction and Maintenance, and the Environment and Sustainable Development. An official visit of SAAE to the offices of CAE to take place at the same time where a formal Agreement of Co-operation between the two Academies is to be signed.
  • A Chinese DG and DDG of the Department Science, Technology and Transport of the Sichuan Provincial Government will visit South Africa in May 2002. The SAAE arranged for a lecture session by them and a professor on bridge design on 21 May 2002. The subject to be "The largest stone arch bridge in the world" and "Bridge testing in China".
  • The CAE President Dr Song Jian will be visiting South Africa in June and has agreed to be the guest speaker at our Annual Induction Dinners in Pretoria and Cape Town.

 
Local Activities:
 

• The SAAE successfully facilitated the funding of the Solutions 2000 project from industry, a video on Engineering in Africa. This video series targets local and global TV audiences, presenting the African achievements and vital role of engineering in society. It also elucidates the opportunities of engineering for the younger generation in terms of career options.
• SAAE did a survey on the Emigration of Engineers in response to a request of Dr Ben Ngubane, minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. The Report to the minister covered the following areas:
  
  • engineering disciplines currently experiencing a critical shortage of skills
  • engineering graduate outputs from our tertiary education institutes
  • the demographic profile of currently registered South African professional engineers
  • the reasons for cancellations of registration, and if for reasons of emigration, the reasons for emigration.
  • professional engineer registrations of foreign nationals for reason of immigration.
• Fellow Bingle Kruger had meetings with Dr Ben Ngubane, Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology as well as with Mr Alec Erwin, minister of Trade and Industries about the role and function of SAAE and found their full support.
• Mr Greville Wood requested comment from SAAE on his proposed engineering solutions to address poverty and joblessness called The Job Creation Blue Print (JCBP). These solutions have been widely circulated by him to important public and private decision-makers of government policy (including members of Cabinet) on this important subject, some of whom have indicated that they would respond only after the comments of the SAAE are known. EXCO and other selected Fellows studied the documents provided by Mr Wood. The SAAE viewpoint given to Mr Wood was also forwarded to a number of decision-makers provided by him and forming part of the debate on the proposals.
• Written comments were submitted in support of the Draft Bill of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAF). The President of ASSAF, Prof Geevers, also gave full support for the cause of SAAE in discussions for co-operation between the two Academies.
• A SAAE Draft Bill has been put together for discussion based on our Constitution and the ASSAF Act of 1 December 2001. SAAE requires the support and official standing of an Act of Parliament for its own effectiveness locally and globally.
• SAAE again participated in the highly successful Technology Top 100 program of the Engineering Association culminating in the eminent annual award ceremony in November 2001 at Galagher Estates. Apart from taking part in the adjudication, the Academy also presented the SAAE Productivity Excellence Award to Aziza (Pty) Ltd.
• Fellow Braam le Roux, nominated by SAAE, has been appointed by the minister of Public Works to serve on the new Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Fellow Bob Pullen has again been appointed as President of ECSA - both for a 4-year term as from August 2001.
• Fellow Callie Pistorius serves on the National Council of Innovation and will keep SAAE informed as may be appropriate. He has also been appointed as Rector of the University of Pretoria.
• Fellow Trevor Manual has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Economic Science by the University of Stellenbosch.

Our first Year Book is currently being finalised for printing and should be available in the second half of 2002.

• SAAE should have its own Website (www.saae.co.za) by May 2002  .

The above reporting signifies growth for the Academy. Much time has been spent this year on arranging important activities for the coming year. The new Executive Committee, to be elected to take office from 28 May 2002 at the Annual General Meeting, will find a growing Academy in both membership and local and international activities. May they be blessed with wisdom and knowledge to accelerate the process of serving the total South African Society from a source consisting of some of the best and most eminent engineering leaders in our country.