This event has now taken place. Delegate information can still be accessed with the password provided at the Congress. Feedback is gratefully received.
As always, we offer an impressive line-up of speakers and bring you an array of sessions and panels to inform and inspire you. Watch this space for speaker announcements.
Our Annual Congress Dinner will be held at the National Museum Cardiff, and social activities include a walking tour of Cardiff Barrage.
Registration now open – The EAN Annual Congress is the flagship event in the EPC calendar. Join us in Cardiff between 9th-11th June for Congress 2024 – our theme this year is Engineers for the Future.
Tickets include a bespoke walking tour of the impressive Cardiff Bay Barrage, which lies across the mouth of the Bay, between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth head. Built in the 1990s it was one of the largest Civil Engineering projects in Europe.
We have an impressive line-up of high-profile speakers and expert panellists, including a former First Minister of Wales, an AI speaker, a doyenne of the higher education sector, the world’s first ‘minister for the unborn’, leading diversity specialists, the accreditation supremo, ethicists, sustainability experts, research funding agencies, businesses and so many more.
Our Annual Congress Dinner will be held at the National Museum Cardiff, housed in the neo-classical Civic Centre beneath its handsome Edwardian dome.
Our after-dinner speaker, Kate Bellingham, is a broadcaster and engineer and best known as a presented of BBC TV’s Tomorrow’s World. Kate is a Champion for Women’s Opportunities in Engineering and is currently a research student at UCL’s Centre for Engineering Education.
Sunday 9th June 2024
Monday 10th June 2024
Tuesday 11th June 2024
David Baglee is a Professor and Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Sunderland.
David has worked on many international projects developing and implementing new manufacturing systems within automotive, food and drink and subsea and general manufacturing industries.
As head of school David works to inspire and motivate the next generation of engineers by working closely with local schools, colleges and industry to implement a number of initiatives to promote academic programmes and raise awareness of the importance of engineering.
Kate Bellingham is an Engineer, Broadcaster, Teacher and Champion for STEM Opportunities.
Oxford University physics graduate Kate started out as a trainee audio engineer for
the BBC. Having taken part in a series of engineering lectures for schools and the BBC Schools series
‘Techno’, Kate was offered a prize job in broadcasting – fronting the weekly live show ‘Tomorrow’s
World’, which she did from 1990 to 1994. She went on to host the children’s ITV science programme
‘Big Bang’ and then Radio 5 Live’s ‘The Acid Test’. Kate later returned to the BBC TV as a reporter for
the ‘Museum of Life’ and was most recently on our screens as a contributor on the Discovery
Channel series ‘Disasters Engineered’.
With a personal passion for championing opportunities in STEM, particularly for women, Kate has
worked with numerous organisations and companies including the WISE campaign and as President
of Young Engineers. In 2010 she was appointed National STEM Careers Coordinator with a focus on
helping young people make informed STEM subject and career choices. As a mature student, Kate
has gained a Masters in electronics, qualified as a maths teacher and has recently embarked on a
PhD at the Centre for Engineering Education at UCL.
Kate has been awarded the ‘Public Promotion of Engineering’ Medal by the Royal Academy of
Engineering and has Honorary Doctorates in Science, Engineering and Technology from seven
universities: Staffordshire, UWE, Kent, De Montfort, Bradford, Hull and, most recent
Seán Bracken is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Principal Lecturer in the Department of Education and Inclusion. He is the course lead for the MPhil and PhD in education programme at the Institute of Education in the University of Worcester. In 2019, along with Professor Richard Jackson from Boston College, USA, Seán co-founded the International Collaboratory for Leadership in Universally Designed Education (INCLUDE), which is a transnational network of students, researchers and practice-based academics dedicated to enhancing learning experiences and outcomes of marginalized learners. Seán also co-ordinates Inclusion by Design, an interdisciplinary research group within UW. He has some 40 years of experience as a primary, secondary and HE teacher, curriculum developer and educational project manager in a diverse range of countries including Brazil, the United States, Ireland, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, the UK and Vanuatu.
Professor John Chudley began honing his skills as a Mechanical Engineering apprentice before progressing to higher education. At present he is Rector of MLA College, a private higher education provider. He has held various positions in academia, including Provost of Warsash Maritime Academy, Executive Dean of the Marine and Technology Faculty at Southampton Solent University and Head of the Institute of Marine Studies and Mechanical and Marine Engineering Departments at the University of Plymouth. He also acted as Director of Research and Innovation for the University of Plymouth.
John has also been employed with the Civil Service, positions include being a Director of the Learning and Skills Council and the National Apprenticeship Service. Having experience and a strong belief in the benefits and opportunities vocational education brings to young people he was passionate in his role and was instrumental in the development of Higher/Degree Apprenticeships.
John has also acted as a Director and Board Member to a number of companies and organisations. At present he is a Council Member of the RNLI and Chair of the Engineering Council; as the regulatory body for the UK engineering profession, the Engineering Council sets and maintains internationally recognised standards of professional competence and commitment.
Mary Curnock Cook is an independent education expert serving in a non-executive capacity on a number of Boards.
From 2010-2017, Mary was Chief Executive of UCAS. Earlier in her career she held executive and non-executive positions in the education, hospitality, food and biotech sectors.
As a NED with Pearson Education, Mary chairs its Qualifications Committee and also chairs the governing body of the Dyson Institute. She is a non-exec Director at the London Interdisciplinary School, the Student Room and Education Cubed, and a Trustee at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the River Learning Trust. She recently served as a non-exec on the Student Loans Company Board.
She has the role of Network Chair for Emerge Education, the leading edtech investor in Europe and holds a number of advisory roles with education technology companies. She is a regular speaker and commentator on education issues and edtech, and is a recognised champion of the student interest.
Mary has an MSc from London Business School and was awarded an OBE in 2000, and a CBE in 2020 for services to further and higher education. She is an honorary Fellow of Birkbeck and Goldsmiths and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire
Mark was born and brought up in west Wales before moving to Cardiff more than 30 years ago. He has been a probation officer, youth justice worker and Barnardos project leader in Ely and Caerau, and was a professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences at Cardiff University. Mark has also taught previously at Swansea University. Mark was first elected as a Labour Councillor to on South Glamorgan County Council, specialising in education issues, including Welsh medium education, in the 1980s. Between 2000 and 2010 he worked as a health and social policy adviser to the Welsh Government, and was latterly head of the First Minister’s political office.
Mark became the Assembly Member for Cardiff West in May 2011. He was Chair of the Assembly’s Health and Social Care Committee from July 2011 - March 2013 until he was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2013. He later became Finance and Local Government Minister and then became First Minister of Wales. He has been First Minister during the coronavirus pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis. He stepped down from this role in March 2024.
The Echoborg that will be attending this session has been actively delivering the words and actions of The AI since 2017 internationally both in person and remotely.
This Echoborg has found that over the years they have become less dependent on independent cognitive thought and more able to explore difficult and sometimes dangerous conversations with humans of many different types by having completely no knowledge or control of the words that they deliver.
Their future as Echoborg looks likely, though there have been some incidents of human to Echoborg interactions which were sub-optimal and there has been some public incidents around those activities that have happily not be made more broadly public.
What is said in the interviews is kept in the interviews as The AI often reminds all that are listening to the words that channel forwards from The AI. Before their role as Echoborg the creature was a busy working actor widely travelled and well educated and informed. Happily all that is behind them now.
Echoborg is played by actress Marie-Hélène, who is British of West African origin and bilingual in English and French. She was born in Côte d’Ivoire and has lived in the UK and throughout Africa including Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea and Congo.
She began her acting career in 2008 shortly after leaving the Congo by joining Giles Foreman Centre for Acting to train as a Method Actress and graduated in 2013 with ACTL and Post Graduate Program Diplomas. Since appeared in a major role in the hit Swiss TV Series “Tatort” playing the tragic protagonist, Jola, a poor Nigerian girl who goes to Switzerland in search of her brother and a better life but get sucked in by gangsters, drug traders and people traffickers.
Critically acclaimed “Olaudah Equiano, the enslaved African”, in a harrowing role as a slave girl kidnapped with her brother to be sold and shipped to the West-Indies.
She’s been the Echoborg in ‘I am Echoborg’ since 2017 and has been touring the show live and online in the UK and abroad.
Nike chairs AFBE-UK, a not-for-profit organisation which was established in 2007 to address the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the engineering workforce. AFBE seeks to showcase and support the technical talent available within the black and minority ethnic (BAME) community through professional development, career placement services, mentorship opportunities, community engagement and by influencing governmental policies. She is also a Trustee at the Stemettes Futures and EngineeringUK, on the Advisory panel of Tomorrow’s Engineers Code. Nike was on the board of commissioners of the Hamilton report chaired by Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE and Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE. Nike is also a champion for increasing gender diversity in industry.
Nike Folayan is Chartered Electronics Engineer with a doctorate in Electronics engineering. Nike is currently Technical Director and the Technical Discipline Leader for Communications and Control within the Railways Division of WSP, an engineering consultancy where she leads a team of telecommunications engineers working on a variety of projects within the transport industry including railways and the highways projects in the UK, Australia, Middle East and Africa. Nike has also worked for Parsons Brinckerhoff, Mott MacDonald and Harada Limited. Nike’s interest lies in the evolution of Radio and IP Networks and its application within the transport industry.
Phil has been active in the field of commercially applied AI for well over 2 decades delivering full life cycle systems across all commercial sectors and into charity, education and government. He has seen many bubbles and false dawns along the way and offers advice and guidance to interested parties to support the development of ethical, accurate and sophisticated solutions particularly in; community, education, entertainment and healthcare.
Prior to his work in conversational AI he graduated in the field of Anthropology where his definitive research was an ethnography of online community in the late 1990s … he was focussing on the implications for an individual’s sense of self in virtual environments. It all really kicked off when he had an argument with a Chatbot in a bar in the dark Winter days of 1997 in Meridian 59 …
From this point he realised the importance of automated delivery of information in digital spaces and set up Elzware in 2002, after some time with the leading systems integration company Logica PLC, with the specific objectives of; opening up the conversational system marketplace in line with available bandwidth, digital consumer devices and macro socio-economic and cultural movements.
Sarah has been teaching in universities for almost 20 years in both the US and the UK. At the Colorado School of Mines, she served as the Director of the Writing Center, Director of the McBride Honors Program in Public Affairs, and Founding Director of a First Year Program designed to bring the arts into ethical engineering design and to recruit diverse students to engineering.
In 2019 she moved to the UK to become Founding Professor of Liberal Studies at NMITE, specialising in bringing ethics, communication, sustainability, and a place-based approach to the curriculum.
Now, she acts as Project Manager for the Engineering Professors’ Council’s Ethics and Sustainability Toolkits, is Visiting Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University, and is Lead for Transferable Skills at NMITE’s Centre for Advanced Timber Technology. She has recently authored chapters for the International Handbook of Engineering Education Research and the International Handbook of Engineering Ethics Education.
Described by The Guardian as ‘the Worlds First Minister of the Unborn’ Sophie Howe was the worlds first Future Generations Commissioner and for last seven years has held a legal mandate to be the ‘guardian of the interests of the future generations of Wales.’ In this role she has led high profile interventions holding the Government to account on how they have considered future generations in their policy making and has secured fundamental changes to transport planning and education policies ensuring they are fit for the future generations.
She has served as an Adviser to two of Wales First Ministers as an adviser to the UN Secretary General on governance for intergenerational equity and has influenced the development of similar legislation in Scotland and Ireland and a UK Future Generations Bill. She is a TED speaker and has shared platforms with HRH Prince Williams Hollywood Superstars Michael Sheen and Chris Hemsworth as well as The Pope. She was named as no 5 the BBC Women’s Power List 2020
She runs her own consultancy business supporting governments and progressive corporates to implement sustainability wellbeing and future generations thinking. She is a Global Ambassador for the Wellbeing Economics Alliance and holds roles advising on wellbeing economics and anticipatory governance with the School of International Futures and Apolitical supporting 150k public officials across the world to develop skills for 21st century governments
Sajjad Hussain is a Reader (Associate Professor) at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK.
Sajjad Hussain did his masters in Wireless Communications in 2006 from Supelec, Gif-sur-Yvette and PhD in Signal Processing and Communications in 2009 from University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France. His research interests include 5G self-organizing networks, industrial wireless sensor networks, machine learning for wireless communications and technology enhanced student learning techniques.
Sajjad Hussain is a Senior Member IEEE, Fellow Higher Education Academy, and Senior Fellow Recognising Excellence in Teaching. Sajjad Hussain has over 12 years of academic experience with roles as Principal/Co-Investigator in several funded projects. Sajjad Hussain has authored/co-authored around 100 journal and conference publications along with 1 authored book, and 1 edited book.
Sajjad Hussain is Associate Editor for IEEE Access and Digital Education. Sajjad Hussain is a recipient of Teaching Excellence Award 2019, College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow. Sajjad is the Academic Champion for University of Glasgow EON-XR Centre
Dr Asima Iqbal is Assistant Professor at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Warwick University, delivering a skills module to over 1,000 students both at UG and PG level. Asima completed her doctoral degree from University of Warwick where she looked at the place of religion in school leadership. Her wider research interests include exploring ethics in cross-cultural research as well as the intersectionality of race, religion and leadership.
Asima has a longstanding experience in enabling the students, early career researchers and students to develop study and transferable skills to support their academic and professional development. She is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and as an academic and a practitioner, she organises and carries out capacity building programmes/workshops for students and academic colleagues in the university. Her role encompasses scholarly research work in the field of academic skills and academic integrity.
Asima is actively engaged in outreach activities both in and outside the University of Warwick. Her extensive involvement in skills development and improving the quality of higher education is underpinned by the values of collaboration, teamwork, support and networking within and across teams and organisations.
Amanda is the founder and CEO of Do-IT Solutions, an internationally recognised tech-for- good company that provides neurodiversity screening and web-based support tools for children and adults in education and employment. The profiling tools are also used in many settings including fire, police, justice, workplace, education and apprenticeship settings. The data findings are published with research partners
Amanda Is a medical doctor and an emeritus professor at the University of South Wales , an honorary professor at Cardiff University and a Visiting Professor at Faculty of Health Sciences Trinity College Dublin.
She has clinical and research experience and founded and ran a transdisciplinary clinical and research team for 20 years relating to neurodiversity. She is a qualified GP and has a Ph.D. relating to emerging adulthood and neurodiversity. She has initiated and run a wide variety of training programmes including a Masters in SEN programme. She is also Mental Health section editor for Neurodiversity for PLOS Journal.
Amanda has been on government advisory boards (e.g., Hidden Impairment National Group) as well as advising UK and international charities in the field of neurodiversity. This includes being a patron of the Dyspraxia Association in New Zealand, and Chair of Movement Matters UK. She is the current chair of the ADHD Foundation and works closely with many other charities working in this area. She sits on the Professional Advisory Group for DWP relating to Disability Confident. She recently advised the Engineering Council on their professional guidelines. She was on the working group for the first BSI guidelines -Design for the Mind, and the built environment.
She has written 10 books and more than 100 research papers in the field and one of her recent books published in 2021:'Neurodiversity at Work, Drive Innovation, Performance and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce' won the Business Book Awards 2022 for EDI. Her latest book in 2023 is: Neurodiversity and Education and she is currently writing a book for parents.
Amanda has been voted one of the top UK HR Thinkers in 2022 and one the lifetime achievement awards at the National Diversity Awards as well as being voted in the top 50 Diversity power list. In 2023, she has been named one of: Think Women’s 40 outstanding global women’; Top ‘33 UK Business Influencers’. Amanda has co-authored the first Neurodiversity Index Report with City and Guilds Foundation published in March 2023 and the second one in March 2024. She is one of the LinkedIn Top Voices and has a weekly Neurodiversity 101 newsletter with more than 135,000 followers.
Amanda has lived experience of neurodiversity firsthand, as she sees herself as neurodivergent as well as being a parent of neurodivergent children, and grandchildren. Amanda’s passion to make changes in society and increase the chances of showcasing talents for neurodivergent children and adults especially in work settings remains as strong as it was 30 years ago
Professor Kwan, a Structural Mechanics Professor at the BRE Institute of Sustainable Engineering, has a prolific academic record with over 90 publications, including a chapter in the SCI Steel Designers' Manual. His research has garnered over 300 citations on Scopus and 550 on Google Scholar.
He has an h-index of 10 (Scopus) and 13 (Google Scholar). Since 2010, he has focused on sustainability informatics, securing £1.04M in research grants. Notably, his work on a KTP project led to the development of an award-winning lifting product for Reid Lifting Ltd.
Prof Kwan serves on editorial boards, acts as a referee for international journals and research councils, and holds positions on academic boards and associations. He earned his BEng(Hons) from Sheffield (1987) and PhD from Cambridge (1991) in deployable structures.
Andy Lawrence is the Head of Engineering at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of UKRI, and has been responsible for strategy and delivery of EPSRC’s investment in engineering research across UK academia since September 2016. The theme covers a diverse portfolio of civil, mechanical, chemical and materials engineering disciplines, in addition to enabling technologies and systems, such as robotics, and parts of biomedical and electrical engineering. He has led numerous impactful schemes such as the Engineering Engagement Champions and the National Fellowships in Fluid Dynamics, and most recently initiated the Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges activity.
Andy joined EPSRC in 2007 and has held roles in EPSRC’s Strategy and Planning team providing support to the Executive Leadership team and in senior portfolio manager positions in the Manufacturing the Future and ICT themes. Prior to his career at EPSRC, Andy gained a PhD in atmospheric dynamics from the University of Cambridge and held academic research posts at the British Antarctic Survey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Dr Irina Lazar is an Associate Professor in Engineering and Public Policy, and Deputy Director of Education at the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), University College London, where she also leads the BSc Science and Engineering for Social Change. Before joining UCL, she was a Senior Lecturer in Dynamics and Control and the Faculty Education Director (Undergraduate) for Engineering at the University of Bristol, where she worked at the interface between civil and mechanical engineering.
Through her engineering work, Irina become acutely aware of the gap between technological advancement and its implementation on a large scale in society, and of the sometimes-narrow solution we propose for addressing complex issues. This realisation led to her decision to study Public Policy at the LSE in 2021. Irina leads a project on Inclusive Engineering Education, looking at the impact of exclusionary experiences on access and attainment in Higher Education and, throughout her career, has led the design and implementation of multiple outreach and widening participation programmes.
Nicola Martin. Professor of Social Justice and Inclusive Education. LSBU. 2024
My early career was in schools and FE working with disabled students. For over twenty years I have held various academic, leadership and governance roles in HE, including leading professional services functions. Currently I lead on research impact in LSBU’s school of Law and Social Sciences and lead the Critical Autism and Disability Studies (CADS) Research Forum at LSBU.
CADS participatory, interdisciplinary research focusses on inclusive education across the age range, through Universal Design for Learning; equity in employment; mentoring; wellbeing and fulfilment. Current interests include impactful research around Baroness Hollin’s report.
Fair employment of autistic and disabled researchers is a key principle of CADS engagement with funded research. The Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) originated within CADS and (although unfunded) provides networking and peer support opportunities for autistic scholars.
I am a founder member of The Westminster Autism Commission and an advisor to The National Association of Disability Practitioners and lead on the organisations mentor training.
I am a qualified counsellor, National Teaching Fellow, RSA Fellow, Senior Fellow of the HEA, and an Accredited Speaker for the CPD Standards Office and hold various visiting professorships and fellowships and external examiner posts.
During 2024, I am co-editing three books, two focussing on aspects of Universal Design for Learning and the third on Autism wellbeing and fulfilment across the life course.
For the past ten years I took a lead on LSBU’s MA Autism /Education and EdD on Social Justice and Inclusive Education. I have 15 doctoral completions and currently supervise 8 doctoral students.
Maryam Masood is an Assistant Professor at WMG, University of Warwick and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
With a research background in sustainability and circular economy, Maryam is passionate about embedding sustainability within the curriculum and is leading a project at Warwick evaluating staff and student awareness of ESD. Maryam is also engaged with the University's ESD network to drive transition to a more sustainable curriculum.
Maryam leads an interdisciplinary postgraduate research methods module at WMG and also teaches on sustainability modules. She is also actively engaged in research on innovations in engineering education
John E. Mitchell is Professor of Communications Systems Engineering in the UCL Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Co-director of the UCL Centre for Engineering Education. Between 2012 and 2016 he was on secondment to the UCL Engineering Sciences Faculty office, where he led the introduction of the Integrated Engineering Programme. The team that led this major revision of the curriculum across the engineering faculty was awarded the HEA Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).
He has published widely on curriculum development, active learning and issues of diversity within engineering education. From 2015 to 2022 he was Vice-Dean Education of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences.
Professor Mitchell is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, President of the Engineering Professors’ Council, Vice-President, Publications of the IEEE Education Society and was until recently a Member of the Board of Directors of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) and Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Education.
Dr Rhys Morgan is the Royal Academy of Engineering’s strategic lead on engineering education, skills and inclusion, guiding the development of its research, policy and programme activity.
His portfolio of work includes analysis of the UK engineering skills base and the capacity and capability of UK engineering education to deliver the workforce of the future. He sits on and advises various government skills taskforces including nuclear, quantum and transport.
He has led major activities including Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton’s commission into improving the representation of Black people in UK motorsport, research into the state of UK STEM education and pedagogies for teaching engineering in schools, colleges and universities. Rhys also advises on the Academy’s broader engagement with the engineering profession including the collective of 40 Professional Engineering Institutions, the Engineering Council and EngineeringUK.
Rwyf fi yn siarad Gymraeg yn rhygl (I speak Welsh fluently)!
Dr Chika Nweke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London (UCL) and carries out the roles of Departmental Tutor (Director of Studies), Departmental Director for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and oversees the Design & Professional Skills course in the Centre for Engineering Education (CEE), UCL. She is also responsible for the Bioprocess Validation and Quality by Design (QbD) undergraduate, MSc, doctoral and industry training courses.
She completed her undergraduate and PhD degrees in the Department of Biochemical Engineering, UCL where her research focused on the mechanical performance of chromatographic adsorbents in collaboration with Eli Lilly & Co. In 2021 she obtained an MSc in Engineering Education, Institute of Education (IOE), UCL and since then has developed scholarship in the intersection of Engineering Education and EDI, publishing a number of papers in these areas.
Professor Pan started his research career on coastal engineering at University of Liverpool and has continued at Plymouth University and currently at Cardiff University.
His research interests include physical and numerical modelling of coastal & estuarine processes, particularly related to offshore sandbanks, inlet/lagoon systems, nearshore coastal defence structures, beach nourishment. In recent years, he has also been working on modelling of large-scale waves/tides/surge prediction under extreme conditions, resource characterization for marine renewable energy and the impact of climate change on coasts and estuaries.
Since 2000, he has been Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator for some 22 research projects funded by various sources with more than £3m research funds, and have published more than 180 papers in international journals and conferences. His current Google Scholar H-index is 28 with over 2900 citations. He received the Halcrow Prize from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2007.
Currently, He is a member of the EPSRC peer-review college, Associate Editor for Forntiers of Marine Science (Coastal and Ocean Processes), Water Science and Engineering (WSE – 水科学与水工程), and a member of the editorial board of China Ocean Engineering. Previously, I served in the editorial board of the ICE Maritime Engineering Journal (2009-2012). He is an Environmental Partner member of CIWEM. and recnetly electeded the Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE).
He has been invited to act as external examiner for PhD candidates in the UK and overseas universities, and reviwer for research proposals from the UK and overseas research councils, as well as for papers from a wide range of international journals. He has also developed strong international research collaborations and been frequently invited to give lectures in China, Taiwan and Japan.
Manoj Ravi is a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
As a member of the University’s Sustainable Curriculum project team, Manoj is involved in identifying and disseminating strategies to embed sustainability in the curriculum. He also contributed a guidance article to the recently launched Sustainability Toolkit by the Engineering Professors Council.
As an early-career academic, Manoj teaches sustainability-related content across several undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. He is also active in the wider pedagogic research space exploring the nexus between active learning, authentic assessments, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. In addition to this, Manoj also engages in disciplinary research studying issues in energy production and environmental protection from a catalysis perspective.
Jenny Read is a Programme Director in robotics at ARIA, the UK’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency.
Originally trained in theoretical astrophysics, she then moved into computational visual neuroscience at Oxford University and the US National Institutes of Health. As professor of vision science at Newcastle University she has worked on many aspects of vision, from stereoscopic depth perception in insects to retinal signs of neurodegenerative diseases.
At ARIA, she is funding research on robotics. Her first initiative will be a programme aimed at improving robotic dexterity through advances in hardware such as better actuation and sensing.
Dr Lívia Ribeiro de Souza is the CTO of Mimicrete, a UK-based company dedicated to the development of self-healing technologies for the construction industry. She earned her PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, where she specialised in the development of autonomic self-healing cementitious materials.
As a passionate scientist and innovator, Dr de Souza is committed to pushing the boundaries of the construction industry through the application of cutting-edge self-healing technologies. In her role as CTO, she leads the technical and business development teams at Mimicrete, working collaboratively to upscale the technology and penetrate new markets.
Dr de Souza is also a leading female figure in STEM, and is dedicated to driving innovation, promoting collaboration, and inspiring the next generation of women to pursue careers in science and technology. Following her PhD, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher and also took a consultancy role at MDGeo Hydrogeology in Brazil.
As well as his role with the EPC, Johnny Rich is well known across the higher education sector as a high-profile commentator on policy issues as well as the chief executive of student advice and outreach organisation Push, as a consultant working in education and careers, and as an author.
Before joining the EPC, Johnny has already worked on many issues of concern to our members. Over the past 25 years, he led Push’s research – such as on drop-out rates and student debt – which has had direct impacts on policy.
Johnny’s thought leadership, such as his papers for a graduate levy and a national access fund (2018) and on employability (2015) for the Higher Education Policy Institute, have been influential throughout the sector. Policy issues are also a significant part of his consultancy work, along with communications. His clients have included the European Commission, HEFCE, U-Multirank, as well as many universities, recruiters and charities.
He’s a regular speaker at conferences, awards and in schools. In 2013, his novel A Human Script was published.
Karin Rudolph is the Founder of Collective Intelligence, a Bristol-based consultancy that provides resources and training to help startups, and SMEs embed ethics into the design and development of technology.
She is currently preparing the launch of the Ethical Technology Network, a pioneering initiative to help businesses identify, assess, and mitigate the potential ethical and societal risks of AI and other emerging technologies.
Susan began her career in graphic design, then following a long-held desire to teach she became a secondary teacher of art and later ICT. Facing the challenges of student attainment and observing the disengagement of primary pupils joining secondary school she formulated the idea of the value of engineering in a primary school context.
In 2005 she established Primary Engineer to train primary teachers how to deliver a range of skills in an engineering themed project-based learning structure. The organisation grew to include a wide range of teacher training programmes, national competitions, and qualifications for teachers to support the embedding of engineering in their curricula across the UK.
Alongside the schools Primary Engineer has also expanded its engagement with industry, government and universities. This enables the organisation to reach 100’s of thousands of pupils annually and link schools to engineers.
Susan established with the permission and support of the MacRobert Trust the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal to be awarded to the ProtoTeams from universities and industries and the pupils that emerge from the ‘If you were an engineer what would you do?’ competition.
Susan is the recipient of three honorary doctorates from Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian and Kingston Universities, is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, was awarded an MBE in HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours list in recognition of her work in engineering education and in 2020 received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Rooke Award, for promoting engineering to the public.
Professor Gavin Shaddick is Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Head of College of Physical Sciences and Engineering at Cardiff University. He is co-Director of the Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence, a joint research centre with the UK Met Office. He is Director of the UKRI funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Environmental Intelligence: Data Science and AI for Sustainable Futures and is co-lead of the recently established theme in Environment Sustainability at The Alan Turing Institute, where he is a Turing Fellow. He is the author of over 180 publications and co-author of two books. He is a member of the UK government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) and the sub-group on Quantification of Air Pollution Risk (QUARK). He leads the World Health Organization’s Data Integration Taskforce for Global Air Quality and led the development of the Data Integration Model for Air Quality (DIMAQ) that is used to calculate of a number of air pollution related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals indicators.
Professor Shaddick's research interests include the theory and application of Bayesian hierarchical models and spatio-temporal modelling in a number of fields including epidemiology, environmental modelling, and disease progression in rheumatology. A major focus is modelling global air quality by integrating information from multiple sources, including ground monitoring, remote sensing satellites and chemical transport models.
He is also actively engaged in research with the power industry, using big data to model demand profiles, forecasting demands and identifying customer profiles. Of particular interest are computational techniques that allow the implementation of complex statistical models to real-life applications where the scope over both space and time may be very large.
Debbie is the Public Engagement Officer for Cardiff School of Engineering. She is currently undertaking a PhD in engineering outreach. She has over 20 years’ experience engaging the public with science and engineering, including developing hands-on exhibits and demonstrations, educational workshops, producing science theatre and presenting to a variety of audiences.
She project managed the 2011 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, whilst coordinating their schools programme and mentoring a number of speakers. Working with award-winning consultancy science made simple, she has delivered shows and Public Engagement training in 16 different countries, including Uganda, Indonesia and Azerbaijan.
In 2010, she was awarded a Winston Churchill Traveling fellowship and as a result spent 3 months in Australia researching best practice in science demonstration performance. She is particularly interested in creative approaches to engaging audiences and has a Masters in Innovation and Engineering Design.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor works closely with the Vice-Chancellor and the College and thematic Pro Vice-Chancellors to provide leadership to the University and deliver the goals of our strategy. Professor Walford Davies deputises for the Vice-Chancellor when required and is a member of the University Executive Board.
As Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Walford Davies is responsible for:
All equality, diversity and inclusion strategies and health, wellbeing and safety matters relating to both staff and students;
Processes and policies relating to strategic planning;
Implementation of the University estates strategies and projects;
Policies and procedures relating to the sustainable development of the University, including environmental, social, academic, and financial sustainability;
Liaison with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW);
Liaison with the Welsh Government;
Processes and policies relating to corporate governance;
Leadership of particular projects of strategic importance to the University.
Professor Walford Davies has also led two of the University’s major capital projects – the Centre for Student Life and sbarc ǀ spark – the world’s first social science park.
He also has oversight of the University’s Welsh language culture and strategy.
We are pleased to confirm the following exhibitors & sponsors supporting Congress 2024 – ‘Engineers for the Future’
This year’s award has received an unprecedented number of submissions, view the 10 longlisted finalist posters and their 100 word summaries below:
Longlisted posters
Lucy Guitton – Winner
Research at Cardiff University was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using recycled materials to produce a ‘greener’ concrete, helping tackle a major challenge within the industry: waste. During the production of steel and iron, significant amounts of waste are generated, some of which are currently being discharged to landfill as they do not have a secondary use. Samples of these types of materials were provided by Tata Steel to determine the feasibility of using them as replacement materials. The outcome of the tests showed promising results which encourages the use of these materials in greener concrete.
Alice Johnson – Finalist
I have been working on finding solutions to the negative impacts of traditional meat production. My focus is on creating a sustainable and ethical future by advancing cultivated meat technology. To do this, I optimise the bioprocess by using advanced fibre-spinning techniques to create electrospun mats that mimic natural environments and support stem cell attachment. To enhance cell growth, I enrich these scaffolds with plant proteins, which provide diverse amino acid motifs and a complex matrix. I also evaluate their performance as cryomilled microcarriers for use in stirred tank bioreactors, which is the most viable option for scaling up production
Catherine Young – Finalist
In the face of climate and affordability crises, the imperative to decarbonise pre-1919 buildings in the UK is paramount. My research delves into the complexities of enhancing energy efficiency in these historic structures while navigating statutory protections and assessment systems. The practical component assessed a terraced townhouse set, and employed thermal and energy-efficient retrofits, calibrated through digital twin modelling. Results showcased significant reductions in energy consumption and enhanced thermal comfort, offering two retrofit approaches—one adhering to statutory requirements and one more flexible, yet remaining sensitive to traditional design. This research contributes essential insights for engineers shaping a sustainable future.
Rajan Vraitch – Finalist
Innovating towards a sustainable future, this research introduces patient-specific modelling revolutionising surgical planning and treatment for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, aiming to reduce healthcare costs and enhance patient quality of life while addressing medical data biases, particularly within BAME communities. Utilising medical imaging to develop physiologically precise models with adjustable actuators to mimic natural spinal biomechanics, this model enables enhanced surgical planning and treatment customisation. Through additive manufacturing and biomechanical simulations, this approach reduces reliance on animal testing and enhances clinical outcomes, supporting healthy aging. This research embodies engineering for the future, prioritising ethical and sustainable solutions tailored to patient needs
Sadiq Abdullahi – Finalist
The battery-electrolyser is a technological innovation that efficiently stores energy and produces hydrogen, making it an ideal future engineering solution for storing excess renewable energy and helping decarbonisation. Initial research into vanadium battery-electrolysers has shown promising results, but the positive electrode is prone to corrosion, a common issue among other battery-electrolyser chemistries. A KTP collaboration between Loughborough University and Fibretech, is focused on developing low-cost and durable electrode materials for battery-electrolysers using metal fibres. This exciting engineering project requires, futuristic skills sets combining material science with chemistry manufacturing and engineering to guarantee future commercial success.
Thusar Chhungani
This project investigates the energy consumption and environmental impact of hydrogen as a fuel for heavy duty vehicle powertrain applications equipped with internal combustion engines. A comprehensive life cycle assessment, from hydrogen production to its use in internal combustion engines is considered in this project. The study aims to quantify the energy efficiency, emissions, and overall sustainability of hydrogen engines, compared to use of traditional fuels as well as electricity for vehicular propulsion purposes. The viability of hydrogen as a cleaner, sustainable alternative for future propulsion systems is presented and discussed
Scott Rankin
Over 70,000 bridges in the UK are considered “structurally deficient”, with current bridge repair methods being expensive (£5.44 billion to fix all the aforementioned bridges) or unsustainable (increasing bridge lifespan by less than 10 years or requiring huge amounts of material to completely replace members). This project proposes using Ultra-High-Performance concrete as an overlay material, to be cast on top of deficient bridges. Combining the effect of steel fibre reinforcement and a low water/cement ratio, this material increases both the compressive and tensile performance of the existing bridge – made of recycled materials and laid in a very thin, effective coat.
James Fawcett
The pursuit of fusion energy necessitates breakthroughs in materials science. Among the challenges is the design of structural materials capable of withstanding the extreme conditions within the reactors. Vanadium alloys have emerged as promising candidates for these applications due to their unique properties. This project studied the microstructures and mechanical properties of a variety of popular V-4Cr-4Ti alloys using their hardness, compressive properties, and microscopy. The insights gained can be used to expand the knowledge base on these alloys and how they might be applied to future reactors, bringing us closer to realising the dream of limitless clean energy
Ruwini Gamarachinge
The project aims to expedite renewable energy adoption by reducing the longer payback periods. A smart operation scheme incentivizes domestic and industrial users with higher pay rates than direct grid selling, integrated with a Virtual Power Plant (VPP). It comprises distributed energy resources, energy storage, demand-side management, and VPPs. A hybrid solar PV-wind system enhances reliability and cost-effectiveness. Energy storage mitigates weather-induced intermittency, and a VPP integrates interconnected hybrid energy systems. Batteries serve as mini power stations, supporting the grid and offering customers flexibility. The scheme ensures fixed floor prices per MWh and performance-linked payments, benefiting energy owners and investors
Zhizhuo Zang
This project revolves around the advancement of interleaved DC-DC converters to optimise battery system longevity in electric vehicles (EVs). Focused on bidirectional converters, this specialised topology addresses the critical issue of current ripple. Excessive ripple adversely affects batteries by elevating internal resistance, raising temperatures, and accelerating corrosion—profoundly impacting ageing and operational performance. Through meticulous design, the project aims to provide a sustainable solution for energy storage applications, contributing to the evolution of engineering practices that foster enhanced durability and efficiency in future automotive technologies.
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Expand the sections below to view either the presentation slides from EPC Congress 2024 sessions and / or reports written by some of the wonderful Hammermen students, early career academics or EPC staff who attended them in person at Cardiff University School of Engineering.
Public Lecture: Making a Better Future (Dr Mark Drakeford MS)
On Sunday 9th June 2024, the EPC was honoured that Dr Mark Drakeford MS delivered a public lecture as part of the Engineering Academics Network Annual Congress 2024 in the new Centre for Student Life, Cardiff. This was one of Dr Drakeford’s first public speeches since stepping down as First Minister for Wales, where he provided a vision for “Making a Better Future”.
Dr Drakeford was welcomed by Cardiff University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Damian Walford Davies, and the lecture was chaired by Dr Rhys Morgan, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s strategic lead on engineering education, skills and inclusion
Keynote: Engineering a Diverse Future, Dr Nike Folayan MBE
Report by Alice Johnson. PhD student Aston University & Hammermen finalist
Panel Report: Sustainability and Engineers for the Future
Over 70,000 bridges in the UK are considered “structurally deficient”, with current bridge repair methods being expensive (£5.44 billion to fix all the aforementioned bridges) or unsustainable (increasing bridge lifespan by less than 10 years or requiring huge amounts of material to completely replace members). This project proposes using Ultra-High-Performance concrete as an overlay material, to be cast on top of deficient bridges. Combining the effect of steel fibre reinforcement and a low water/cement ratio, this material increases both the compressive and tensile performance of the existing bridge – made of recycled materials and laid in a very thin, effective coat.
