Europe's largest professional society for engineers, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), was launched on 31 March in London, UK. The new Institution has been formed by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) and will have more than 150,000 members worldwide. At the launch a promise was made to promote the profession to young people. A policy highlighted by a presentation to the first member of the new Institution, Na Yao, who is completing his PhD degree in the department of electronic engineering at Queen Mary University of London.


"We have come into being at a time when the demands on engineering and the expectations of the public about our profession have never been greater," said IET's president Sir John Chisholm. "Our Institution will commit itself to use the skills and experience we have to promote the contribution engineering and technology makes to the well being of society. It helped transform people's lives in the last century and will do so again in this one. We have major contributions to make to tackle the important challenges that face the world, such as wealth creation, climate change, third world poverty and national and personal security. If we are to succeed we need to ensure a flow of able motivated young people into the profession. To achieve that we must work even harder to persuade them of the attractiveness and the rewards of a career in engineering."

Following its formation, the IET is one of the largest engineering and technology societies in the world and reflects the interdisciplinary, global and inclusive nature of engineering. It aims to lead in the advancement of engineering and technology by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and ideas at a local and global level and promoting best practice, ensuring that its members are thoroughly equipped to meet the needs of today's rapidly changing technological world. Members work in a diverse range of technical backgrounds including IT, communications technology, electronics, power engineering, software, control, informatics and manufacturing, and range from students to leading figures in industry, research and development and academia.

As well as premises in the UK — in London, Stevenage, Birmingham and Glasgow — the Institution also has offices in New Jersey, Beijing and Hong Kong, and plans to open a base in India later this year. For more information, visit www.theiet.org.