2019 Graduation Occasional Address

The following speech was delivered for the 2019 graduating class of the University of New South Wales School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Staff, distinguished guests, graduates, families and friends, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to acknowledge the Bedegal people of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of this land where the University is located. I would also like to pay my respects to the Elders both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are present here today. 

In making this acknowledgement on this land we should all recognise the learning and education that has occurred on this land for millennia by the traditional owners. The University continues this focus and commitment to learning.

I also think it is important in the context of this engineering graduation ceremony that we recognise the engineering feats of the traditional owners over many thousands of years to harness the land in a sustainable way to serve their communities for generations. Some of the oldest known structures in the world are now attributed to the indigenous people of this country. We will all learn more about this in years to come.

Standing here this afternoon it is important that we also acknowledge and celebrate the University’s 70th anniversary – as a graduate from the Faculty of Engineering you have a degree from the foremost Engineering Faculty in Australia and one of the top echelons worldwide.

Don’t underestimate it, value it, use it - it can take you anywhere in the world, and for some of you it will, if it hasn’t already.

As a graduate from this Faculty of Civil Engineering in 1988, I can say with certainty that the prospects in front of you are exciting and boundless, and it very much rests in your hands to make of it what you will. For me, that is why this is such an exciting day for you and one to be celebrated with your family and friends.

You represent the next generation of leaders who will increasingly - and more so than any previous generation - work globally in our profession of engineering both physically and virtually through the networks you will create.

However, today, the main order of business is to acknowledge and celebrate your graduation. I offer each of you my congratulations. You have all made huge sacrifices to be here today and you should be very proud to be here.

I hope you have had some fun along the way and also made some friends who will last you a lifetime as I have done. Only last Thursday night I caught up with some of the group I graduated with from this school 30 odd years ago. That in itself is an eye opener on where you will go, some of us are still in what I would call mainstream engineering, but many have gone out into law, banking, property development, HR, venture capital, digital start-ups, you name it…but all with a backbone of a degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering.

Your graduation today represents the successful outcome of your sustained efforts over a substantial period of time to acquire a level of knowledge that will stand you in good stead as you take your place in society as a skilled professional.

This is indeed a wonderful accomplishment and is a major milestone for you in the attainment of your chosen profession which you should not underestimate and you, your families and friends should celebrate this achievement.

Your degree is an entrée into the global network of engineering – what you do from now on is up to you. You are on the threshold of an exciting and fulfilling career.

As is always the case – it’s what you do next that really counts.

However, I am sure you have all realised that education within the university environment is twofold and the strictly formal training you have received in preparation for your entry into the profession is finely balanced by the informal but no less important life education that is offered. By virtue of the very values it exemplifies, this university also fosters a deep sense of community and “fellowship” amongst students; it encourages all students to discover their particular strengths and build on them, and it celebrates and promotes the intrinsic right of each student as a unique individual to realise his or her full potential to succeed.

So, university life also helps to prepare you for the myriad of challenges you will encounter when you enter the workforce, particularly in relation to the cyclic and often tough nature of business in its many forms regardless of whether you are working in a professional office, consulting office, out onsite with a contractor, or in a university research facility. 

Developing a level of resilience will be important.

Change is the only constant and I encourage you to embrace change and go with it when it happens, don’t fight it, don’t resist it. Adapt to it and use it to your advantage - this can be your key to success.

Never pass up an opportunity, particularly early in your career.

Above all, enjoy the good times and all that can be achieved at these times. Be confident enough with the education and training that you have received to expand your capabilities and explore career possibilities that excite you.

As you walk away from this ceremony today you can be very proud of what you have achieved as you carry on the very well-established traditions of being an Australian educated engineer. Having worked overseas and in my interactions right through to today in the UK, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, I can assure you the brand is very strong, it is a brand that says “can do”. Aussie educated engineers have a reputation for getting the job done.

You should never be surprised at where you will meet your colleagues from this room and rooms like it around Australia. We are well travelled and sought out around the globe. You have a passport to opportunities around the world by virtue of your engineering degree. Travel well.

Having now built you up to feel ten feet tall, bullet proof and invincible - you don’t know it all, not yet anyway and I urge you to take with you an ethos to never stop learning and to keep an open mind to the endless possibilities that your education has unlocked. The potential in this room today represents the next generation of leaders of our profession in this country and around the world.

In addition, you join a world-class alumni who have graduated from The University of New South Wales and carry on the proud traditions of this institution.

Increasingly it will not just be your technical, science and engineering skills that will be needed. Creativity, critical thinking, the ability to be unconventional and to challenge yourself and others to embed innovation into how you question what is the real problem we are trying to solve, will be key.

Linking these with an ability to collaborate and harnessing the power of diverse teams will be essential to our future and your success. As to where you will be when the university celebrates its 100th anniversary, only you can decide – it’s a very exciting prospect to contemplate.

Engineering is at a turning point in my view. Most of you will be aware of some of the high-profile issues that have occurred here in Sydney with residential apartment blocks, major infrastructure projects that have run very late and way over budget, overseas buildings and other structures that have literally collapsed. Not great headlines for our profession by any means.

Our society expects us to do better - and we must. Engineering excellence and engineers having a voice on the big issues needs to become more our style. For too long we have been the ‘quiet achievers’. But when you think about what we do and that we have a real ability to solve some of the world’s big issues, we need to develop our voice and lead the debate much more decisively than we have in the past. You all have a role to play in your careers to do this.

As you embark on your career, there are 4 big issues that you will come across and it will be at the forefront of your minds and will influence you in many ways. You also have an opportunity and a responsibility to get involved. They are:

·    Health, safety and wellbeing

·    Diversity and inclusion

·    Climate change

·    the digital age

In your professional and also in your personal life there should be nothing more important than health, safety and wellbeing. Don’t take any of them for granted.

Regular check-ups for you, risk assessments and mitigation in your professional pursuits and, as we are seeing at an increasing rate across our society, mental health and resilience are such major issues for our time. We need to work hard to remove the stigma about calling for help and to keep an eye on our family, friends and work colleagues. As work pressure mounts, be aware of your own circumstances and never be afraid to ask for help.  

I am very pleased to see the diversity of the graduates on show this afternoon. A vast improvement on 1988, let me tell you. Gender, race, ethnicity, culture, age, sexual orientation and with it, diversity of thought. Harness this diversity with an inclusive culture and create teams that can look and think differently, where all have a voice. As a result we will get better outcomes and our society will get better solutions for the future. We still have a long way to go but I think your generation of graduates has real potential to make an impact here.

The science of climate change is well established and acknowledged without debating the specifics of discrete events and whether they are or are not caused by this change. It really is what we do about it that counts now in my view. We can all play a part on a personal level, but we, as engineers, have a vital role to play to lead the efforts to mitigate the impacts and ultimately restore the balance.

As an employer of hundreds of graduates I know how passionate your generation is on this issue and think you can play a major role in being the champions of change on this critical issue.

The last issue is digital and the impact that digital technology is having and will have over the course of your careers. Digital transformation. We live with it everyday, you will have engaged with it in your studies. The reality is we are being faced with:

·    Increasing complexity

·    Increasing connectivity

·    Accelerating change

·    Increasingly powerful technologies

·    Exponential data

Confronted with this reality the need to:

1.     Recognise old models are no longer relevant or effective

2.     Create a new model that can better achieve your goals

3.     Ingrain new habits

It’s an exciting and challenging environment with digital that you have landed in the middle of and with the right mindset you have a huge opportunity to transform the world.

In closing, always remember:

·    Set your goals high

·    Believe in yourself

·    Get outside your comfort zone – “have a go”

·    Embrace change

·    Never lose your passion for those things that are most important to you

·    Be true to yourself and ensure you always retain your integrity in all your dealings

Congratulations to each of you, you should all feel very proud of what you have achieved in being here today. Now turn your potential into an exciting and fulfilling career wherever it takes you – and have some fun while you do it.

Thank you, enjoy the moment!