President's inaugural address

Inspiration for Structural Engineers

Words have power. They can uplift. Words woven together make speech. Leaders' inaugural address offer a new journey, call to action and a purpose. The narration of their journey serves as an inspiration, a source of motivation, and a guiding direction for future leaders.

As we get ready to hear the 2025 President's inaugural address (23 Jan , Thursday, 18:00 GMT) https://www.istructe.org/events/hq/2025/presidents-inaugural-address/ 104th President Mohamad Al-Dah, we prepared a brief summary of lessons from three recent past Presidents.

In this article an attempt has been made to put together learning from three recent Presidents of IStructE from their Inaugural address.

Faith Wainwright's President Inaugural Address 2018

Learning

What Makes a Good Structural Engineer?

A good structural engineer is one who finds clean, simple, and elegant solutions to structural problems or challenges, with a strong focus on sustainability and resource efficiency.

What key qualities define exceptional Structural Engineers?

The fifteen qualities which are common among structural engineers from all parts of world serving, Building, Bridge, Infrastructure, Construction, Energy, Industrial and Research and development are

What actions must Structural Engineers take to address the challenges of today's rapidly evolving world?

Mentorship and Inclusivity:

• Actively mentor and support at least one individual, particularly focusing on fostering diversity and inclusivity within the engineering profession.
• Share experiences, provide guidance, and encourage others to grow both personally and professionally.

Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration:

• Share technical knowledge and collaborate across disciplines to accelerate expertise and solve complex challenges.
• Foster learning communities to maximize collective strengths and enable innovation.

Environmental and Societal Impact:

• Commit to reducing the environmental impact of engineering projects, such as reducing embodied carbon by at least 10%.
• Address societal challenges through purposeful engineering, prioritizing safety, sustainability, and equity in all endeavors.

Challenges to work upon

• Communication.
• Gaining site experience.
• Mentoring young structural engineers.

Do we have only a conventional path to become a structural engineer?

The institute provides both conventional and unconventional paths, allowing individuals from diverse backgrounds to embark on the journey of becoming a structural engineer.

Where can I register for the 2025 Presidential Address?

Detail of 104th Presidential Inaugural Address

Date: 23 Jan, Thursday

Time: 18:00 GMT