| Media
Release
Latest
News | Archives
Engineering innovation focus of lecture
Wednesday, 10 August 2005
Engineering innovation is the focus of the annual Hopkins Lecture which
takes place at the Christchurch Town Hall next week.
The event is jointly hosted by the University of Canterbury and the Canterbury
Branch of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand and funded
by the Hopkins Trust.
.
The free public lecture on Wednesday, 17 August, at 8pm in the Town Hall's
Limes Room, will be presented by Gavin Cormack, Executive Chairman of
Beca Group Ltd.
Mr Cormack, a University of Canterbury civil engineering graduate, has
been a board member of Beca for more than 30 years and Executive Chairman
for five years.
Beca is the largest New Zealand-owned professional services company and
operates in 41 countries and employs more than 1500 people. His non-executive
directorships and committee memberships have included chair of the New
Zealand Trade Development Board, The Centre for Advanced Engineering,
Christchurch, the New Zealand Concrete Society, deputy chair of the Ports
of Auckland Ltd and member of The Seismic Commission Fédèration
Internationale de la Précontrainte (FIP).
His lecture is titled Engineering Innovation and the Creation of Lasting
Value. It will look back at New Zealand's history of rapid development
enhanced by engineering innovation, initially in the harvesting of natural
resources, the refrigeration and shipping of meat, and more recently,
the development of power generation and transportation infrastructure.
Drawing on these examples of innovation and more recent engineering projects,
which have added lasting value to their owners and stakeholders, Mr Cormack
will describe the conditions necessary in our businesses and institutions
for engineering innovation to flourish so that New Zealand can continue
to move forward.
Hopkins Lecture
The Hopkins Lecture is given annually by an eminent speaker from overseas
or New Zealand on a subject that will encourage discussion of engineering
matters within the engineering profession and promote public understanding
of engineering issues.
The Hopkins Trust Fund was set up in recognition of the major contribution
to Canterbury University and the engineering profession by the late Professor
H J Hopkins, who retired from the University in 1978 after 27 years as
head of civil engineering.
For further information please contact:
Maria Hand
Communications Officer
University of Canterbury
Tel: +64 3 364 2072
Fax: +64 3 364 2679
Mob: 027 224 5104
maria.hand@canterbury.ac.nz
Back to News and
Views
|
