The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) inaugurated Brian Downie in November as the new president of the institution.
Downie is the 116th president of Saice since the inception of the institution in 1903.
The new president’s theme for 2019 – ‘It’s a new world’ – is focused on education, entrepreneurship and employment, which are all vital issues for the country.
The primary focus will be on education and will be achieved through the extension of existing initiatives with the Department of Basic Education, where engineers will offer tutorial support to Grade 11 and 12 pupils.
In parallel with the ‘school’ initiative, Downie has proposed a strategic technology partnership with The MakerSpace Foundation, which works with people from all age groups and backgrounds, leveraging disruptive technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as three- dimensional printers, to help people make things that improve the world around them.