October 2006 |
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Anti-Corruption Video for Engineering Design and Construction Receives Grant
ASCE recently received a grant of $60,000 to help fund a video that will highlight the issues surrounding corruption in engineering infrastructure projects in the global engineering design and construction industry. The video would be modeled after “Incident at Morales,” a successful video from the National Institute for Engineering Ethics that uses dramatic actors to tell a story in which an engineer faces numerous situations requiring ethical judgment. The new grant was provided by the United Engineering Foundation, which received a proposal prepared by ASCE’s Task Committee on Global Principles for Professional Conduct. The “leadership” gift will initiate fundraising for the anti-corruption video, which will become a tool in the battle against corruption worldwide. It is estimated that $390 billion is lost each year from the over $3.9 trillion spent on engineering and construction projects worldwide. The ASCE Foundation Board has agreed to raise the remaining funds for the project, which has an estimated price tag of about $500,000. ________________________________________________________________ Press Briefs“Germany Alarmed at Lack of Engineers,” by Isabelle de Pommereau, The Christian Science Monitor, August 10, 2006—Recent shortages in the domestic supply of engineers in Germany has the country worried about how it will maintain its leading position in the engineering field, reports the Christian Science Monitor. For centuries Germany has enjoyed a worldwide reputation for engineering excellence, but now the country needs 18,000 engineers it does not have—a third more than last year according to figures from the German Association of Engineers, the article reports. Young Germans have increasingly turned away from engineering as a career, so a coalition of businesses began publicity campaigns to show students form kindergarten through university that engineering can be fun. The coalition supports initiatives such as school projects, youth awards for special scientific discoveries, scholarships, finding engineering internships for students, and helping young researchers commercialize their inventions. The article quotes Markus Roeser of the coalition Do Things as saying that a lack of engineers is Germany’s primary barrier to innovation. A lack of innovation, in turn, could cost Germany its place as the world’s leading exporter of manufactured goods and technologies. Being an engineer in Germany has lost some of its former status, the article reports. Comparing surveys from the 1960s and 2001, “admiration” for engineering jobs dropped from 41% of respondents to 22%. Part of the decline is attributed to the 1970s environmental movement, when people started questioning the impacts of technologies on society and the environment, according to the article. Ten years ago, the article notes, there were twice as many university engineering students in Germany as today. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0810/p07s02-woeu.html
“U.S. Roads Are Being Built With Other People’s Money,” by Aileen Cho and Debra Rubin, ENR, August 21/28, 2006—Overseas investors are coming to the U.S. in greater numbers to enter what for them is a growing new market—investing in U.S transportation, reports ENR. For example, Australian and Spanish companies have helped finance a $635 million toll road in San Diego and invested in leases for the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road. The $6-billion Trans-Texas Corridor also has major Spanish investment. These public-private partnerships--previously more common outside the U.S.--appear to have advantages for everyone, according to the article. Local governments can extract value from existing infrastructure; investors feel there will be a long-term, stable payoff from the tolls; and engineers and contractors look forward to work in niche markets such as traffic studies, operation and maintenance, and toll technology. Non-highway infrastructure is also finding both U.S. and overseas private investors, the article says. Florida, for example, is looking to privatize its Port Tunnel Project, and Chicago is considering doing the same for Midway Airport. Public-private partnerships take the risk away from the client and put it on the firm, reports ENR, and overseas firms tend to be more willing to do so. www.enr.com (full article requires payment)
“Rethink Higher Education for a Changing World, Best-Selling Author Tells Conference-Goers,” by Jeffrey Selingo, The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 12, 2006—Universities need to readjust their missions if they want to help their students compete in the new global economy, says Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, as quoted by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Addressing an audience of university officials in Honolulu, Friedman said educators should focus less on concrete outcomes such as grades, test scores, and skills for particular jobs, since some of those specific jobs may be outsourced in the future. According to the article, Friedman said educating students for this uncertain future will be like training them for the Olympics without knowing the sport in which they will compete. Students need to have skills and attitudes that give flexibility, such as how to learn, passion, curiosity, intuition, and the ability to synthesize, explain, adapt, collaborate, and leverage. The successful people will be those who can discover how one person can do the job of 20 and what local angles can fit into global businesses. As an example of collaboration, Friedman pointed to an Indian high-tech company that had 9,000 international applications for internships. According to the article, Friedman says engineering and business students have discovered that one way to advance is to have experience in countries such as India and China. www.chronicle.com (full article requires a subscription)
“China and India Lure Corporate Research Centers,” by Megha Rajagopalan, The Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2006—China and India are famous for providing low-cost call centers and back-office staff to leading world companies, but now those countries are also attracting research labs, reports The Wall Street Journal. A survey of top companies found that India and China have attracted more than 75% of the research and development sites planned through 2007. This R&D migration has been gaining momentum for three decades, but has recently sped up considerably, the article reports. The consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. and the business school Insead studied companies in 19 countries and 17 industry sectors and found that about 31% of R&D employees world-wide will work in one of those two countries by the end of 2007. That’s an increase from 19% in 2004, reports the article. Western politicians often cite these premium research jobs as being crucial to innovation in service-based economies, so the trend will be worrisome to them. Cultural barriers and bureaucracy remain hurdles when doing business in India and China, the article says, but low cost is not always the attraction. According to the survey, only about 30% of the time did companies name only cost as their primary motive. The key issue is to be close physically and thereby facilitate market access, the article reports. www.wsj.com (full article requires a subscription)
“NASA Engineers Help Iraqis [with water filtration system],” NewsBlaze.com, 2006—Engineers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration used email to help volunteers fix a water filtration and purification system in an Iraqi village. Two years ago, the pump in the village's deep-water well failed and dried up the resident’s access to clean water. The village ended up with just 150 residents from a previous population of 1,000. The villagers who stayed had to carry water from nearby creeks that were dirtied by livestock or use fabric to remove dirt and debris from shallow wells that they had dug. Hearing about these problems, a nonprofit organization in Lawrenceville, Ga., Concern For Kids, provided a system originally designed to recycle air and water on the International Space Station. The stand-alone system uses iodine to purify water from streams, rivers, wells and swamps. Two problems arose with the water purification unit in the Iraqi village--the new water pump was improperly configured and the iodine bed had dried out during transport. That’s where the NASA engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, came in. They provided advice and instructions via e-mail to help fix the pump configuration problem and to guide the Iraq field team in rehydrating the resin bed. The result was clean drinking water in the village for the first time in two years. http://newsblaze.com/story/20060729143340tsop.nb/newsblaze/IRAQ0001/
“Turning the Tide: Why the United States Must Do Better in the Global Competition for International Students and Scholars,” NAFSA.org, June 19, 2006—In order to compete effectively in the growing global competition for talent, the U.S. must take more seriously its stake in welcoming the world’s best students and scholars, says a report from NAFSA, the Association of International Educators. The report, Restoring U.S. Competitiveness for International Students and Scholars, argues that the absence of a national strategy to attract international students and scholars is starting to show its negative effects. In today’s global economy, students from overseas are a vital part of the talent pipeline on which the U.S. relies to fill jobs at the cutting edge of research and industry. Numerous other countries have implemented proactive recruiting strategies to attract international students and have adjusted their immigration and work laws to create a more welcoming climate. Countries once known primarily as “sending” countries are taking significant steps to strengthen their own higher education capacity. At the same time, the U.S.’s capacity to participate in this growing global competition for students and scholars has been limited by the impact of post-9/11 visa restrictions, by America’s diminished image in the world, and-perhaps most importantly-by the absence of a national strategy to protect the U.S. interest in this key asset, the report argues. Click here for more information ________________________________________________________________
News from ASCE
ASCE Hosts Iraq Capacity Development Workshop
ASCE recently hosted an interactive workshop at its headquarters to engage both U.S government agencies and industry representatives in an open dialogue on Iraq policy and project experience relating to capacity development in that country. Sponsored by the Society of Military Engineers (SAME), the Iraq Capacity Development Workshop included representatives from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, along with nine contracting firms and participants from several professional societies. Developing capacity can be defined as “building human, institutional and infrastructure capacity to help societies develop secure, stable and sustainable economies, governments and other institutions through mentoring, training, education, physical projects, the infusion of financial and other resources, and most importantly, the motivation and inspiration of people to improve their lives.” ASCE has been active in capacity building efforts through a variety of forums, including the donation of engineering educational materials to civil engineers in Iraq. The Society of American Military Engineers plans to hold a follow-up session in Baghdad on October 30, 2006. Machu Pichu, Tipon in Peru Dedicated as International Civil Engineering LandmarksASCE has named Machu Pichu and Tipon in Peru as historic landmarks from the Central and South American region. ASCE President Dennis Martenson recently made the designation at the 2006 meeting of the Pan-American Federation of Engineering Associations (UPADI) in Atlanta. The civilizations of the Andes extend back 4500 years, and the innovative Inca people of A.D. 1400 - 1534 built their empire by taking advantage of technology developed by even earlier civilizations.
Machu Picchu is a masterpiece of site selection, city planning, and design. It features construction of trails, buildings, a water supply canal with many fountains, and agricultural terraces. The Machu Picchu infrastructure illustrates the advanced civil, hydraulic, and geotechnical engineering capabilities of the Inca people. The steep agricultural terraces, fine masonry walls, surface and subsurface drainage, and the spring headworks are all excellent examples of Inca civil engineering.
Tipon also demonstrates the advanced hydraulic and geotechnical engineering of the Inca and their predecessors. The complex irrigation system of canals, aqueducts, fountains, buried conduits, and a tunnel—some still in use—took advantage of both surface and spring water. The terraces were constructed of massive, zoned earthworks, including fine stone masonry walls. For more than 30 years, ASCE has recognized civil engineering achievements that have played a unique role in the development of the U.S. and other countries. To date, more than 200 projects worldwide have earned the prestigious Historic Civil Engineering Landmark designation, illustrating the pioneering spirit of civil engineers. ASCE Helps Secure U.S. Ratification of UN Convention Against Corruption
ASCE worked with Transparency International, the U.S. Foreign Trade Council, and a coalition of U.S. non-governmental organizations and private sector parties to encouraged the U.S. Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. Earlier this year, the same coalition was able to secure unanimous support from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption obliges parties to take measures designed to prevent corruption, criminalize bribery and other corruption-related offenses, cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of such offenses, and adopt procedures to recover assets stolen by corrupt officials. The Convention also improves the tools through which law enforcement agencies can investigate and prosecute money laundering, which can and has been used to fund terrorism. By requiring parties to strengthen their anti-corruption efforts, the Convention will help level the playing field for U.S. companies, which are already prohibited by U.S. law from bribing foreign officials. The Convention entered into force on December 15, 2005. The U.S. now joins 64 nations who are parties to the Convention. About 80 countries have signed but not yet ratified the Convention. The first conference of the parties is scheduled for December 2006. ASCE Annual Conference To Offer Insights on Global SustainabilityThe international program at the upcoming ASCE Annual Convention in Chicago will offer attendees a variety of forums to explore the civil engineer’s role in global sustainability. At the International Luncheon (October 18, 2006), George Bugliarello, chair of the National Academy of Engineering Council’s International Affairs Committee, will speak on “Urban Sustainability: Challenges, Paradigms and Policies.” With the unprecedented growth of urbanization now encompassing half of the world’s population, global sustainability is increasingly an issue of urban sustainability. This requires new paradigms for addressing the challenges and a realistic approach to urban policies. In keeping with the sustainability theme, the ASCE International is partnering with the Society’s Technical Activities Committee to present a symposium entitled “Sustainability Practice and Education: A Global Perspective” (October 19). A luncheon will follow the symposium at which Kamel Ayadi, the current President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), will present a keynote address on the WFEO’s role in the delivery of civil infrastructure—roads, safe drinking water, and clean energy—while helping to deliver the Millennium Development Goals. Finally, the International Roundtable will provide civil engineers from around the world the opportunity to discuss global investment in basic, sustainable civil infrastructure. These civil engineered systems increase economic growth and reduce poverty, and engineers are key to conceptual and detailed design, project execution, implementation, and operation. Kathy Sierra, Vice President of Infrastructure at the World Bank, will kick off the session with a keynote address, followed by a moderator and international panelists to lead the discussions. ________________________________________________________________ ASCE International PartnersDeclaration Signed to Promote Ethics, Integrity in the AmericasThe Pan-American Academy of Engineers (API) recently adopted a declaration to promote ethics and integrity among engineers. The declaration, signed during the ASCE co-sponsored meeting of the Pan-American Federation of Engineering Associations (UPADI) in Atlanta, states that engineering is a privilege as opposed to a right. This privilege carries significant obligations to society to adhere to recognized standards of practice related to safeguarding the life, health, property, and welfare of the public that engineers serve. API was created by UPADI as a way to publicly honor exceptional engineers who have decisively contributed towards the progress of their countries and the continent. In its “Atlanta Declaration,” API notes that all countries of the hemisphere are committed to sustainable development, the protection of our environment, capacity building, economic development, and betterment of the human condition. Further, the Pan American Academy of Engineers and its members commit to foster ethical professional practice, with social responsibility, promoting the diffusion and adoption of transparent acts in their tenders and contracts in providing engineering services. The members will also work to adopt within their countries a Code of Ethics prepared with the concept of zero-tolerance for bribery and corruption and support the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. The Atlanta Declaration was developed by consensus in collaboration with leaders of UPADI, ASCE, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ________________________________________________________________ Around the WorldASCE India SectionThe next event of the ASCE India Section will be their annual meeting. This will include an All India seminar on Infrastrature Devolopment related to poverty alleviation. The meeting will be held on 8&9 December 2006 in the Hall of Sir R.N.Mookherjea at 8, Ghokhal Road. Kolkata-700 020. Contact : asce@vsnl.net ________________________________________________________________ ASCE Publications
Planning, Engineering, and Economics By Alvin S Goodman and Makarand Hastak Comprehensively discussing the major concepts, methods, and contingencies involved in infrastructure planning, upgrades, and maintenance, Infrastructure Planning Handbook is an unmatched foundation for the subject.
This handbook is suited for student use. An essential for civil engineers involved in planning roads, bridges, water systems, and other public works projects. Hardcover, ASCE Press and McGraw Hill, September 2006, 672 pages, Stock# MC943, List Price $150 / ASCE Member $112.50 Visit www.pubs.asce.org to order ________________________________________________________________
Students OnlyWin a free trip to Taiwan - Student CompetitionEngineering students are invited to participate in the student essay contest and try for the chance to attend the 4th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region (CECAR). Papers should be no longer than 20 pages and the focus should be on a sustainability topic, preferably on sustainability in Asia. Papers are due December 15, 2006 and the winner will be notified at the end of January. Winners will be provided free airfare and accommodations to Taipei, Taiwan, and the opportunity to present their papers. Please send papers to Al Ang, ASCE representative to CECAR at ahang2@aol.com by the deadline. Save on Test Preparation CoursesASCE’s partnership with Kaplan now entitles members and their immediate family to a $50 savings on all GMAT, GRE, LSAT and SAT courses. This discount is available for all classroom and online test preparation courses offered by Kaplan as well as their private tutoring programs. For additional information or to register, go to www.asce.org/conted/distancelearning/prefkaplan.cfm ________________________________________________________________ ConferencesUpcoming Conferences
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Infrastructure Planning Handbook