20 August 2009

The Faculty of Engineering at UNSW marked Australian Engineering Week with a series of events spanning engineering interest – from high school students through to current students and industry partners. The aim of Engineering Week is to highlight the role and achievements of the engineering profession and to promote engineering as a university course and career.

The Faculty sponsored both the Great Engineering Challenge and the Engineering Industry Breakfast, which were organised by Engineers Australia as part of their 90th Anniversary celebrations. The Dean also sponsored an Engineering Students Sports Day to celebrate the Faculty of Engineering’s 60th Anniversary.

On Tuesday 4 August, 200 Year 10 and 11 students representing 35 Sydney schools took part in the Great Engineering Challenge. This year, a record number of female students took part – almost half the teams were all-girl and more than 60 per cent of the contestants were female. The teams faced three challenges designed to test engineering and technology prowess: building a road crash barrier, creating a functioning wind turbine and constructing a cantilever bridge.

The guest speaker at the Engineering Industry Breakfast on Thursday 6 August was The Hon. Joe Tripodi, NSW Minister for Finance, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Regulatory Reform, and Minister for Ports and Waterways, who discussed ‘Infrastructure Decision-making for the Best National Outcomes’. It was a great opportunity for representatives of academia and industry to reflect on the contribution engineering makes to our nation and quality of life.

Engineering Students Sports Day, which was held by various Engineering student societies, was also held on Thursday 6 August. It was a great success, with more than 700 attending the free BBQ lunch and touch football competition. To add to the excitement of Cevsoc winning the football for the second year in a row, a Navy helicopter landed on the Village Green. The student societies donated $900 to the Black Dog Institute on behalf of the students.

Engineering Students Sports Day.