YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SHOW THE WAY AHEAD
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These pages should become a privileged corner for all PIANC Young Professionals. Having listened to Roland Boutin (picture), who spoke on behalf of the YP-Group in Bergen, a lot of creativity and innovative ideas are bubbling up among junior PIANC members. Make your voice being heard! Let us hear what YP-sections are concerned or involved in. In the meantime, we will keep this place alive.
In this 2003-2 issue, we publish an overview of YP-activities by Kirsty McConnell, UK Young Professionals Representative and "Sailing Ahead" correspondent for the British National Section. Furthermore, we have a little report and several pictures by Fernando Bachiller about a very well attended YP-meeting in Spain. And we conclude with an exceptionally tempting offer, exclusively for Young Professionals who would like to earn a free trip to Japan… |
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In October 2001 a proposal was made to PIANC ExCom to set up an ad-hoc Task Group of young professionals and students. This proposal was made in response to the following concerns:
- The average age of PIANC members is high
- In some countries, PIANC is suffering from a "generation gap"
- It is increasingly difficult to convince today's middle and upper management of the value of corporate membership of PIANC
- Both corporate members and individual members are important to PIANC
- Today's students and young professionals are tomorrow's middle and upper management
- In order to attract tomorrow's corporate members, PIANC needs to attract students and young professionals into the Association, to nurture them, and encourage them to become the "champions" of PIANC.
PIANC therefore needs young members to survive.
In late 2002, a Task Group for Young Professionals was therefore set up with the following objectives:
- To establish the needs of young professionals and the extent to which PIANC currently meets those needs
- To identify ways in which it might be possible to change or add to the support and/or services which PIANC provides, and
- To establish routes by which young members can more effectively contribute to the day-to-day activities and future development of PIANC.
The Task Group comprised representatives from a number of countries including Netherlands, Belgium, UK, France, USA, Italy, India and Japan.
Following consultation amongst the younger PIANC membership in each of the countries, the Group met in Brussels in February 2003 to discuss findings and identify key recommendations to be made to the PIANC Annual General Assembly in Bergen in May. The key recommendation was to set up a Young Professionals 'Implementation Group' to ensure that the findings of the Task Group can be taken forward in a practical and pragmatic way. This recommendation was approved at the AGA.
The Implementation Group will comprise around 60% young professionals (including some of those who have already been involved in the Task Group), with the remaining members comprising both experienced PIANC members and secretariat representatives. This composition will help to ensure that actions are formulated in a way which is acceptable to all parties.
The Group will have the following amongst its responsibilities:
- prioritise and assess the viability of suggested actions
- prepare an action plan for implementing ideas, including advice to National Sections
- consider recommending the setting up of bottom-up 'student' and/or 'young professionals' groups at national level where these do not already exist
- consider benefits and practicalities of ensuring at least one nominated 'young professional' representative on both PIANC Commissions and Working Groups
- consider whether a permanent 'Young Professionals' Commission might be of benefit
- ensure continued communication, interaction and integration between the developing young professionals initiatives and the rest of the PIANC membership.
For more information contact Jan Brooke, Task Group Facilitator
(e-mail: janbrooke@compuserve.com)
Report by Kirsty McConnell
UK Young Professionals Representative
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Young Professional Meeting in Spain
Last April 4 th, the Spanish PIANC section ATPYC (Coastal and Ports Technical Associations) celebrated a meeting for young professionals. This convention was a success with more than a hundred participants from all cities and organizations of the country. Among the professionals were people from ports authorities, coastal offices, regional administrations, university students, investigation staffs, construction companies and engineering consulting firms. The aim of the meeting was to discover the needs of young professionals and the way to use the associations like a tool to incorporate them into the benefits of PIANC. One of the conclusions of the meeting was the creation of a permanent commission for the young professionals, in order to increase their participation and most of all to get their suggestions. At the moment the electoral period is open to vote for the members of the stated commission. The next July 2nd the names of the 10 new task members will be known.
Report by :
Fernando Bachiller
fbachiller@hidtma.com
Tfo: 91 351 08 48
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The opening conference was attended by (from left to right): Celia Tamarit, the YP-representative; Macario Fernàndez, Spanish PIANC President; José Maria Grassa, CEPYC Director; Modesto Vigueras, sponsor of the meeting; and Rafaël Escutia, Spanish section Past President.
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In small working groups, young Spanish professionals are discussing opportunities of meeting together in a broader PIANC Network. A final plenary session was held, after working groups had reached conclusions and a visit to the CEPYC simulations laboratory at the Costal and Port Spanish Center was completed.
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Have a free trip to Japan (only for young professionals!)
Please mark the 31th October 2003 deadline at once in your agenda. At that date, the deadline expires for new submissions for the De Paepe-Willems Award, one of the most prestigious prices in the navigation community. As the aim is to encourage young professionals to submit outstanding technical articles, you should not be older than 35 years by 31st December 2003. Read more about the background of this Award and the criteria for assessing submissions at http://www.pianc-aipcn.org/dwa.html. The winner receives a € 5.000 grant and free membership of PIANC for a five year period. In addition, he will be invited to present his/her paper at next year's AGA in Fukuoka, Japan - with free hotel accommodation for three nights provided and travel expenses reimbursed in economy class. Any additional incentives needed?
Invitation pour voyage gratuit au Japon (uniquement pour jeunes professionnels !)
N'attendez plus à marquer dans votre agenda la date du 31 octobre 2003 dès maintenant. C'est à cette date en effet que les candidatures pour le Prix International De Paepe-Willems doivent être soumises. Ce Prix, qui est considéré comme un des plus prestigieux dans la Communauté de la Navigation, est destiné aux jeunes ingénieurs. N'hésitez donc pas à nous envoyer un article technique brillant de votre main, à condition que vous n'ayez pas 35 ans d'âge au 31 décembre de cette année. Vous pouvez lire plus sur l'histoire de ce Prix ainsi que sur les critères d'évaluation (http://www.pianc-aipcn.org/dwa.html). Le gagnant recevra un montant de € 5.000 ainsi qu'une carte gratuite de membre AIPCN pour une période de cinq ans. En outre, il ou elle sera invité(e) à présenter son article lors de l'Assemblée Générale de notre association qui se tiendra à Fukuoka au Japon - trois nuitées en hôtel et frais de transport en classe touriste inclus. Quelqu'un qui veut plus ?
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