Abstract
IN his inaugural address as president of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders on Friday, October 23, Prof. C. J. Hawkes took as his main theme “The Training of the Engineer” and, as a background, his work and experience in the revision of the engineering degree courses at the University of Durham lent an unusual interest and value to his remarks. Engineering is not a science but an art depending on science and, between the two, there are still many gaps, which the engineer has to bridge. His decisions have to be in a form capable of being translated into practice, and he has to be trained to make use of established scientific principles in conjunction with a knowledge of the needs of the world, of the natural forces to be contended with, of the properties of the materials to be used, of the capacities and limitations of those through whom the work has to be done and of the plant, tools, and machinery on which the processes depend. Prof. Hawkes indicated; how the curricula at Durham have been revised to comply with these comprehensive demands. The more human aspects are provided for by weekly reports and discussions in college, and by the personal contact during the workshop training with men of all classes, perhaps the most broadening influence that could be found. By the limitation of available time, the graduate course is mainly confined to the study of scientific principles and their applications. Such subjects as economics, works organization and administration are considered preferably as post-graduate studies. Prof. Hawkes also took occasion to report the progress of research work at Armstrong College, which has been greatly fostered by the members of the Institution he was addressing.
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The Training of the Engineer. Nature 138, 752–753 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/138752c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/138752c0