IChemE launches new member group in the Netherlands
11th November 2015
More than 50 chemical engineers gathered at Shell’s Rijswijk offices in The Netherlands last month for the launch of the Institution of Chemical Engineer’s (IChemE) newest regional member group.
IChemE member groups fulfil an important function in building an active professional community of chemical engineers around the world. The Netherlands group joins IChemE’s growing list of local networks, which spans five continents. IChemE combines this with a qualifications structure which is of great value to those entering or working in a highly-competitive job market.
This view was reinforced from an industry perspective by Wim Leenhouts, Chief Process Engineer at Shell. Leenhouts who is also responsible for the technical development of almost 3,000 chemical engineers said, “Chartered membership of IChemE counts as a robust third-party assessment of professional competence.”
Participants were welcomed by the group’s new chair, Chippla Vandu, who expressed his satisfaction at the positive reaction to the launch and the diversity of the audience. He said, “The diverse range of industries represented here tonight is really encouraging. IChemE’s greatest strength lies in its membership and the level of interest here in the room tonight bodes well for future activities.”
The evening included a lively conversation on the future direction of the chemical engineering profession based around IChemE’s Chemical Engineering Matters initiative. IChemE technical policy manager, Dr Alana Collis, led an interactive workshop in which the participants examined challenges and opportunities confronting chemical engineers in the broad areas of energy and water.
The findings will be used to shape the group’s forward programme in The Netherlands. Shell Executive Vice President for Commercial & New Business Development and Fellow of IChemE, Ed Daniels, was among senior figures participating in the workshop.
A detailed programme of events and activities for 2016 will be published shortly. Further information is available here.