IChemE Presidents flying visit to Singapore

12th April 2012

During his brief stopover in Singapore the President visited A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences’ main campus on Jurong Island where he reviewed the new IChemE roadmap with around 30 chemical engineering research scientists and professionals of all ages. The general consensus was that the major issues highlighted are also reflected in Singapore’s strategy for the development of the chemicals and pharmaceutical industries, but with some interesting differences in priority and emphasis.

He also took time to understand the way that chemical engineering research is funded in Singapore, the way that national priorities for R&D are established, and visited the main institute facilities. He toured pilot plant facilities, process development labs, catalyst development and testing facilities, reaction engineering and spectroscopy labs and advanced characterisation labs.

In the evening of the 11 April over dinner hosted by Dr Keith Carpenter of ICES, Sir William and Dr Brown took the opportunity to meet up with various heads of department and lecturers from the relevant departments and schools in the local universities and polytechnics to discuss and review professional training and education with them. Sir William and Dr Brown further discussed maintaining professional standards, global recognition of qualifications and emerging future trends and their impact on education and training all featured strongly in the discussions.