Quotes

“If an institution of engineers is to make good progress anywhere, it ought to be Glasgow. I trust that, in this respect, my most favourable anticipations will be before long fulfilled, and that our Institution will prove of benefit to practice, to science and to the country.”

William Rankine / Glasgow, 1857

“The object of this society is the advancement of engineering…enabling each of our members to have the benefit of the experience of many”

William Rankine / Glasgow, 1857

“in a society of 100 members, a member bringing experience of  one man gets in exchange the experience of ninety-nine”

John Scott Russell / Glasgow, 1856

“one word which constitutes the characteristic advantage of skilful and scientific practice in the useful arts – I should say - ECONOMY”

William Rankine / Glasgow, 1857

“Engineering problems are under-defined, there are many solutions, good, bad and indifferent. The art is to arrive at a good solution. This is a creative activity, involving imagination, intuition and deliberate choice.”

Ove Arup

“Local government has a significant role, particularly in linking planning consent to the goals of clean air and low carbon heating”

Dr Andy Pearson / Glasgow, 2020

“36,000,000TWh of estimated heat storage capacity in the UK’s abandoned coal mines (Gluyas et al., 2019) – compared to the UK’s total electricity consumption in 2019 of 295 TWh!”

Prof Gioia Falcone / Glasgow, 2020

‘you have to be in the room at the start’

Terry A’Hearn / Glasgow, 2020

‘All innovation involve risk’

Terry A’Hearn / Glasgow, 2020

‘Earth Overshoot Day was launched in Scotland’

Terry A’Hearn / Glasgow, 2020

‘The heat capacity of water means that the ocean has absorbed about 90% of the additional heat resulting from the increased concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gasses.’

Prof Colin Moffat / Glasgow, 2020

“…we all shared one very common experience: Those nay-sayers who said, ‘It can’t be done’.”

Douglas Anderson / Glasgow, 2012

“My hope is that your institution continues its work; to press the importance of making things.”

Douglas Anderson / Glasgow, 2012

“My life has been full of solving problems, sorry, opportunities, and my inspiration

comes from all the hurdles that have been placed in front of me through my career.”

Hugh Gill / Glasgow, 2013

“ As an engineer my goal is to solve the problem no matter what obstacles are put in my path.”

Hugh Gill / Glasgow, 2013

“it was the engineers who made it happen”

On behalf of Tom Brown / Glasgow, 2014

“I’ve come to realise how important a contribution my grandfather has made, not only to his world of engineering and inventions, but to the cause of making life a little safer, a little fairer and a little better for everyone.”

On behalf of Tom Brown / Glasgow, 2014

“No engineer would set out to build a complex structure without a detailed plan”

Sir Don Cameron / Glasgow, 2015

“IESIS deserves the support of all the engineering and scientific Institutions. And engineers everywhere.”

Sir Don Cameron / Glasgow, 2015

“I hope the history of this product (ATMs) might help to convince some of our bright, imaginative, young people that Engineering is indeed the most creative and satisfying of professions, and that Scotland continues to play a leading role in innovation.”

James Goodfellow / Glasgow, 2016

“My proof of concept, my Heath Robinson lash-up, including a section of a chocolate bar dispenser, was loaded into the guard’s van at Glasgow Central station en route overnight to London, where I successfully presented my invention and demonstrated it to the banks and other interested parties, including the Assistant Cashier of the Bank of England.”

James Goodfellow / Glasgow, 2016

“Excellence of Products (quality of work), Equal Respect for all People (honourable in all our dealings) and Moderation on the Money (reasonable prosperity). Money is the half principle. If you rank money equally it will be a cuckoo in the nest, always edging the other two principles out.”

Sir Duncan Michael / Glasgow, 2016

“As to the Future, it is yours not mine. Feel confident. Be bold. Society hugely needs you. No one else can do it. Be worthy of your opportunity.”

Sir Duncan Michael / Glasgow, 2016

“Engineering is for people, is by people.”

Sir Duncan Michael / Glasgow, 2016

“Consultants given adequate time and fees can deliver efficient and cost-effective designs, that not only can save money for contractors and employers but can also deliver designs that are universally liked by the general public”

Naeem Hussein / Glasgow, 2018

“No bridge however is designed by a single person, it has been a great team effort.”

Naeem Hussein / Glasgow, 2018

“I soon got the opportunity to have my first step in engineering management where I realised that leading a technical team was extremely satisfying and even fun!”

Gordon McConnell / Glasgow, 2019

“I believe that every engineer must be prepared to get into the details to be able to challenge and test proposed solutions and to understand complexities to make good decisions.”

Gordon McConnell / Glasgow, 2019

Priority Management Features (PMF) are habitats and species which we consider to be marine conservation priorities in Scottish waters.

Prof Colin Moffat / Aberdeen, 8th Dec 2020

We share the aspiration of stakeholders in relation to managing our fisheries in a responsible way

Prof Colin Moffat / Aberdeen 8th Dec 2020

“It would be well if engineering were less generally thought of, and even defined, as the art of constructing. In a certain important sense it is rather the art of not-constructing.”

Arthur Mellen Wellington, American Civil Engineer / The Economic Theory of the Location of Railways, 1887

"We need to totally rethink our approach to waste and especially 'plastic waste'"

Prof Ian Arbon / Jan 2021, Glasgow

"The absolute number of those without safe water has not changed between 2015 -2020"

Prof Bill Sloan / Feb 2021, Glasgow

"If we do not take the threat of poor sanitation and antibiotic use seriously then we risk another health crisis of the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic"

Prof Bill Sloan / Feb 2021, Glasgow

"When dealing with water, first consult experience, then reason"

Leonardo da Vinci / Italy, 15th century

"We have to accelerate our actions to ensure that our ocean can continue to support life on Earth as we currently know it"

Prof Colin Moffat / December 2020, Aberdeen

“Engineering is one of the few ways in which human talent can be given the chance to improve, and frequently to transform, the comfort and prosperity of the human community”

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

“everything not invented by God is invented by an engineer”

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

Great engineers have a passion to improve life; a burning conviction that they can make life better for everyone.

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

"engineering has made a greater positive difference to human life than almost any other human endeavour"

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

"They (engineers) may have to go through years of struggle and disappointment, but this seldom diverts them from their vision and ambition to innovate."

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

"Great engineers are convinced that everything can be improved. Instead of complaining, they think of ways to make things better."

Prince Philip / UK, 2015

The wrong accent may conceal true insight and sophistication. The right accent may conceal profound ignorance and ineptitude. In Britain, the substance of what you say is not quite as important as how you say it.

Darren McGarvey / JWD 2023
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