346 students graduated from the Faculty of Commerce followed by 119 from the Faculty of Engineering.  Six postgraduate students graduated from the College of Medicine & Health.

The Conferring Addresses were delivered by Professor Ciaran Murphy, Head, Department of Accounting, Finance & Information Systems, UCC, Mr Dave Ronayne, Chief Executive, The Mainport Group and Mr John Power, Chartered Engineer, Director General, Engineers Ireland (attached).

In his speech Professor Murphy said the future of this country is dependent on an excellent system of higher education.  "International experts have attributed the great economic success over the past 40 years to our investment in Higher Education", he said. Dave Ronayne, in his speech, referred to the contribution by the Irish in an international context from business to music and education to sport.

Mr John Power, in his speech, advised the engineering graduates to continuously focus on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) noting the changes that have taken place in the Engineering field over the last number of years.  "Through CPD you will grow and reach the limits of our considerable potential", he said.

Among the engineers to graduate today was Rory Clune from Blackrock, Cork. An outstanding student, Rory achieved first place in the class of BE (Civil Engineering).  He is at present studying for a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) having also been offered PhD positions in both Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley and Stanford.  Rory becomes the only Irish student across the UK and Ireland to be short-listed for a SET Award in Mechanical Engineering.
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Conferring Address by Mr John Power, Chartered Engineer, Director General,  Engineers Ireland, Tuesday, September 9th 2008

President, Professors, Lecturers, Dignitaries, Invited Guests, Parents / Guardians and most importantly of all - Engineers.

I am delighted and honoured to have been asked to speak here this afternoon and in so doing to represent Engineers Ireland in the process.  I am not sure if when I was asked, it was realised I was a Kerryman - all I can say is that I was asked after the Munster Final but before the Semi-Final.

Today is YOUR day and I am sure the last thing in the world you want or need is to have to listen to somebody like me go on and on and eat into your valuable socialising time after the ceremony.  So I promise not to be too long.

Today is the culmination of a lot of effort, perspiration, inspiration, anxiety, worry, sacrifice, frustration - experienced by you the new Engineers, but also by your Moms and Dads, all of whom I am sure, contributed very significantly to your achievements and indeed by the Staff in this great College, without whose skills and efforts you would not be here today.

It isn't so long - or certainly doesn't seem so - since I graduated as an Electrical Engineer - in fact it was 1975.  I never regarded myself  (and nor did anybody else for that matter) as a brilliant Engineer but I was lucky enough to recognise that my Engineering Qualification was possibly the best qualification I could possess to allow me express myself in whatever way I wished my career to go.

Since then:-

• I have seen the world
• I have done business in 49 different countries
• I have looked forward to going to work on every single day and still do
• I have faced some significant challenges
• I have had loads of excitement
• I have made a very comfortable living

Most importantly - I was never once bored
When all is said and done - there really is very little else one could reasonably ask for from a Career.

So what does all of this mean for you - in a sentence and I could finish with this (but I won't) - YOU HAVE ALL MADE THE RIGHT CAREER DECISION - you could not have a better start, but remember it is only a Start.

From now on you will both wish to and be expected to stand on your own two feet and while for most of you this won't be a problem, for some it may be a new experience - regardless, it's a great time in ones life.

I am sure you will all celebrate your achievement together this evening, as indeed you probably have been doing since the results were issued.  And, you know, you were absolutely right.  I would like to think that right throughout your careers you will always have reason to celebrate the fact that you choose Engineering as your primary degree.

While I won't in any way lecture you today, I will however respectfully offer a few suggestions that you might consider, and which will hopefully ensure that you do have plenty cause for celebration throughout your careers.

The 1st piece of advice I offer is to BE CONFIDENT in your own ability - you have come through Engineering School - you are all damn good, and don't be frightened by that - embrace it and you will have a lot more fun and excitement.

The 2nd thing I would say to you is TAKE RESPONSIBILITY - engineers are natural leaders - it is evident right throughout the world in all walks of life.  Right now in Ireland almost 30% of the MDs / CEOs of the top 100 Companies are Engineers.  Liam O'Mahony and his successor designate for the CEO Position at CRH are both Engineers, CRH is one of the top 5 companies in the world in its field.  Alan Joyce the recently appointed head of QANTAS Airlines in Australia is a 42 year old Irish Engineer.  Dave O'Reilly, Chairman and CEO of CHEVRON TEXACO and one of the 3 most powerful businessmen in the US is an Irish Engineer.  They and many other engineers have taken responsibility.  Never be afraid to observe and learn from others and in particular, senior engineering colleagues who have risen through the ranks.  In taking Responsibility you will occasionally call it wrong - learn from that also and plough ahead - if you don't assume responsibility, you wont assume anything and certainly not the leadership positions that are within your grasp.

The 3rd suggestion I would make to you is GET INVOLVED.  Don't stand aloof, you have a lot to contribute and believe it or not, still have a lot to learn.  You are all now young engineers, you may not always be engineering and you most certainly wont always be young, but while you have the chance get stuck in - get involved in the Young Engineers Society in Engineers Ireland - you will have lots of fun and will also learn a lot - you will also of course, almost unbeknownst to yourselves, be marketing your own skills and abilities.  Whatever Companies you join, get involved in a lot more than just plugging in the hours at the office - explore the social committee, the sports club, whatever activity within the company and away from the work that allows you contribute, learn and grow - both as an Engineer but also as a Human Being.

The 4th piece of advice I have for you is to immediately and continuously throughout your Career focus on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) - nothing stands still in this life and least of all - Engineering Knowledge.  Just look at the changes that have taken place in the Engineering field since all of you were born, and that's only about 21 years ago.  Nanotechnology wasn't heard of, coronary stents (80% used throughout the world manufactured in Ireland) were unknown, think of the advances in the biomedical area alone, keyhole surgery, what about the advances in the Communications field - the www, in Robotics, we have unmanned aircraft, rapid prototyping etc etc.  You must keep in touch and keep learning.  Through CPD you will grow and reach the limits of your considerable potential - with your degrees under your belt, you now have the basics - but there is so much more you can do and contribute.

The last thing I will talk about today may be unnecessary but I will raise it anyway - I am of course talking about Professionalism and ETHICS.  Thankfully, the vast majority of us have a very clear understanding of the differences between Right and Wrong - our own intuition tells us from a very young age and during our formative years, our Parents or older siblings will put us on the straight and narrow. When we enter the labour force and begin practising as Engineers, we are very often alone in the decision making process and may occasionally face temptation.  All I will say to you is - for goodness sake, don't throw away everything you have sacrificed and worked hard for, for what is always a very insignificant short term gain.  Engineers and the Engineering Profession has a very strong reputation for Ethical behaviour - don't compromise it - read and study the Engineers Ireland Code of Ethics - I can assure you it will stand to you all your life and remember that when all is said and done, the only thing we can bring with us when all our work is finished here, is our INTEGRITY.

Before I conclude I would like to say a few words about Engineers Ireland (what used be the Institution of Engineers of Ireland).  Firstly let me say unequivocally that we at Engineers Ireland embrace the whole Engineering Profession and represent all disciplines of Engineering in Ireland.  Our objective is to promote the Engineering Profession in this country and we have a long way to go. We now have approximately 18,000 members but there are a lot more eligible to join, who for whatever reason have not done so.  We want to grow the organisations numbers so that our voice is stronger and more representative of the Profession in Ireland, such that our opinion is listened to and the Government seek our input to any policies or decisions with an Engineering dimension.  We provide Training, CPD, Lectures, Networking Opportunities in your specific field of Engineering and in general.

We organise Seminars and Conferences and a variety of other events that bring Engineers together. And very importantly we accredit Engineering Courses in Ireland such that our Standards are maintained and indeed improved and we award the Internationally Recognised Title of Chartered Engineer which allows you travel and be recognised and accepted right throughout the world as an Engineer of quality. Perhaps its also time we commenced the debate on the REGULATION of our Profession, after all we are probably the only Profession that isn't regulated in this country - Doctors, Dentists, Accountants, Lawyers, Pharmacists, etc etc are all regulated.  We must do all we can to ensure that whoever calls herself or himself an Engineer is worthy of the honour.  I most strongly encourage all of you to become involved in Engineers Ireland - together we can achieve a great deal.     

In the future Engineers will create newer, faster and safer ways to travel, and develop cleaner, cheaper and renewable sources of energy. Concerns such as the pollution of the environment, global warming, and the desertification of arable land throughout the world will be improved by future engineers.  Engineers will change the way we receive healthcare by developing personal monitoring systems to warn us of dangers to our health or regenerative tissue treatments for joints and other parts of the body so that artificial hips and other joints will become a thing of the past.  The potential to change the world for the better, as an Engineer, is limitless.  We may not know what is in store for us in the future but as Engineers we will be leading the way.  

The OPPORTUNITIES you have are enormous - remember Engineers are Problem Solvers - and Problems don't go away, they need to be addressed and solved for the good of your local communities, your Country and Mankind.  The Challenges we all face in the areas of Energy, Environmental and Climate Change are enormous.  And lets not forget Water - now there's a serious issue.

But I am very confident for the future - and why wouldn't I be, here in the company of the brightest and best in the South of Ireland.

I also take this opportunity to encourage you all to be ambassadors for our Profession - involve yourselves in promoting Engineering as a Career remembering what and who inspired you to pursue an Engineering qualification - you now have the chance to inspire other young people to follow that dream of finding out "HOW", "WHY" and indeed "WHY NOT", that led you to the exciting, challenging career in engineering that awaits you when you leave these hallowed halls.

I finish by strongly urging you to BE POSITIVE - God knows we have enough of our commentators focusing on the negatives.  You have the Ability, Energy, Enthusiasm and the Opportunity to make a real difference - go follow your dream and always remember as George Bernard Shaw said and was quoted by John F Kennedy in his address to both houses of the Oireachtas during his visit to Ireland in June 1963 "Some men see things as they are and say why?  I dream things that never were and say Why not?"

Thank you for this great honour and privilege.

ENDS

Picture shows Rory Clune, BE (Civil Eng) who graduated today (September 9th 2008) with Dr Denis Kelliher, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCC

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