Dr. Amer Ali said: “This is a renewal of the original partnership agreement which I developed in 2016 between London South Bank University (LSBU) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), one year after I created the major professional development scheme for LSBU civil engineering students in 2015, which I have been coordinating and teaching since then. The partnership is very important for promoting the professional development of our staff and students and to ensure that our students graduate with the highest achievable knowledge and skills to develop safe and sustainable projects. It is a growing and expanding partnership, and one of its success indicators is the increasing number of our student membership of the ICE which has reached 90% and continues to grow”.
The LSBU-ICE academic-professional partnership agreement is one of four similar partnerships that Dr. Ali developed and signed with the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), the Permanent Way Institution (PWI) and the ICE. Dr. Ali added “These are within my mission and capacity as a Fellow of the above four Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs), a Lead Reviewer for the CEng/IEng professional qualifications, Member of the Academic Standards Board, and a Member of the Main Joint Board of Moderators (JBM). The JBM regularly reviews and accredits civil engineering courses for universities and colleagues across the UK on behalf of the ICE, CIHT, IHE, PWI and the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) under the umbrella of the Engineering Council which is the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession”. Dr. Amer Ali, who is specialised in highway and transportation engineering, has a well- established record of teaching and research in highways, railways, and sustainability and in the supervision of large number of PhD students.
Mr. Sean Harris, Director of ICE Membership, said “As one of ICE’s first academic partnership universities back in 2016, London South Bank holds a special place in the Institution’s affections. Local to our London headquarters, engagement with faculty staff and students has always been strong, with many students recording their university experience on ICE’s online Initial Professional Development tool. LSBU is a centre for academic excellence, and it is therefore all the more gratifying that it recognises the importance of professional qualifications. As society increasingly asks for assurance that its engineers are competent to practice, the boundaries between academic and professional will further blur; the partnership will allow both organisations to meet those new demands. Five years after first signing the academic partnership with LSBU, we are delighted to renew the relationship. ICE looks forward to providing professional services, engineering knowledge and policy insights in the years ahead. Having experienced the energy and enthusiasm of LSBU’s civil engineers, the future of the profession looks bright”.
Ms. Zhor Radjef, Postgraduate Highway Engineering student and Student Ambassador for the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), said: “I started participating and supporting the ICE exhibitions and professional activities at LSBU during my BEng Civil Engineering studies since Dr. Amer Ali developed the original partnership agreement between LSBU and ICE in 2016. This renewal of the agreement marks the continuing fruitful collaboration between the two institutions for the benefits of undergraduate and postgraduate students and their professional development, in terms of equipping graduates with the right knowledge and skills to develop and maintain effective and sustainable living and working environment”.
Mr. Humam Hameed, third year BEng Civil Engineering student and ICE Student Ambassador said, “I have been working with my highway engineering and professional development tutor Dr. Amer Ali to provide support and participate in the ICE exhibitions, career fairs and other activities to promote student membership, employment, and links with the ICE. The LSBU-ICE Partnership, which has been renewed recently, helps students at various levels to combine educational and professional skills to be well prepared for a successful and rewarding future career. As a Student Ambassador for the ICE and a Class Representative, I found that students are very happy with such links with the ICE and the Professional Development taught and assessed by Dr. Ali which included invited seminars by professional institutions presidents, senior directors and membership development officers. Students are really inspired and encouraged to join the professional institutions, including a large share going for the ICE although some students are members of multiple professional institutions”.
