Michael Purshouse FIMechE, the President of the Cambridge University Engineers’ Association (CUEA), looks forward to new ways of working for the successful alumni organisation.
His eminent engineering career has taken him from naval and air defence programmes at Thales and BAE SYSTEMS to posts in Europe and across the UK. Now Michael Purshouse, a Fellow of the Institution, runs his own consultancy business and, in 2012, was elected to a five-year term as President of the CUEA.
Founded in 1928, the CUEA is dedicated to facilitating contact between individual engineering alumni; and retaining links between Cambridge University Engineering Department and its graduates, as they progress into industry across the world.
Having settled into his role over the past six months, Michael now looks forward, with his colleagues, to shaping the future of the organisation.
He explains the scope of the Association: “The CUEA benefits students of engineering at a number of levels. It enables alumni to connect with each other; facilitates young people contacting those further along in their careers; and the department benefits from links with a wide range of people now working in industry,” Michael explained.
“In the 21st century, the Association’s aims have not changed, but our methods are adapting. We are embracing social networking and also reflecting the ways in which business structures have changed. We aim to be forward-thinking and inclusive in our approach.”
With reference to the great work that professional bodies perform – at Cambridge as at most universities – to provide alumni activities and valuable fundraising services, Michael clarified the distinction between the CUEA and other alumni organisations.
“Although the engineering faculty takes part in very successful general events held at Cambridge, such as the annual Alumni Festival, the CUEA is not about fundraising,” he said.
“The Association’s focus is on links between engineers within the engineering community. We recognise that our members are of all ages, and our younger members in particular move in online and virtual networking circles, incorporating sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. They can, therefore, connect with the department and fellow alumni easily, whether they are working abroad, or working from home; within a large conglomerate or SME. They may be less able physically to attend events held at the university, though they retain a strong affection for the place. Social networking must, we feel, be one of the main strands of our approach from now on.”
Michael and his committee are developing the existing Cambridge University Engineering Alumni site, on LinkedIn, to facilitate connections between engineering alumni, whether they have remained in the sector or have developed their careers in other ways. Michael said: “We encourage people to join our group. There is an intrinsic benefit to any engineer, or former engineering student, connecting to our network and sharing their ideas and experience.”
There are also, Michael felt, great advantages for Cambridge’s engineering department in retaining links with alumni. Engineering is the largest department in the university, with an intake of around 350 undergraduates per year and 250 post graduates. Engineering undergraduates at Cambridge follow a distinctive course structure: all study the same elements for the first two years of their degree – with great emphasis on first principles and mathematics – before specialising. Michael suggested that links with alumni in industry, through CUEA: “can help keep the course sharp and relevant.”
“Market conditions and business, not technology,” he said, “often drive the definition of engineering, for example in nano-technology and the development of unmanned vehicles. We feel that many alumni who are out in the business community and working across the world can help guide us to understand what directs the future of engineering, and that’s another reason to nurture and to value their links with fellow alumni, undergraduates and the CUEA.”
Michael placed great value on professional registration, and says he intended to “encourage our current students to understand more deeply the benefits of professional registration.” He added: “It’s a vital part of an engineer’s career. In industry, when you get a CEng through the door, you know what level of responsibility you can put on their shoulders and they are different from people who haven’t achieved that. The CUEA will do all it can to highlight the value of joining an engineer’s ‘professional home.’”
Some of the challenges that Michael has identified, as he embarks on his presidency, include defining the CUEA’s place alongside organisations with similar motivation, such as the undergraduate Cambridge University Engineering Society (CUES) and the aforementioned fundraising alumni organisations. The idea of a seamless relationship with CUES is particularly important, and it is intended that events for students and alumni alike will in future be badged as CUES.
“It’s important that we make our voice heard,” explained Michael, “as there are lots of people trying to attract the attention of Cambridge engineering alumni for various reasons. To an extent, we are in competition, but we simply want to do something positive: we are keen to reassure fellow bodies that we are not here to steal their work or impinge on their efforts: we must co-exist. The intent is to provide Cambridge engineers with a single overarching networking organisation, relevant from the day they enter the university and throughout their careers."
Michael felt there could be opportunities to embark on initiatives with the Institution, to “work in a structured way, for example in the area of mentoring,” and is keen to promote the virtues of professional registration. He said: “Although Cambridge is the main link between members of the CUEA, we are not hermetically sealed: we can discuss the ways in which further links could be appropriate and beneficial.”
“The days of a so-called ‘old-boys’ network’ have gone,” said Michael. “At Sidney Sussex College (Michael’s former college) six out of the twelve engineering students admitted this year are female, albeit this was exceptional; 25% of the departmental course intake in 2012 was populated by women.”
The Institution has recently benefited from the experience and insight of some very high profile young Cambridge graduates, notably Tom James MBE, the Olympic oarsman, and James Allison, former technical director of Lotus Formula One. Paddy Lowe, due to start at Mercedes in 2014, is yet another of Cambridge’s incredible F1 success stories. “No less than four of the F1 teams have a technical director who originates from Cambridge University’s Engineering Department,” noted Michael.
He continued: “As well as high-profile success in F1, other Cambridge alumni are making a name for themselves: the charity Engineers without Borders was established by a group of alumni and is now in its 12th year; and of our female alumnae 24-year old Sakthy Selvakumaran was named one of the ‘30 under 30’ in last year’s government initiative to highlight rising stars in industry.”
Michael concluded: “To reflect alumni successfully, we must make sure that we are reaching out to young, old, female and male, those in the UK and those living abroad. We hope and aim to encourage all who have a stake in Cambridge Engineering to remain a part of that experience through contacting, connecting and working with us in the Association.”