New Zealand engineer wins first ever global Speak Out for Engineering final

The first world final of Speak Out for Engineering (SOFE) took place in New Delhi, India, on 4 April 2019, bringing together competitors from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ eight regions.

In a close contest, Duncan Henderson from New Zealand (Oceania Region) won first place for his presentation ‘Speargun Development’. Second place was awarded to Bhoshaga Mitrran Ravi Chandran, South East Asia Region, for ‘The Smog-Free Twister: A 21st Century Innovation’. 

When commenting on the standards of all the entries, the judging panel stated "The future of engineering is well placed in the hands of this talented group”.

SOFE was set up in 1964 by the Young Members of the Institution. The competition challenges entrants to deliver a short and engaging presentation on their chosen engineering topic, judged by a panel. Its original theme, to promote the ability to communicate mechanical engineering subjects effectively, remains at the heart of the competition. 

After over 40 SOFE heats held during 2018 across the eight regions, where 216 competitors had delivered presentations to more than 700 attendees, the finalists gathered for the global decider in New Delhi. First prize of £300 and second prize of £200 were at stake, funded by the Institution’s Trustee Board Awards Committee. Topics ranged from spear fishing and cardiovascular diagnostic modelling to bolting sequences and air pollution. 

When discussing his experience, Duncan added “The SOFE competition has been an invaluable experience for me. From the constant progression of my presentations and learning to communicate information better, to the people who I have met along the way. This competition is something I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity”.

Raymond Hodgkinson, IMechE International Strategy Board Chair and Trustee Board, Ordinary Member (International), was head judge of a panel of four. He said “The standard of presentations was very high and the range of topics covered impressively broad. All finalists were worthy representatives of their regions and gave me great confidence that with young engineers like these we can look forward to an exciting future." The judges were extremely impressed by the high level and quality of the presentations throughout the day, representing the breadth of mechanical engineering. 

The success of the event was due in large part to the hard work and commitment of Ankit Sharma, South Asia Regional Young Member Representative.

Find out how you can take part in Speak Out for Engineering