From AJCE Newsletter, Vol.22, No 1, March 2001

Young Professionals Exchange Programme 2000
between AJCE and ACEA / ACENZ

Professional Training Committee, AJCE

History of Professionals Exchange Programme between Japan-Australia / New Zealand

After signing the Memorandum of Understanding between ACEA and AJCE in October 1995, an exchange programme of young engineers from both countries was initiated as a three weeks home-stay programme in 1996. It was the beginning of a New Era in Japanese-Australian Relations. In the first three years, both Associations dispatched their young engineers to the host country every year until it was changed to alternative year (every two years) in 1999 when New Zealand joined the Programme. The following table shows the number of young professionals participated in the exchange programme from AJCE, ACEA and ACENZ in the past:

In the beginning stage, the exchange programme was composed mainly of learning the different cultures, visiting the project sites, informal training and understanding the differences in business cultures between Japan and Australia. Since then, the exchange programme has been improving by incorporating various comments and opinions gained through the past programme.

2. Exchange Programme 2000

The AJCE started nominating host companies from its member firms in April 2000. AJCE informed the ACEA and ACENZ of the candidate host companies and proposed subjects of training for their future consideration in selecting young candidate professionals. The preliminary selection of candidates by ACEA / ACENZ started in early June. Both parties communicated each other to finalize the programme that was suitable for the candidate professionals. Final selection of the candidates came to agreement in the middle of September.

The senior officials from AJCE, ACEA and ACENZ had a chance to exchange their opinions on the prospects of the young professionals exchange programme during FIDIC Conference 2000 in Hawaii, to enhance closer ties among three Associations. It led to prepare the Guideline for Young Professionals Exchange Programme and renew the Memorandum of Understanding among the parties concerned. The newly drafted MOU had an explicit provision for Young Professionals Exchange Programme.

In order to obtain positive opinions from both the young professionals participated in the exchange programme 2000 and the young Japanese professionals, AJCE set up a workshop, so called "Young Summit". This attempt was initiated in view of drastically changing consulting engineers' business environment today. This urges the necessity of drawing clear and ambitious pictures for consulting engineering industry. In these respects, fresh ideas of young professionals should to be introduced to the activities in our industry.

3. Outcome of Exchange Programme 2000

The execution of the programme was proceeded in accordance with the professional training programme of each host company, as was confirmed prior to the Programme. In the last stage of the programme, a three-day joint tour was carried out in ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto to have a glance on Japanese traditional culture. All the participants were impressed by the fact that traditional and modern faces exist in harmony while accepting some conflicts.

Every participant from ACEA and ACENZ expressed satisfaction with the contents and the scope of the professional training program as they were carefully carried out based on advance confirmation.

4. Young Summit Session

1. Preparation

By the strong initiative of Mr. Wada, Chairman of AJCE Professional Training Committee (PTC), Young Summit was announced to be the focus point of AJCE and ACEA / ACENZ Exchange Programme. To enhance frank and open opinions, Roundtable Discussion was introduced such that the subjects are chosen from the presentation / discussion and a facilitator leads the discussion. This method is the byproduct of FIDIC conference 2000 in Hawaii.

PTC requested participation of past Exchange Professionals in AJCE and other concerned young professionals from the member firms. As can be observed from FIDIC Conference, participation of Young Professionals into international activities would be a valuable challenge for the future of consulting engineers.

2. Announcement of Young Summit

On 16 October, welcome reception was held in Nihon Suido Consultants' office in Tokyo. Besides the mutual introductions and greetings, the intention of

Young Summit was explained. Every participants from ACEA and ACENZ was assigned to present a report in the Summit from what they have learned through the Exchange Programme.

3. Young Summit

As can be seen from the minutes, the Summit was held in two parts; presentation and Roundtable Discussion. Subjects for the Roundtable were selected from the presentations that can lead to critical or essential issues regarding the success of the Exchange Programme. In the course of discussions, positive and flexible opinions were expressed. Though there were some difficulties regarding home-stay arrangement, the cultural and professional experiences and sharing common interests far exceeded this issue. Participants from ACEA and ACENZ promised to convey their experience to their peer professionals, so do AJCE. Continuation of the Exchange Programme will nurture and create Young Professionals who can be potential ambassadors among three Associations.

FIDIC Young Forum

It is also recognized in FIDIC that positive involvement of young engineers is a vital issue to make consulting industry sustainable in the future. The idea of Young Forum was proposed by Mr. Meghji, Member of Executive Committee of FIDIC. The followings are the brief summary on the Forum by Mr. Kurashige and Mr. Haru.

• Mr. Meghji originally suggested Young Forum to Member Associations worldwide in early August just before FIDIC 2000 in Hawaii.
• Mr. Meghji was concerned that young engineers were not actively involved in both their own associations and FIDIC. From this viewpoint, he recognized keenly that Young Forum should be launched soon by participation of at least one person from one association to enhance their interest to MAs and FIDIC.
• AJCE agreed with an idea of Young Forum. But it should be prudent the way in which we could organize Young Forum successfully. AJCE eventually proposed to FIDIC and Mr. Meghji that one of Round Table Discussions at Hawaii Conference should be assigned to engineers younger than 45 years to talk about the principle of Young Forum.
• Discussion completed in an enthusiastic atmosphere by skilled facilitation by Mr. Miyamoto from AJCE, there was a quite positive tendency among 34 attendees from diverse countries to establish Young Forum as soon as possible by using E-mail and Internet. Mr. Meghji then announced the start of Young Forum under his responsibility at General Assembly Meeting. AJCE are now taking a lot of expectation from FIDIC and its member associations to proceed it toward successful realization.

6. A Prospect in the Future

Young Professionals Exchange Programme, so called YPEP, aims at (a) training in technical and operational aspects of the hosting companies, (b)l earning about and experiencing differences in each other's business and social cultures, and (c) creation of friendships between the young professionals from both countries.

To achieve these objectives, aggressive participation of the young professionals is required. To strengthen relationships of the young professionals among AJCE, ACEA and ACENZ, Mr. Wada, Chairman of Professional Training Committee of AJCE, proposes to establish the Young Professionals International Group (abbreviated as "Y PIG") and he hopes that this YPIG will be a body to take positive action for mutual cooperation among AJCE, ACEA and ACENZ.

The past participation trainee list

Company - Male / Female - Age  - Specified Fields - Host Company in Japan

1996

• Sinclair Knight Merz - M - 31 Water & Wastewater Process engineering -  Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Mounsell Consultants - M - 28 Transport / urban development - Nippon Jogeauido Sekkei Co., Ltd.

• McMillan Britton & Kell - M - 34 - Structural Engineer, specialise bridges - CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.

• Norman Disney & Young - M - 31 -  Mechanical Engineer-building services P.T.Morimura & Associates, Ltd.

• McIntyre & Associates - F - 22 - Civil Engineer sewage and waste water treatment - Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• OveArup & Partners Pty Ltd - M - 24 - Structural Engineer, mainly buildings - Newjec Inc.

• Golder Associates - M - 41 Foundation Engineering, contaminated land assessment - Kiso Jiban Consultants Co., Ltd.

1997

• Norman Disney & Young -  M - 24 - Mechanical & fire services, computational fluid dynamics computer programming - P.T.Morimura & Associates, Ltd.

• WP Brown & Partners - M - 33 - Civil-construction Management & road design contract law - Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Cullen Grummitt & Roe - M - 30 Civil-cold storage: container terminals; project management - Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Sinclair Knight Merz - M - 31 - Civil: sewerage collection, treatment, disposal & reuse structural form (architecture); environment generally - Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Snowy Mountains Engineering Corp. - M - 26 - Civil works associated with water resource development projects (tunnels, pipelines, culverts, etc.) computer networking - Nippon Jogeauido Sekkei Co., Ltd.

• Snowy Mountains Engineering Corp. - M - 28 - Environmental Scientist-environmental impact assessment, soil assessment, water quality ecologically sustainable development, flora and fauna - Newjec Inc./Hokkaido Agriculture Modernity Consultants, HAMC

• Ove Arup & Partners - F - 31 - Structure-structural design (of reinforced post-tensioned concrete buildings) - CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.

1998

• Gutteridge Haskins & Davey - M -~ 30 mining & industrial project management - Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• McMillan Britton Kell - F - 25 - structural engineer bridge engineer - Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Norman Disney & Young - M - 25 - Fire protection and life safety, mechanical services - P.T. Morimura & Associates, Ltd.

• Snowy Mountains Engineering Corp - M - 24 - water resources, river management, snow research - Newjec Inc.

• Ove Arup & Partners - M - 27 Civil Engineer Infrastructure Planning (especially rail systems) - CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.

2000

• Beca Carter Hollings and Feruer Ltd. (NZ) - M - 33 - Civil structures (bridges and wharfs) - Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Norman Disney -&-Young (Au) - M - 28 - Energy - P.T.Morimura &Asaociates, Ltd.

• Sinclair Knight Merz (Au) -  M - 32 - Planning, design, documentation and construction supervision of water supply and wastewater infrastructure projects - Nippon Jogesuido Sekkei Co., Ltd.

• Gutteridge Haskins & Davey Pty Ltd. (Au) -  M - 32 - Strategic land use planning, urban design, project management, environment impact assessment, community communication & facilitation - CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.

• Ove Arup & Partners (Au) - F - 24 - Transportation Plannning and Engineering Nikken Consultants, Inc.

• Norman Disney & Young (NZ) - M - 29 Mechanical Engineering - Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd.

• Sinclair Knight Merz (NZ) - F - 24 - General Structural Engineering; Construction and Project Management - Newjec Inc.