IChemE Matters: A conversation with Congress

Volunteers on IChemE’s Congress are the conduit between members and the Board of Trustees. Ahead of the official call for nominations in March, representatives from Congress sat down to discuss why all eligible members regardless of experience should consider putting themselves forward.

Elizabeth Salter, vice-chair of Congress and regional representative for UK South East, hosted the discussion. She started by asking, “What inspired you to join Congress?”.

“I like to give back to organisations that have been really good to me,” said Lisa Julian, Congress’s regional representative for New Zealand who previously served on IChemE’s New Zealand board. She said she saw Congress as “a really good opportunity to interact with a heap of new people”.

Dhruv Singh, who is the functional student member representative for Congress, first volunteered for IChemE’s centenary project. That helped him understand how IChemE works, the influence it can have and the contribution it can make to chemical engineering as a whole. “I think Congress is a really good platform to voice ideas…and seeing how we can be even more relevant in the future as well.”

For James Shorthouse it was discovering that members from Australia weren’t being represented. “To my horror, I found out that although Australia had two places on Congress, they weren’t being utilised. So, I put my hand up and here I am.”

Benefits to members

Asked what value Congress provides, Julian said it helps steer the institution to meet members’ needs. “I think the biggest value of Congress is that we actually bring the voice of the membership up towards the governance level of IChemE.”

Voice is a common theme. Padraig Collins, who works in Nigeria and is regional representative for Rest of the World, said: “I’m trying to bring a perspective of those of us who live and work outside of the main centres in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.”

He said even though the number of members outside the centres may be smaller, he’s working to ensure the wider community of chemical engineers see the value of IChemE and “we’re still valued and, more importantly, we still have a voice”.

Collins added that it’s important to underline the positive things IChemE does and is respected for around the world.

“Many people outside [the main centres of membership], really see our chartership process or fellowship process is top quartile and good practice. A lot of silent work has gone into that over many years. It’s sometimes just re-emphasising the good stuff…because it helps us globally.”

Ahead of Congress meetings, Collins makes sure to gather views from the wider membership on the topics set for discussion. “I think it’s very important to make sure that your opinion is calibrated amongst your cohort because that really adds to the value proposition of Congress. We must represent as much as we can the group of people that we are elected to represent. That gives us a responsibility to make sure that we’re obviously not pursuing our personal agenda and we’re making sure we are representing the views of the members.”

He noted that Congress was set up following complaints that members were not being listened to.

“We’re being listened to by the Board of Trustees. You can see that from the response to our minutes. It’s very transparent. We’ve been at their meeting [in 2023] and hopefully we’ll be there again in 2024. I think we can really help shape the future of the IChemE. It’s not an immediate turnaround, but I can certainly see in the period I’ve been on Congress that we are influencing. We are making a difference.”

Singh said his passion has been steering IChemE towards providing greater support and resources for students and engineers at the early stages of their careers, including helping them progress towards chartership. “That’s become a major component of how the Member Engagement Committee works and some of the areas that they focus on. I think that’s a good example of how something in Congress can cascade to other areas of IChemE.”

Value in volunteering

While working for the needs of IChemE members was the primary focus, the panel admitted Congress brought personal benefits in the shape of professional development and networking.

“You learn a lot about governance, which I don’t get much exposure to [in my day job],” said Julian. “It’s been really rewarding. On top of that you get a lot of exposure to different perspectives and opinions [from other Congress volunteers from around the world].”

Shorthouse agreed: “I’m in an industry where there are not a lot of chemical engineers that are chartered. So, getting into Congress and chatting with people who have different views from all over the world is really, really good for my education and understanding…and you’ll make some firm friendships.”

While much of Congress’s work is done remotely, there are annual face to face meetings and these have helped the group bond.

“Building that network is fantastic,” Singh said. “You’re able to come with some really good ideas and meet your fellow members in person and build a relationship that way.”

Singh said that he values the strategic thinking skills that Congress has given him.

“You’re sitting across the whole institution in Congress. It helps you really zoom in and zoom out of issues quickly. You can think about something strategically, but then you have to zoom back in and think ‘how do we actually implement that? How do we cascade that down to member groups? How do we actually make that a tangible benefit?’ Being able to do that, I think, is a really important skill. It’s something that I’ve learned through being with IChemE.”

Don’t be scared to voice your opinion on things because I think that’s what really drives change. It’s not only rewarding, but you do have the ability to influence things, to create change and contribute to something you’re passionate about

What next?

On the topic of what they’d like to see achieved in the next five years, Shorthouse said he wants IChemE to help inform the public about how big an upheaval society faces in transitioning away from oil and gas.

Collins says he wants IChemE to develop forums that provide “a platform for creative thinking” where members can share ideas and lessons from across the different sectors they work in to help address wider challenges. This in turn would attract others inside and outside of engineering to come and learn from what IChemE members are doing.

Are you keen to volunteer?

If you’re reading this and asking yourself whether you should volunteer for Congress, what advice do the current representatives have for you?
Singh, who joined Congress while he was an undergraduate, said: “Come with ideas. Don’t be scared to voice your opinion on things because I think that’s what really drives change. It’s not only rewarding, but you do have the ability to influence things, to create change and contribute to something you’re passionate about.”

Collins said: “Your opinion is valued. You’ve got a lot to offer. Just step up and be yourself because you are the IChemE. And it’s as simple as that. It’s not some sort of invisible body. It’s the members. Give it a shot.”

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