Engineering Leadership Program drives the leaders of tomorrow

The annual dinner for Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering Leadership

The annual dinner for Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering Leadership in a Technological Environment Program was held at the Langham Hotel in Melbourne in November 2008 with around 200 guests including the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins, the Chancellor, Dr Alan Finkel, industry leaders, students and members of the Monash academic community.

The Leadership Program offers academically advanced students the opportunity to network with industry leaders and alumni, acquire life skills and learn about leadership.

Guest speaker Richard Bluck of Leadership Victoria spoke of the importance of leadership in industry, “Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, at all levels. It is complex, dynamic, challenging, stimulating, rewarding, frightening and exciting, all at once. As Leadership Victoria’s groups discover, there are no ‘super heroes’ out there, merely mortals trying their best.”

“I congratulate you for being in this excellent program – it is a great start to self development, self awareness and the growth of the critical people and communication skills needed for effective leadership; especially the important confidence to network with a wide range of people in and outside the world of engineering.”

Dean of the Faculty, Professor Tam Sridhar spoke about the importance of industry support and sponsorship of the program, “Industry desires the quality of engineering graduates that this program produces and in tough times it is the skills of the engineering workforce that will remain a competitive advance of any industry.”

Supporters of the Leadership Program include, Worley Parsons, AADI, GKN Aerospace, Melbourne Water, Coffey, Exxon Mobil, Umow Lai, Air Liquide, SKM, Production Parts, ODonnell Griffin, Connell Wagner and McConnell Dowell.

Student guest speakers, Laura Cantwell and Geoffrey Pascoe inspired the audience with their accounts of leadership activities and how they have grown in their professional development skills over the course of the program.

The evening was capped off with a competition for each table to build something that represents engineering in the future, using coloured building blocks.

For more information, visit www.eng.monash.edu.au/current-students/merit/leadership/