t has been a busy summer for the Institute and I hope this issue of Corrosion Management gives you an idea of the number and variety of interesting activities that are bubbling away at the moment. It’s an exciting time to be involved! I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying my time as President, which is made so much easier by the number of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who run the Institute activities, as well as our excellent and highly professional office staff.
I recently attended the EuroCorr conference in Sevilla and was delighted to be present at the awards ceremony to see Liane Smith receiving her EFC Honorary Fellowship. Liane gave an inspirational acceptance speech in which she emphasised to younger people in the audience the benefits of getting involved in both technical and professional committee activities. This is a top priority, not only for the Institute but for the corrosion profession in general, and I would strongly encourage our younger members to put themselves forward for these roles.
I would like to thank those of you who took the time to give us your views on the proposed refresh of the Institute brand. There were over 300 responses to the online survey, and of the three candidate brandmark/logo combinations, a clear preference has emerged amongst the membership. This has now been taken forward to the detail stage and the final brand assets will be rolled out to the website, stationery and marketing material during the autumn. While it is never possible to please everyone, we have been very much encouraged by the level of approval from our members.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being President is recognising the achievements of our members and others in the wider corrosion community. It was a privilege to present our two premier awards during the Electrochem 2019 conference in Glasgow, with Prof. Tetsuo Shoji receiving the 2019 U.R. Evans Award and Dr Steve Paterson accepting the 2019 Paul McIntyre Award. It was a particular pleasure to present the Paul McIntyre Award, having worked with Paul at NPL for many years. He was a true gentleman and the embodiment of dedicated and loyal service for the public benefit.
The Electrochem conference itself was a huge success and included for the first time a joint meeting between the Corrosion Science Symposium and the Corrosion Engineering Division Annual Working Day. It was great to see the students mixing with experienced corrosion engineers to exchange knowledge and make connections – this is certainly something that we would like to see more of in the future.
I’m pleased to say that we have recently simplified the ICorr membership application process. It is now possible for non-members to apply directly for Technician, Professional or Fellow membership, without the need to join as an Individual member first. Updated application forms and guidance notes are now available on the ICorr website. Please have a think about who you might prod – new members are always very welcome!
Finally, the date and venue for this year’s AGM have been confirmed. The meeting will take place in the Council Chamber at Birmingham Council House in conjunction with the Midland Branch meeting on the afternoon of Thursday 31st October. Several interesting and entertaining technical talks have been arranged and I would encourage you all to mark the event in your diaries.
Icorr President, Gareth Hinds
New Vice President Bill Hedges receives his Regalia from President Gareth Hinds at the recent Council meeting.
