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Being an engineer is a very challenging job, and this is what I love the most about mycareer. We always have to surpass ourselves, to “do better”, go forward, and to boldly
go where no one has gone before.

Chairperson’s
message

There are a lot of things that force us towards these challenges; among them are theeconomic crisis and natural disasters. As I write these lines, tens of thousands of people
in Haiti have lost their lives because of an earthquake, which also left hundreds ofthousands homeless. The 7.0 Magnitude earthquake that caused all this, would havedone much less harm if it happened in California or Japan, highlighting the importanceof good engineering practice and the role that engineers play in the community to improve
the standards of living and to save lives. Natural disasters happen, and they may become
more frequent because of the consequences of human activities, namely “the global
warming”.
The outcome of the Copenhagen conference could have been more promising, and we
expected more political support in the path towards sustainable development. You canread an article on the Copenhagen conference in this issue of our newsletter; as Thomas
Jensen (a new member of YPF Steering Committee from Denmark) states: “the lack ofresults should not stop consultants, businesses or local governments from acting”, andneither shall the economic crisis stop us from developing our career. Former Chairpersonof the YPF SC, Alex Eyquem wrote in the July 2009 issue of the YP newsletter : “Thiscrisis is our wake-up call; a unique opportunity to reassess our values and to promotea fair and sustainable society for future generations.” We can turn this threat into an
opportunity that could make our profession and our commitment towards better life
standards for our communities a more powerful one.

Nader Shokoufi
IranThis year, our new team in the YPF Steering Committee is doing its best to address someof the issues facing our profession, focusing on the contribution of young professionals
to our industry. Our committee now has 13 members who are well spread around theglobe, representing both developed and developing countries. Having so many active
members, we have divided the steering committee to four sub committees:- A sub committee for planning the New Delhi conference YP events- A sub committee for our Newsletter , YP Forum, and web page
- A sub-committee for maintaining better contact between the YPF and YPMTP- A sub committee for enhancement of communication with YPs worldwide
Richard Stump (YPF SC chairman 2006-2008) and Alex Eyquem (YPFSC Chairman
2008-2009) have done a perfect job in expanding YP activities within FIDIC, enhancing
the YP program year by year. Our new team of YPFSC are doing their best to enhance
the YP activities even more. We need to dig into the resources we have: as Richard
mentioned in his message in the December 2008 issue if the Newsletter, we all need to“Get involved. Make a difference”.

Nader Shokoufi
YPF Steering Committee Chair

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YP Review of the 2009 FIDIC conference
Sustainable Solutions to Global Challenges – FIDIC Conference 2009

The 2009 FIDIC conference took place September (14 to 16 September), two months
before the Copenhagen Summit on sustainability (Cop15), and it provided an excellent
opportunity for engineers from around the world to come together and share theirexperiences and views on sustainability.
The opening proceedings were a fitting start to the conference with various speakers
including HRH the Princess Royal setting the scene for the importance of engineers
throughout the world and their role in sustainability. A short theatrical production followed
which illustrated that many problems engineers face today are likely to have beenencountered in Elizabethan times! This light-hearted look at the project delivery cycle didhelp balance the serious topic of the conference and also served to remind delegatesof England’s theatrical heritage.

Warren Bradley
UK

Sustainability can mean many things to many people and indeed one of the challenges
for FIDIC was staging a focused conference to cover the breadth of sustainability issues,
perspectives and importantly, to discuss and agree on required outcomes for the industry.
The various speakers and associated seminars provided an ideal framework to raiseissues and discuss the topic. Over the three day conference, significant points wereraised. For the benefit of those unable to attend and also indeed to refresh the minds ofthose present, the following paragraphs provide a summary of some of the key discussion
points, views and agreed outcomes.
There was a concensus view that we need to adjust society’s expectations and behaviours
now. Cop15 has raised sustainability to the international political agenda and we as
consulting engineers need to capitalise on this to help overcome the inevitable inertia
and start to make a difference. We need to raise the profile of FIDIC and similarorganisations to help give engineers a worldwide voice and allow us to influence. To
influence effectively, we need to learn the languages and motivations of politicians andkeep sustainability on the political agenda. It is only with political support and the supportof society that the essential investment needed can flow through to help develop tomorrows
solutions and make a difference.
Key responses required from engineers include providing tools to help the developmentof more sustainable solutions. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’ is a great start. Further
work on carbon accounting and embedded water concepts were suggested as key ways
forward. New standards need to be created and embedded in practice and investments
need to be made in research and development. Also, despite the economic situation,
investment needs to be maintained in our people and industry. Research has shown thatinvesting 10% more in engineering creates 30% more jobs and delivers 50% more
infrastructure. We need to invest in the ‘thinkers’ as well as the ‘do-ers’ and focus on
succession planning for the sustainability of the engineering industry itself. Investment
must be made in training employees and clients, and young professionals must be
included in this process.

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The conference identified the need for companies and individuals to take to the stage,
to lead and inspire the industry, governments, students, school children and the publicat large – we need engineering figureheads! It was also acknowledged that developed
and developing countries face different challenges, but at the heart of both is the common
critical need for effective, efficient infrastructure. Financing is however a key issue andit was acknowledged that markets sometimes need to be distorted to achieve necessary
investment, such as delivering mass education. We need to learn from each others
experiences and share responsibility for each other.
Day two of the conference provided an opportunity for some key clients to add their voice
to the debate and the focus of the seminars was sectoral, regional, and country specific.
It was identified that there are hotspots of best practice. Some of these were presented;
for example, mega cities provide an opportunity to demonstrate what can be done withtoday’s technology and engineering skills, but these cities need to be part of collective,
integrated solutions and the financial costs needs to be considered in comparison to thebenefits to be delivered. There is no doubt that pushing the boundaries will lead to learnt
lessons and ideas on how to do it better next time and effective benchmarking processes
will help share this learning and knowledge development. Some lessons already learnt
are that clear defined goals are required for sustainability from the outset and these needto cascade down to all levels and be embedded in day to day practice.
Although there is variation between the different engineering sectors, there are still thecommon underlying concepts of sufficient investment in research and development andthe importance of industry contributing to the policy formulation process. With the regionaland country variation, it was suggested that local requirements and conditions should bepart of the solution and that regional governance should be used to translate national
goals to local conditions. Member Associations should aim for a working set of commonlyused sustainability standards. Despite country and regional variation, it was emphasisedthat consultants must act ethically so we can collectively be a trusted voice.
Co-ordination is key and all of us must act, share knowledge, and speak with one voice.
It was agreed that FIDIC can help develop our voice by providing a global advocacy
policy statement for Member Associations to use and that strong advocacy delivers
results. Everyone from the FIDIC and Member Associations through to individual firms
and engineers must demonstrate commitment to advocacy and engage proactively withthe political process. We need to reinforce the messages at all levels and to do thiseffectively we need to understand what politicians are interested in then test and refine
our messages. It is important that representative bodies in each country should consolidate
or form alliances to help ensure a consistent voice. It was noted that the UK Chief
Construction Adviser model could be a useful approach for other countries.
The three days of conference activies were an excellent opportunity for networking andfacilitating the debate of key issues for the industry. The young professionals who attended
formed a key part of dialogue, and the successful future leaders workshop on Tuesday
provided an excellent opportunity for young professionals to demonstrate what they cancontribute to the industry and where support is needed from the industry to enable this.
Following the Future Leaders workshop, there was a visit to the construction site of the
London 2012 Olympic Games organised by the FIDIC YPFSC. On route, the tour guides
gave a commentary on the development of the successful Olympic bid and its links withthe local community, local development, and the legacy plans.

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The intention for the London 2012 Olympics to be the most sustainable Olympics event
ever hosted, and the building design and construction is a key part of making the games
come to fruition – a real opportunity for engineers and the construction industry to show
the world what is possible!
The result of the conference was summarised through a set of actions for FIDIC, themember associations, and the global industry at large to take forward to help drive
sustainability forward and raise the profile of the engineering industry. As an industry, we
have a great opportunity to demonstrate to society the skills and capability of engineers.
Some of the views discussed at the conference may seem obvious, some may seem
idealistic, but there can be no doubt that the world needs to change and we as engineers,particularly young engineers, need to be at the forefront and driving this. If we don’t, too
little will be done too late – it’s time to act, let’s rise to the challenge!

From left to right:
2009 YPFSC Chair Alex Eyquem, Previous 2008 Chair Richard Stump, and
YPFSC 2009 member Liu Luobing, at the London Conference evening Gala

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YPMTP 2009
Each year FIDIC offers the Young Professional Management Training Program (YPMTP)
as a vehicle in which young professionals can further develop their management skills
within a global environment. The 2010 program is beginning in mid-February 2010 and
is currently accepting applications for participants.
The aim of the program is to develop leadership and management skills of the participants.
The program is run in two phases. The first phase is a 7-month training program conductedwith the aid of an on-line training platform and teleconferencing facilities. The second
phase is conducted through face to face meetings prior to the FIDIC Annual Conference.
The program concludes with participation in the FIDIC Annual Conference during the
Future Leaders Workshop portion of the Conference. In 2010, the FIDIC Conference will
be in New Delhi, India.

Mike Pniewski
USA

Relevant management topics faced by the consulting engineering industry today and in
the future are presented and analyzed by the participants. Each topic is studied by theparticipants through a variety of reference materials and discussed. At the conclusionof each topic, a real life case study is presented and the participants develop solutions
with their international peers based on theory of the topic and industry practice. A mentor,
who is a prominent individual in the consulting engineering industry, is provided for each
topic to share their experience and provide guidance during the theoretical discussions
and the case studies. Each participant is encouraged to develop their own solution andshare it with their peers and the mentors for discussion.

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For the 2009 program, approximately 25 young professional participants from across theglobe participated in the program. The participants were groupeds into two teams basedon time zones. The topics presented during the program consisted of the following:
Organization and Human Resources Development
Ownership Structures
Marketing of Consulting Services
Multicultural Management
Each topic consisted of three virtual sessions using both the on-line training platform andthe teleconferencing facilities. The opening session consisted of a lecture from the topic
mentor about the topicsubject and a presentation of the case study to be analyzed. The
participants were also given a listing of additional materials for further study. The theoreticalaspects of the topic were discussed and debated by the participants with assistance fromthe topic mentor on the on-line training platform between the virtual sessions. The Midtopic session was used to summarize the theoretical discussions and begin discussionof the case study. The case studies were further discussed by the participants on the
training platform and solutions for the case studies were summariszed. Each team’s
solution for the Case Study was presented in the final session with comment from the
Course Coordinator and the Topic Mentor.
The second component takes place prior to the FIDIC Annual Conference in September.
Four days of intensive face to face meetings are conducted to further discuss the topics
and summarize the findings of the case studies. The participants are then tasked withpreparing the final presentation to be given at the FIDIC Conference Young Leaders
Workshop. The final presentation is an opportunity for the participants to present theirperspective of the challenges facing the industry and offer potential solutions for thoseissues.
The experience gained from the program was obtained in the following ways:- learning the pertinent issues through in theory and practice through discussions withpeers and senior mentors.
- developing an international network of other young professionals to share experiences
both at the program and into the future.
- attending the various seminars and programs at the conference to gain knowledge ona wide variety of issues affecting the international consulting industry.

More information about the 2010 YPMTP can be obtained at:
http://ypf.fidic.ch/training/Pages/default.aspx

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Crossroads Boys Home – Pretoria, South Africa
The YPF Gauteng Branches have embarked on a Saturday tutoring initiative at Crossroads
Boys Home in Salvokop, Pretoria. Crossroads is home to some 35 boys and young men
who were previously homeless.
The Home was brought to the attention of the YPF when the group was invited to present
at a career day for the boys. It was after this experience that the YPF Gauteng Branches
decided to launch a programme whereby YP’s could assist these young men with theirstudies and provide mentorship to them.
Ramona Reddy (Stemele Bosch & Associates and the YPF Gauteng South Committee)
took on the role of Champion for the project. Under her management, a regular tutorshipprogramme was launched in September 2009. Every fortnight, YP’s have spent their
Saturday morning helping the boys with their schoolwork. Some have even brought friends
and partners along! YP’s have assisted with subjects such as Maths, Physics, Chemistry,
Accounting, Computer Studies, Tourism as well as some basic skills such as reading.

Michele Kruger
South Africa

Says Ramona:“It has been long believed that the first six years of a child’s life are most critical when
they are particularly vulnerable to their environment. When this childhood environment
is corrupted by all sorts of abuse, neglect and unhappiness surely a child takes many
years to undo the damaging effects of the destructive environment. I believe it takes justa few hours of someone’s time to help someone to slowly counter the negative effectsof their childhood.

Ed Bird of DJJ Conradie & Partners assisting a learner with Grade 9 Maths

Denzel Maduray of SSI assists David with his Grade 11 Maths

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We can all strive to help the un-helped, educate the uneducated, motive the de-motivatedand most important of all – show love to the unloved. As young professionals, if we leadthe correct path we will soon have a large following on the same path.”
Some of the boys at Crossroads are already pursuing their dreams by studying further
and going for training; we can assist the younger children by establishing a library of
unwanted textbooks, novels and other reading material.
The boys have positive feedback and are excited to have assistance with homework,
career advice and the mentorship opportunity. As YPs we have much we can offer thehome with this initiative.”
The YPF would like to thank Ramona for her dedication to this project and for the hugeamount of personal time she has put into making it a success. We would also like tothank our other volunteers (Tshireletso Rammutla of BKS, Clement Maphanga of ITS
Engineering, Kieren Brown of MPA Consulting, Edward Bird of DJJ Conradie & Partners,
Mhairi Riddet of ARUP, Denzel Maduray of SSI Engineers, Sande Taka of
Bigen Africa, Livingstone Mashele of Stemele Bosch and Kabelo Serutle of TUKS forspending their personal time with the boys and thereby helping them to achieve a brighter
future.
For more details, contact: Ramona Reddy (reddyr@sbajhb.co.za)

Clement Maphanga of ITS and his partner helping out with Mathematics

Mhairi Riddet of Arup assisting a learner with Mathematics

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Young Professional in New Zealand - a Personal Perspective
A few weeks ago, I received an email reminding me that I had agreed to write about
Young Professional Activities in New Zealand. Coming at one of our busiest times of theyear, the task initially seemed onerous; my belief and dedication to the issue however,prevailed.
I originally committed to the assignment during the ASPAC Young Professional (YP)
meeting at the FIDIC London conference. ASPAC YP are the first regional group of young
professionals and I was keen to get involved early on. Young professional has touched
many aspects of my career and I am very enthusiastic about the topic.
After studying in Germany, I began my career as a university lecturer in Scotland andlater changed my career path to work with an international professional consultancy in
New Zealand. In the latest instalment of my career, I am a project leader, but more
importantly in this context, a people manager. Many exceptional and talented young
professionals report to and work with me. I am actively involved with upcoming andcurrent YP activities to a degree that influence their careers. As such, it is an important
topic for me.

Jan Kupec
New ZealandSome of the main YP training programme outcomes highlighted at last year’s London
conference include the public’s perception of our industry and the recruitment and intake
of young professionals into our profession. All members of the YP training programme
agreed that our industry has a pivotal role within our society; however, we need to attract
talented professionals to manage and overcome future challenges. Specifically, thesewould include potential impacts from climate change, provide infrastructure for the growing
population on this planet, and manage the increasing energy demand. As a geotechnicalengineer, these YP activities are of significant importance to me and go some way to
explain why this article is a bit of labour of love and necessity.
Young professionals are recognised as key contributors to a successful company. They
provide new insights but are also important for succession planning. Over the past two
years, our firm has implemented major changes to the company structure. I note herethat these changes were initiated well before the global economic crisis and were mainly
driven to empower our employees and drive positive changes. I am pleased to add thatthey have worked well in conjunction with the global economic crisis.
One of the key changes in our Firm has been to recognise our young professionals, who
are led along a career path with individually set key performance indicators and behaviouralstandards. Each individual is encouraged to look beyond their daily tasks and contributeto the overall profession. The daily routine of a young professional has certainly changed
at our firm, with more responsibility being given and guidance and support being provided.
In New Zealand academia, I the curriculum has changed to include topics that were nota traditional part of the engineering education. I presume these changes are driven to
prepare young people who entering the professional world to cope better with thechallenges ahead. On a personal note, I was encouraged by the high quality of students
graduating from our New Zealand universities.
Last year I was co-opted to the board of ACENZ (Association of Consulting Engineeringin New Zealand) our local FIDIC body, to observe the internal workings and help with

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Last year I was co-opted to the board of ACENZ (Association of Consulting Engineeringin New Zealand) our local FIDIC body, to observe the internal workings and help withsome key tasks amongst others young professional activities.
During November and December, ACENZ hosted breakfast meetings in the eight NZ
regions and young professionals were especially encouraged to attend. The upcoming
ACENZ annual conference, held in July 2010 in New Plymoth, will allocate workshops
dedicated to YP activities. In my discussion with current and past board members andprofessionals involved with FIDIC and ACENZ, I noted a strong desire to formally organise
YP activities, something which has not yet been achieved in NZ.
I am keen to obtain ACENZ support this year and get people involved who are passionate
about this topic. There is a lot of work ahead but the first goal is to form a forum to further
drive YP activities. I do not have the space in this article to present all of the ideas thatwere discussed during last year’s professional training programme; however, I can confirm
young professionals in New Zealand are very active and keen to become more vocal in
our industry – watch this space.
Dr Jan Kupec
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Malaysia Launches Its Own Green Building Index
In August 2008, ACEM (Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia) was invited by
PAM (Association of Architects Malaysia) to join forces in formulating the Malaysian Green
Building Index (GBI). The need for a localized Green Building rating tool has become
more relevant especially in the light of increasing demand from building end-users forGreen rated buildings that would not overly and adversely contribute to the destructionof the environment. The collaboration has brought the two associations together to set
up the Sustainability Committee which was tasked primarily to develop and set-up theGreen Building Index for Malaysia and the accompanying Panel for certifying andaccreditation of green rated buildings.
On 21 May 2009, the launching of Malaysia’s Green Building Index has placed the
Malaysian building industry at a new height where a new benchmark in green rating forthe industry has been created and acknowledged. The historic event was held at Kuala
Lumpur Convention Centre and attended by more than 1,000 participants and guests.
The event started with a brief introduction by the Organising Chairman and followed bya Green Building Index Presentation.

Ahmad Masyhur
Malaysia

This GBI rating systems gives opportunities for developers and building owners todesign and construct green buildings that can provide energy and water savings, a
healthier indoor environment, better connectivity to public transport, and the adoption ofrecycling and greenery for their projects. Details of GBI and the assessment process
were explained in a forum following the launching ceremony. The presentation was
conducted by Ir. Chen Tiam Leong, Green Building Index Accreditation Panel Member,and was followed by a question and answer session which saw a lot of questions being
thrown at the Accreditation Panel on the topic presented. More information on this canbe obtained from www.greenbuildingindex.org.

GBI Launching Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

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On a lighter note, the Young Consultants Club (YCC) of Malaysia recently organized the2009 Inter Consultants bowling championship which saw the participation of many
consultants from around the capital city. The purpose of the game is to foster closer ties
between young consultants and taking a ‘break’ from the usual competition between themduring interviews for projects. The competition was held on the 14th of September 2009
with about 68 employees taking part.

GBI rating tool signing ceremony by Minister of Works, Malaysia

ACEM representative giving the championship trophy to the group winners

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Consultants needs to move on in spite of weak results from COP 15
The COP15 is finished with a letter of intent; the Copenhagen Accord. The big questionis how does this influent the consultants work in the coming years?
There seems to be a general consent that the lack of results should not stop consultants,businesses or local government from acting.
This article asks key persons in nongovernmental associations and companies how
consultants should and would work with the Copenhagen Accord from a Danish point of
view.
Facts
The Copenhagen Accord contains twelve key messages with guidelines to hold theincrease in global temperature below two degrees Celsius. The Copenhagen Accord
recognizes the scientific state of the global warming and in these terms the needs for
new technology funded by the capacity-building countries.
One of these messages points to raise USD 30 billion in the period from 2010 to 2012.
From 2020, the pool should raise USD 100 billion per year to combate global warming
in developing countries and the emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
A new fund is open, called the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund, to make sure that thismoney is spent properly.

Thomas Jensen
Denmark

New technology lowers emissions
The Danish Water and Waste Water Association (DANVA) have worked with lowering theCO2 emissions for some years and at the moment we can see some positive effects ofthe effort says Carl-Emil Larsen, Managing Director for DANVA.
In 2008, DANVA estimated a saving potential of 20-25 % in the Water sectors energy
consumptions and thereby lower the CO2 emissions. Since 2008 many municipalities
and private waterworks have prepared new ways to save energy. The goal of saving 2025 % is in many places obtained more than 25 % by changing the equipments andupgraded systems.
In 2009, DANVA were the host of International Water Association’s (IWA) Water andEnergy Conference in Copenhagen. The main focus of the conference was to spreadknowledge between the participants to lower CO2 emissions in the water and energy
sector.
“This is the fact, water and energy go hand in hand but where energy is hard not to have,water is essential for living” – Carl-Emil Larsen
One of the results of the IWA conference was a declaration to the COP15 decision makers.
The declaration contains eight messages about the links between water and energy
towards the world climate changes. Carl-Emil Larsen hopes and expects that the declaration
is taken seriously.

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The question has been raised about the economy effects in lowering CO2 emissions.
Carl-Emil Larsen thinks that the world needs to make some large investments which canensure sustainable operations in the future. In the long term, this investment will return,so the international water sector should not be afraid to start.
Denmark has taken a big step to save energy in the water sector and Carl-Emil Larsen
is sure that Danish consultants are leading in innovative thinking when it comes to lowering
the CO2 emissions. The highest savings are achieved by cooperation cross borders, andthis will be the new challenge.
DANVA have released a brochure: Water and Energy are linked – within Climate Change
and beyond. http://www.iwawaterandenergy2009.org/
Wanted: a more ambitious agreement
The Danish Association of Consulting Engineers (FRI) looks at the Copenhagen Accord
with some skepticism, although the result is probably the best one obtainable, given thecurrent state of global politics. There are points that should be more ambitious according
to Henrik Garver, Managing Director for FRI, and he continues by describing the FRI
climate vision, which is comprised of three key elements:
1. By 2020, Denmark is the world’s leading cleantech knowledge and technology nation,in particular with respect to renewable energy sources, energy efficiency improvement,
biotechnology and environmental technology. This position must subsequently bemaintained.
2. That, by 2050, Danish greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 80 % comparedwith the 1990 level. This means that Denmark will contribute substantially towards reducing
global greenhouse gas emissions to 20 GT tones of CO2 equivalents in 2050.
3. That Danish infrastructure is robust with respect to the future consequences of climatechange, including that, by 2011, Denmark has identified the principal consequences ofclimate change and rated its future infrastructure accordingly.
Henrik Garver says we need to do more than the letter of intent in the Copenhagen
Accord to secure the three visions that we have outlined in FRI. The letter of intent isinsufficiently ambitious, but it contains good things as well, such as the common points:
recognizing the scientific importance of the critical 2 degrees Celsius target, and the factthat the accord opens up for action from day one.
Finally, the presence of most top leaders at the COP-15 summit will in itself have apositive effect on future efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
To the question of a “COP” for consultants, Henrik Garver says that it would be difficult
to make as a “stand-alone” event. An option could be to put climate change and the
Copenhagen Accord in as a topic at the FIDIC 2010 Conference in New Delhi.
FRI had a side-event a the COP15 called “Building Green in Denmark”. The main topics
discussed how Danish municipalities work to lower the CO2 emissions to make a CO2
neutral society through the use of consultants. Ambitions to build CO2-plus houses withnew technologies kept the focus on lowering the consumer’s energy consumptions. Henrik
says the event was well taken by the delegates, and it gave a good view of the Danish
efforts and the strength of Danish consultants.

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FRI has published a climate vision: Denmark, a leading climate nation.
http://www.frinet.dk/media(2021,1030)/Climate_vision_UK.pdf

We need to start now - agreement or not
Jesper Nybo Andersen from the Danish consultant company Orbicon | Leif Hansen has
a clear vision that every person should look at themselves and work together withcolleagues and customers to realize good solutions. The Copenhagen Accord is a goodstarting point for consultants as it is a universal document.
At Orbicon | Leif Hansen, sustainability is a key issue for every project. Jesper Nybo
Andersen, CEO describes his company as a global corporation which means many newideas and intelligent solutions build up by a team of international professionals. A global
cooperation is therefore interesting for many companies according to Jesper Nybo
Andersen and continues if every companies looked inside they might find new sustainableways to work - in the end it could make a business.
“The Copenhagen Accord is only paper and one of the steps on the road to stop thehuman made global warming. Should the world of consultants wait for a common climateagreement?” – Thomas Jensen
Contact information:Thomas Jensen
Orbicon | Leif Hansen A/SRingstedvej 20, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
T + 45 46 30 03 37
M +45 21 28 67 07 E-mailPersons in text
Henrik Garver
Managing Director FRI
The Danish Association of Consulting Engineers
Carl-Emil Larsen
Managing Director DANVA
Danish Water and Waste Water Association
Jesper Nybo Andersen
CEO Orbicon | Leif Hansen A/S
Board chairman of Danish Environmental Technology Association

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Progress Report of the ASPAC (Asia-Pacific Region) YPF
The progress of the establishment of ASPAC YPF was reported in the YP OPEN FORUM
in the London FIDIC Annual Conference on September 14, 2009. •@ASPAC YPF is thefirst regional Young Professional group under FIDIC. Mr. Takashi NAKAJIMA (Coordinatorof ASPAC YPF, AJCE) presented the major progress among other YP presenters includingAlex Eyquem from Canada, Andreis van Wageningen from South Africa, Lucas-Jan Ebels
from South Africa, Santino Pirillo from Canada, and Tian Feng, from China.
FIDIC ASPAC is now composed of 20 countries after welcoming two new members at
London Conference. The Asia Pacific area contains such variety of countries in termsof economy, culture, and religion. The need for engineers in this area provides many
opportunities to work together. With such close interaction in this region, the integrationof young engineers is important to achieve and is required to improve of the overall skill
sets, but most importantly to make our industry more attractive, especially for young
professionals.
Major milestones last year included a series of regular meetings (held on Skype and face
to face) with great support of FIDIC YPF SC members from the ASPAC region. Threemain targets were set: (1) Support of FIDIC YPF, (2) Integration of the overall region, and(3) Promote more meaningful and close interaction among YPs. The Steering Committee
was formed with five members being Takashi NAKAJIMA from Japan as the Group
Coordinator, Manoochehr AZIZI from Iran, Prashant KAPILA from India, Ahmad MASYHUR
BIN JAHAYA from Malaysia, and Jan KUPEC from New Zealand. The regular reports areprepared by Takashi.

Takashi Nakajima
ASPAC YPF

Progress presentation at the London Conference

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The time table below indicates key milestones completed for the ASPAC Steering
Committee YPF:

YPF ASPAC Mission Statement

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20South Africa YPF Gauteng - Soccer City (Johannesburg) Site Visit
In November 2008 Hans Koorn of PD Naidoo & Associates took a very excited YPF grouparound the Soccer City Construction site constructed for the upcoming Soccer World Cup
to be held in June/July 2010. Hans ran through the various design factors, challenges
and solutions with the YP’s and gave the participants fantastic insight into the work
involved in such a huge, landmark project.
In July 2009, Hans took the YPs around the stadium once more for a follow-up visit, tosee firsthand the progress. A handful of JRA and Joburg Water YP’s were also invited
to join us on the tour.
YPF Gauteng would like to thank Livingstone Mashele of Stemele Bosch and the YPF
Gauteng South Committee, for assisting with the organisation of the site visit.
The photos below give a brief overview of the experience.
November 2008

Michele Kruger
South Africa

Hans Koorn speaking to the YP’s at the top of the stands

A view of the pitch from the stands

A view of the suites

A view of the suites

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FIDIC YPFSC 2010 Open Forum - Call for Speakers
The FIDIC Young Professionals Forum (YPF) is managed by a Steering Committee (SC)which is responsible for conducting three sessions during the Annual Conference. New
Delhi, India is this year’s host city for the 2010 Annual Conference from the 19th to the22nd of September 2010.
The YP Open Forum is the session scheduled for the 20th of the September 2010, which
is managed by the SC in terms of choosing the topic of the session, identification of
speakers, and managing the floor during the session. The Future Leaders Workshop is
scheduled in the afternoon of the 21st of September 2010, where some of the participantsof the Young Professionals Management Training Program (YPMTP) present their learningof eight months and are awarded their course certificates. Finally, a YP from the SC will
chair one business session on Day 2 or Day 3.

Prashant Kapila
India

This year, the SC has chosen “Succession Planning” as the theme for the Open Forum.
Succession Planning, we feel is an issue which effects the entire consulting fraternity in
one way or another. The issue is dealt with differently by different companies and firms.
Managers from developed countries and the West look upon succession planning differently
than leaders from the East. Young Professionals working in corporate board run firms
perceive succession planning differently than those in family run businesses.
The FIDIC 2010 conference brings together consulting engineers from across the globe,
from developed and developing economies, from senior management to junior employees
working at consulting firms. Thus the Open Forum provides a great opportunity to hearfrom Young Professional, specifically, how they perceive the issue of Succession Planning.
It will also be an opportunity to hear what the senior leaders of the industry feel about
the same.
We encourage all Young Professionals of the industry to attend the Conference at New
Delhi in 2010 and learn from the peers and the seniors of the fraternity. If you would
like to present at the YPF Open Forum, kindly contact any of the following SC
members with a transcript of what you would like to say by the 30th of April 2010.
The SC shall then deliberate and finalise the list of speakers for the YPF Open
Form.
Michele Kruger (michele@csvwater.co.za)
Prashant Kapila (pkapila@ictonline.com)
Selena Wilson (swilson@mcelhanney.com)
Jean Phillipe Moreau (jean-philippe.moreau@bpr.ca)

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HOW TO BECOME PART OF THE FIDIC YPF GROUP
Become part of this young dynamic group of people and receive updates, newslettersand information on upcoming events, such as FIDIC conferences and training
opportunities.

Communications
Chairperson
FIDIC YPF Steering
Committee

International YPF Groups: find out what the YPs in your country are doing and how toconnect with them! Please register on the YPF homepage listed below.
Once we have your details this way, we will send you our newsletter and other info as
it comes up. Please remember to keep your details updated!
For general information about us and FIDIC, go to:
http://www1.fidic.org/resources/young/default.asp
For more information or if you need help to connect, contact me at:
fidicypforum@gmail.com
Michele Kruger
Communications Chairperson
FIDIC YPF Steering Committee

Michele Kruger
Starting your own YPF in your country
If you liked what you saw of the FIDIC YPF and YPFs across the world, why not start
your own. This is best achieved through your country’s Member Association (MA) of
FIDIC. However, if no such association exists, or your MA does not want to have theirown YPF, you can contact us to find out how to start your own YPF. Through FIDIC wemay have some contact to make it easier or help partner it with you. All you need isyour enthusiasm for Engineering! From there you decide what it is that you want yourYPF to represent. What is your focus? Is it training Young Professionals? Is it getting
the youth interested in Engineering? Is it just socializing with your peers? Or is it allof the above? As the FIDIC YPF, we will do all we can to support your new endeavor!
Contact us at: fidicypforum@gmail.com