| Type | Professional Organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1871[1] |
| Location | Michael Faraday House, Stevenage |
| Origins | Institution of Electrical Engineers and Institution of Incorporated Engineers |
| Key people | Dr Mike Short (current president) |
| Area served | UK and worldwide |
| Focus | Science, Engineering and Technology |
| Method | Industry standards, Conferences, Publications |
| Members | 150,000+ |
| Website | www.theiet.org |
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), dating back to 1871,[1] and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) dating back to 1884. Worldwide membership is in excess of 153,000. As of October 2011, the president was Dr Mike Short. The Institution's main offices are in Savoy Place, London, and Michael Faraday House, Stevenage. It also has premises in Birmingham, Glasgow, Edison, Beijing, Hong Kong and Bangalore.
The IET is the second largest engineering institution in the world (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), based in the USA, is the largest). The IET has the authority to establish professional registration of engineers(Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer) through the Engineering Council. The IEEE does not have the authority to replicate the registration process in its complementary environment.
The IET is registered as a charity in England & Wales and in Scotland.
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Discussions started in 2004 between the IEE and the IIE about merging to form a new institution. In September 2005, both institutions put the merger to the vote, and members voted in favour (73.5% IEE, 95.7% IIE). The merger needed government approval, so a petition was then made to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom for a Supplemental Charter, to allow the creation of the new institution. This was approved by the Privy Council on 14 December 2005 and the new institution came into being on 31 March 2006.
A new Charter and Bye-laws were approved by Special General Meetings (SGM) in September 2005, but approximately 250 IEE members signed a petition calling for them to be reviewed by a working party. Therefore a further SGM on 22 March 2006 was called by the IEE, and this approved the establishment of a working party which reported in December 2006. The working party proposed amendments to the Charter and Bye-laws, which were approved at an additional SGM on 17 May 2007 and ratified by the Privy Council in November 2007.
The Society of Telegraph Engineers (STE) was formed on 17 May 1871 and published the Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers from 1872 to 1880. On 22 December 1880, the STE was renamed as the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians and, as part of this change, renamed their journal the Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians (1881–1882) and later the Journal of the Society of Telegraph-Engineers and Electricians (1883–1888). Following a meeting of its Council on 10 November 1887, it was decided to adopt the name of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). The name of the Institution of Electrical Engineers remains engraved in the marble façade of its headquarters at Savoy Place. As part of this change, their Journal was renamed Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1889 and kept this title until 1963. In 1921, the Institution was Incorporated by Royal Charter and, following mergers with the former Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers (IERE) in 1988 and the former Institution of Manufacturing Engineers (IMfgE) in 1990, eventually had a worldwide membership of around 120,000. The IEE represented the engineering profession, operated Professional Networks (worldwide groups of engineers sharing common technical and professional interests), had an educational role including the accreditation of degree courses and operated schemes to provide awards scholarships, grants and prizes. It was well known for publication of the IEE Wiring Regulations which now continue to be written by the IET and published by the British Standards Institution as BS 7671.
The IET hosts the archive for the Women's Engineering Society (WES) and has also provided office space for WES since 2005.
The modern Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) traced its heritage to The Vulcanic Society that was founded in 1884 and became the Junior Institution of Engineers in 1902, which became the Institution of General Technician Engineers in 1970. It changed its name in 1976 to the Institution of Mechanical and General Technician Engineers. At this point it merged with the Institution of Technician Engineers in Mechanical Engineering and formed the Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers in 1988. The Institution of Engineers in Charge, which was founded in 1895, was merged into the Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers (IMechIE) in 1990.
The Institution of Electrical and Electronic Technician Engineers, the Society of Electronic and Radio Technicians, and the Institute of Practitioners in Radio and Electronics merged in 1990 to form the Institution of Electronics and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE).
The IIE was formed in April 1998 by the merger of The Institution of Electronic and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE), The Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers (IMechIE), and The Institute of Engineers and Technicians (IET, not to be confused with the later-formed Institution of Engineering and Technology). In 1999 there was a further merger with The Institution of Incorporated Executive Engineers (IIExE). The IIE had a worldwide membership of approximately 40,000.
The IET has a journals publishing program,[2] totalling 22 titles as of March 2011 (with the addition of IET Electrical Systems in Transportation and IET Wireless Sensor Systems). The journals contain both original and review-oriented papers relating to various disciplines in electrical, electronics, computing, control, biomedical and communications technologies.
Electronics Letters[3] is a peer-reviewed rapid-communication journal, which publishes short original research papers every two weeks. Its scope covers developments in all electronic and electrical engineering related fields. Also available to Electronics Letters subscribers are something called the Insight Letters.[4]
Micro & Nano Letters[5], first published in 2006, specialises in the rapid online publication of short research papers concentrating on advances in miniature and ultraminiature structures and systems that have at least one dimension ranging from a few tens of micrometres to a few nanometres. It offers a rapid route for international dissemination of research findings generated by researchers from the micro and nano communities.
The IET represents the engineering profession in matters of public concern and assists governments to make the public aware of technological issues. It also provides advice on all areas of engineering, regularly advising Parliament and other agencies.
The IET also grants Chartered Engineer and Incorporated Engineer professional designations on behalf of the Engineering Council UK. IEng is roughly equivalent to North American Professional Engineer designations and CEng is set at a higher level. Both designations have far greater geographical recognition.
This is made possible through a number of networks for engineers established by the IET including the Professional Networks, worldwide groups of engineers sharing common technical and professional interests. Through the IET website, these networks provide up-to-date sector-specific news, stock a library of technical articles and give members the opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas with peer groups through dedicated discussion forums. Particular areas of focus include education, IT, energy and the environment.
The IET has an educational role, seeking to support its members through their careers, producing advice and guidance at all levels to secure the future of engineering.
For example, the IET accredits degree courses worldwide in subjects relevant to electrical, electronic, manufacturing and information engineering. In addition, it secures funding for professional development schemes for engineering graduates including awards scholarships, grants and prizes.
For the public, the IET website provides factsheets on topics such as solar power, nuclear power, fuel cells, micro-generation and the possible effects on health of mobile phones and power lines.
The IET runs the bibliographic information service Inspec, which is a major indexing database of scientific and technical literature and publishes books, journals such as Electronics Letters, magazines such as Engineering & Technology and conference proceedings. Over 80,000 technical articles are available via the IET Digital Library.
The IET has several categories of membership, some with designatory postnominals:
MIET is a regulated professional title recognised in Europe by the Directive 2005/36. http://www.ukncp.org.uk/index.asp?page=14 http://www.ukncp.org.uk/index.asp?page=24&professionID=146
Profession
Title :Electrical and computer (technology) engineer
MIET is listed on the part 2 professions regulated by professional bodies incorporated by Royal Charter-Statutory Instruments 2007 No. 2781 Professional Qualifications-The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2007. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20072781_en_1
The IET refers to its region-specific branches as "Local Networks".
IET Australia is the Australian Local Network of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology). The Australian Local Network of the IET has representation in all the states and territories of Australia. They include the state branches, their associated Younger Members Sections and university sections in Australia. The Younger Members Sections are divided in categories based on each state, e.g. IET YMS New South Wales (IET YMS NSW).
IET Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Local Network (formerly Branch) of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology). The Hong Kong Local Network of the IET has representations in the Asian region and provides a critical link into mainland China. It includes six sections, i.e. Electronics & Communications Section (ECS); Informatics and Control Technologies Section (ICTS); Management Section(MS); Power and Energy Section (PES); Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering (MIES); Railway Section( RS), as well as the Younger Members Section. It has over 5,000 members and activities are coordinated locally. It is one of the professional organisations for chartered engineers in Hong Kong. Link: http://www.iee.org.hk/iee/eng/main/home.jsp
IET Italy Local Network was established in 2007 by a group of active members led by Dr M Fiorini with the purpose to represent locally the aims and services of the IET. The vision of sharing and advancing knowledge throughout the global science, engineering and technology community to enhance people’s lives is achieved building-up an open, flexible and global knowledge network supported by individuals, companies and institutions and facilitated by the IET and its members. Website: http://www.theiet.org/local/Europe/Italy
An IET India Office was established in 2006. India has five Local Networks: Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.