The engineering and science institutions in the UK: changes, ambiguities and current challenges

The role and performance of the engineering and scientific institutions in the UK have been undergoing gradual change in response to external, State and global influences. Consequently, the institutions are having to adapt and in the process of doing so the traditional balance between learned society and qualifying association activities is now in a state of flux. The relevance of professional registration is being questioned by employers and practitioners alike and the institutions are now having to operate in a greater collaborative context than hitherto. This paper reviews developments which have been taking place since the early 1970’s and, by using responses from a survey of engineering and scientific institutions, identifies significant current problems and some challenges which lie ahead and which have yet to be confronted if the institutions are to continue to make a constructive contribution to society.