Glasgow Caledonian University & University of Strathclyde
Introduction:
The School of the Built and Natural Environment brings together academic staff with expertise in Construction Technology, Economics and Management with Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering, and Environmental Technologies, allowing it to tackle a wide range of issues associated with the exploitation of land, water and mineral resources. It brings together the largest academic built environment department in Scotland with one of the few departments in Scotland, which targets the environment as a major sphere of activity. The School considers research to be an essential activity in the development of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. The School maintains an appropriate and distinct range of research activity with a major feature being partnerships with industry, commence and other academic institutions in the UK and overseas. It is firmly committed to the concept of "the environment as a multidisciplinary subject"; the style and shape of the research activities reflect this theme. Research activities in the School cover a wide range of built and natural environment areas but centre on three themes: Construction Management and Economics (e.g. construction procurement & economics, construction management, dispute resolution); Building Performance (e.g. Building materials and physics, fire risk engineering) and Environment (air & water quality, waste management, environmental technology). The school offers a host of postgraduate research programmes including MSc, MPhil and Ph.D. There are currently over 70 postgraduate and registered research students. The School also maintains strong research links with many research institutions, including Stanford University, Arizona State University, University of Capetown, Hong Kong University and Royal Melbourne University.
The University of Strathclyde has a wide interest in the activities of CIB and such work spans several departments. The Department of Civil Engineering has a long history and strong reputation in preparing graduates for the profession of Civil Engineering. The department aims to provide an excellent education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and to maintain and develop excellent research programmes of international and national standing both of which will be useful to industry, profession and the community." The research activities of the Department are carried out within three broad-based groups, as follows; Design Process & Construction Management Research Group (Design Process, Component Design, Procurement, Sustainability, Innovation); Civil Engineering Systems Research Group (e.g. Geotechnical Engineering, Water and Environmental Management, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering and Coastal Hydraulics) and Environmental Research Group (e.g. Water Quality, Solid Waste Management, Parasitology, Air Pollution, Transport, Fisheries, Food Hygiene and Safety, Environmental Fluid Mechanics). The Department offers research programmes leading to MSc, MPhil and Ph.D. There are currently over 50 MSc postgraduate and registered research students. The Department of Architecture and Building Science is the largest Architectural School in Scotland and a postgraduate research activity is organised by a Graduate School which holds 15 MPhil/ PhD students and has an average research income of £ 400,000 per annum.
Vision:
The objectives of the Student Chapter are:
• To encourage the development of the research interests of its members
• To encourage and enhance communication and exchange of research and academic work among its members
• To encourage and provide opportunities for networking among research students and to develop research leaders
• To facilitate and promote joint research and academic exchange with other national and international CIB Student Chapters and the global research community
Programme:
The Work Programme is as follows:
• Provide targeted forums for disseminating and sharing of research skills and research findings for the benefits of its members
• Produce a newsletter/a vehicle for the CIB Student Chapter on a regular basis (at least two per year)
• To establish and facilitate joint research activities between members of different CIB Student Chapters in the UK and overseas
• Support CIB events by encouraging student members to attend and to submit research papers for presentation and publication at such events
• Actively encourage other CIB member institutes to establish their own CIB Endorsed Chapter
Membership:
Caledonian University and the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Strathclyde are open to all postgraduate and research students of the two institutions.
Members are expected:
• to have a strong interest in research and innovation in the built and natural environment, and
• to actively participate in the functions and events organized by the Student Chapter.
The CIB Student Chapter has its own clearly established Membership rules. The rules are complying with the CIB's Mission Statement as set out in the CIB constitution.
Organizational Structure
The joint CIB Student Chapter is organised and administered through a Student Chapter Committee made up of a President, Vice-President, General Secretary and Membership Secretary. The Committee will hold regular meetings.
As indicated above, both institutions are already active in organising regular research seminars led by invited experts. In addition, internal seminars based on the progress of individual researchers are held regularly throughout the year. The CIB Student Chapter is working within this structure providing internally and externally led seminars of particular relevance to CIB activities. This forum is also being used for the development of further activities such as liaison with industry and site visits.
Professor Charles Egbu, Glasgow Caledonian University, is working closely with the administrative organisation of the Student Chapter and also serves as the main point of contact for CIB.
Contact:
Faculty:
Mr. Michael K.L. Tong
School of the Built and Natural Environment
Glasgow Caledonian University
City Campus, Cowcaddens Road
Glasgow, G4 OBA, Scotland, UK
Tel: +44.141.331 8038
Fax: +44.141.331 3696
Email: M.Tong@gcal.ac.uk
Home Page: www.sbne.gcal.ac.uk/cib/index.html
Finances:
The Joint Student Chapter of CIB has limited start-up financial support initially provided by both institutions. However, the Student Chapter is organizing its events on a self-financed basis.
Newsletters:
