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After 3000 years of excellent service, it is about time that the humble pit latrine was subject to some decent quality research and its perplexing mysteries unravelled.  

Water for People require a device to measure the number of flushes, and ideally their contents, entering a standard pour-flush latrine.  

The Challenge of the Balance programme is delivered by our Partner organisation and leading environment NGO at the Centre for Science and the Environment (CSE) in Delhi. CSE is an independent, public-interest organisation involved in environmental research, communications and advocacy.

When the scale of the challenge
is the challenge,
we need to respond with
massive small change....

 

“Some call him just a man, others, an adventurer. Scratch the surface and you'll mostly find sausage, but tough sausage, the kind it takes a while to chew on and you don't forget easily.”

Jonny Gutteridge is about to embark on his fundraising coast-to-coast off-road cycling challenge.

EWB-Bristol and EWB-Warwick have both won the fantastic opportunity to develop a workshop which is fully funded by the European Commission directed by Practical Action! An amazing opportunity!

 

Recruitment is now closed

EWB-UK is looking for a Finance Administrator. This role is key to the efficient day-to-day administration of the whole organisation and specifically focuses on the management of finances, budgets and funds. It is a great opportunity to join a young and growing organisation.

ARCHIVED PAGE - RECRUITMENT NOW CLOSED

Amazing opportunity to develop Engineers Without Borders UK's work in Africa! If you are passionate about overcoming poverty and global development challenges, appreciate the role of technology, and are confident in working overseas we can offer £21,656 salary, extensive international travel and chance to work closely with our volunteers.

We are pleased to present an exciting and unique opportunity to engage constructively with academics, students, policy-makers, and industry insiders promoting the global dimension in engineering education. Going Global offers a full day programme to explore how the global dimension is being incorporated into engineering education.

MSABI (http://www.msabi.org/) run an innovative water, sanitation and hygiene programme in southern central Tanzania, co-located with the International Health Institute and surrounded by stunning scenery and national parks. Their work on the ground (supported by EWB-UK placement volunteers) combined with commitment to research, enables them to attract leading experts in water and sanitation field and show you first hand how they are tackling the challenge.

The EWB-UK & EAP Research & Learning Conference is a one day event designed to bring together the work and study of research students and academics into the public arena for discussion and debate in the area of ‘Sustainable Human Development in Engineering Education’.

EWB-UK Outreach has an exciting opportunity to work with Practical Action as part of their technology justice campaign to develop an Outreach Workshop for reaching schools across four European countries and to be added to the EWB Outreach schools programme! 

Getting technical by S. Goss

[Recruitment for the summer cycle now closed, this is an archived article]

Our 2013 Summer Placements Programme has launched! This could be your chance to make “massive small change” and empower human development through engineering. With placements taking place across Asia, Africa and Latin America, you are sure to find something right for you.

A fantastic new opportunity has arisen for us to enter some runners into this years Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon! It promises to be a really exciting event, around Britain's greatest racing track! 

 

Engineers Without Borders UK are proud to welcome Rachel Haynes, Priti Parikh, Richa Bhuttar, Adam Harvey-Cook and Stephen Jones as our new Trustees.

 

EWB-UK is proud to announce Amy Corbett overall winner of our photography competition with her photo "Mr Sam" (above). Competition for the title was fierce, with some 140 photos submitted, depicting everything from building batteries at the Small Is… Festival to mountain trade routes in Nepal.

Peter Hansford

Peter Hansford, Chairman of the EWB-UK Board of Trustees, has been appointed as the Chief Construction Adviser to the British Government. He has taken over from Paul Morrell OBE, after two terms in post and will report to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Cabinet Office Ministers.

Calling engineers with bold ideas! Could you design a pico hydropower system to supply electricity to a newly built Nursery school in Dhawa village, rural Nepal? Take part in our competition and be in with a chance to win £5000 to implement your ideas.

EWB-UK logo

In the wealth of the work Engineers Without Borders UK carried out throughout the year there are many stories to tell, and we want to help you tell yours! So, we're pleased to announce our latest photography competition. Win some fantastic prizes and the chance to have your work exhibited nationwide and beyond!

Bright idea? The PitchUp competition is a unique opportunity for you to pitch your innovation to a panel of development engineering practioners and experts, with the chance of winning a fantastic internship and a cash prize of £1,000 to help make it a reality.

Two runner-up prizes of £250 will also be awarded.

For more details, please visit: www.smallisfestival.org/pitchup

This year’s Flora London Marathon saw Simon Hills, 24, struggle through in the name of Engineers Without Borders – UK. The money raised by Simon will help to fund EWB-UK's projects both in the UK and across the world, and ensure the longevity of the charity's efforts.

In March Engineers Without Borders UK partnered with Engineers Against Poverty and University College London to host an education and research conference for students and academics to discuss how engineering education is changing and to share ideas of what comes next. We were very pleased to be able to present a unique opportunity to engage constructively with academics, students, policy-makers, and industry insiders promoting the global dimension in engineering education. Find out more!

With brand new questions and cash prizes available for the finalists, the Bosch Technology Horizons Award 2012 is now open!

The award, which is run by Bosch in partnership with The Royal Academy of Engineering, encourages young people to consider the role that technology and engineering play in everyday life. With essay questions focusing on the Olympics and green technology, this year’s award promises to be the best yet!

EWB-UK and Arup have launched their ‘Resilient Cities’ competition. Open to University students and recent graduates across the UK, the competition encourages them to identify a city or a part of a city that they consider to be resilient and to research and analyse: what is it Resilient to (i.e. which shocks – e.g. floods and earthquakes, and stresses – e.g. heat and drought); how it demonstrates resilience; and to explain why it  stands out as a case study.

Engineers Without Borders groups in the UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark have marked a new stage of engagement and collaboration between them by signing a joint Memorandum of Understanding.

This is an exciting development that has resulted from a high level of engagement – and it sets the stage for more co-ordinated activities in the future. Significantly, the MoU brings some of the original EWB organisations with some of the post-millennium organisations together into a common understanding of the EWB movement.

EWB Warwick at Practical Action

A minibus of EWBers arrived at Practical Action for an afternoon of talks and activities on a variety of international development topics. It started with an introduction to the organisation; its core values and aims and an exercise to get us thinking like Schumacher himself!

Sarah Lumsden and Abi Bush have recently returned from a 3 month placement with Vigyan Ashram in Pabal, India.

Vigyan Ashram is a rural education centre that aims to create opportunities in rural communities by ‘teaching through doing’ enabling practically minded students to excel and create opportunities in a rural setting.  EWB-UK has been working with Vigyan Ashram through the research programme for a number of years. 

We send volunteers around the world to help our partners in the fight against poverty.

One month into their EWB-UK placement, we talk to volunteers Alex Attwood and Miguel Pinto Ward about their experiences with REDES in El Salvador. 

EWB-Sheffield were awarded Society of the Year at the University of Sheffield’s Student Union Activity Awards beating over 330 other societies to the top spot.  They also racked up three other awards for "Commitment to Environmental and Ethical Practices", "Commitment to Collaboration" and "Best Society of their area".  Hard work and dedication have left them strides above the rest, commended for a range of activities drawing in academics, industry, and of course, students.  Further to this they were awarded Best Champaign at the Education Awards for the work surrounding the

EWB-UK volunteer wins best paper at energy conference

EWB-UK volunteer wins best paper at energy conferenceAn EWB-UK volunteer has been awarded the best paper at the World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC) in Sweden, writes Joe Rowley.

Sam Williamson first became involved with EWB-UK during a yearlong placement in Nepal and is currently in his second year of a PhD in the Electrical Energy Management Group at Bristol University’s Faculty of Engineering.

EWB-Exeter and various members of EWB-UK recently represented our organisation at the annual Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, for a few days of fun-fuelled publicity! The show took place from the 1st -4th June and saw over 160,000 people descend upon its grounds. 26,000 people visited the Imagineering tent where Engineers Without Borders UK were stationed.

EWB Exeter Abseil

The hair raising event saw 50 people successfully descend 100ft down the Princesshay car park, Exeter, on 28th May 2011. The 50 courageous abseilers included many members of EWB-UK (mainly from EWB-Exeter) and some members of the public; including some security guards from the Princesshay shopping mall! Overall, we raised £2500 for the two charities; EWB-UK and the New Build Uganda project-part of Devon Development Education.

The Small is… Festival 2012 brought together students, experts and families for a fantastic weekend of stimulating ideas, discussions and activities. Hosted at Practical Action’s grounds in Bourton-on-Dunsmore, this year’s theme tackled the global energy crisis through a series of debates, workshops and lectures. 

This Saturday (28th May) a group of 50 brave EWB-Exeter members, as well as members of the public, will be abseiling 100 feet down the face of the Princess Hay car park in Exeter City Centre. They will be raising funds for both EWB-UK and The New Build Uganda Project

With both the local press and prominent members of the local business community set to make an appearance, it promises to be a big day. If you wish to come along and watch or even take part in exchange for a donation, it will be taking place 10:00-16:00.

To show support for them please donate via their JustGiving page.

We always been built by its most valuable resource: our members.

EWB-UK are recruiting for National Executive, National Team and Regional Co-ordinator positions, offering you a chance to give something back as well as taking a more active role in the running of the organisation. Want to stand out? Want to make a difference? Have something more to give? Apply nowApplications close 8th June.

In recognition of its achievements in engaging the public in technology and engineering, The Small is… Festival has been granted one of The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious Awards. Festival co-ordinator, Ray Gorman, enthused,“this is a huge honour for us and should allow us to deliver something really spectacular!” 

This course will provide you with the background, theory and underlying principles of humanitarian practice, it will put you at the centre of an emergency response in this stimulating and challenging course. Your motivations and beliefs will be challenged and explored, giving you an opportunity to discover what it is really like to work in the field. This is the only course of its type in the sector, and is not to be missed. 

In a bid to learn more about micro-hydro power, as well as experience the realities of sustainable living, thirty-five engineering students and professionals spent a weekend at the Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales as part of a trip organised by the Training team at EWB-Nottingham.

With today marking the centenary of International Women's Day, and with thousands of events planned to take place in over 100 countries, EWB-UK took this opportunity to look at the role our own female volunteers have played in building the organisation over last ten years. Joe Rowley talks to EWB-UK's CEO Andrew Lamb about the unique role women can play in development work, and how this will hold the key for many of the challenges facing international development in the future.

EWB-UK’s Outreach team will host a stall at the UK’s largest science and engineering fair in London – but the team still needs volunteers to make sure they make the most of the opportunity, writes Joe Rowley.

The Big Bang Festival’ is scheduled to take place between the 10th and 12th March and will feature stalls run by 110 private, public and voluntary organisations drawn from across the country, as well as talks from celebrities, politicians and engineering professionals.

Scores of volunteers and enthusiasts flocked to Birmingham at the end of January for the third annual EWB-UK Outreach Conference - the highest turn-out ever for the event writes Ian Ford.

Over 40 people – almost double the previous year’s attendance – showed up for a weekend of talks, training, and team-building designed to fire-up attendees in their outreach work across schools nationwide.

EWB-Sheffield are hosting a showcase of the work of both Engineers Without Borders UK and the EWB-Sheffield branch in this event entitled “Producing Global Engineers” on the 17th February 2011 from 5:30-8:00pm.

With this showcase, EWB-Sheffield will be bringing together industry, academics and students to demonstrate how the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) movement can create Global Engineers – motivating and, most importantly, engaging individuals in their global context.

You can continue to participate in the EWB-UK National Research & Education Conference 2011 ‘Our Global Future’ by signing up to the e-conference and getting involved in the forums. The forums will continue until Sunday 13th March 2011 and the content will be invaluable in helping EWB-UK understand what its role could be in ‘Our Global Future’.

The Bosch Technology Horizons Award is a national essay-writing competition open to entrants aged 14 to 24.  You could win cash prizes of up to £1000 and 6 months' paid work experience by writing a 750 word essay with a choice of two questions relating to engineering.

Following on from the official unveiling at the EWB-UK National Conference, we can now reveal the finalists for this year's photo competition online.  20 pictures were chosen for the shortlist, with one overall winner chosen from these entries.  The focus of the competition was the appreciation of our established  Communities of Practice, along with the celebration of the introduction of our newest CoP - Healthcare and Mobility Technologies.

This year, EWB-UK has teamed up with the Engineering Subject Centre for their student essay competition. This is an opportunity for all students studying a discipline related to engineering at undergraduate level in a UK higher education institution to submit opinions about their educational experiences in a 1000–1500 word essay.

The EWB-UK Annual Review for 2009/10 has just been launched - read it here!

The EWB-UK Annual Review is produced annually for distribution to members, supporters and sponsors. It provides details of our specific projects, our notable successes, evaluation of our programmes and operational details and budgets.  

Over the past nine years around 260 placement volunteers have travelled to placements in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Lao PDR.

We believe that engineering can make a lasting positive difference to the lives of people in poverty. There are many stories to tell, and we want to help you tell yours! So, we're pleased to announce our latest photography competition. Win some fantastic prizes and the chance to have your work exhibited nationwide and beyond! Entries by email; read on for details of the competition rules and how to enter. {C}

With the academic year drawing to an end and exams looming just around the corner, it is time to have a quick look at what the EWB-branches have been up to. This is the third in a series of stories about our branches; today we look at EWB Exeter, a brand new branch. James Please, Co-President,  takes us through a very exciting year.

With the academic year drawing to an end and exams looming just around the corner, it is time to have a quick look at what the EWB-branches have been up to. This is the second in a series of stories about our branches; today we look at Bristol.

EWB Bristol, who hosted last year's National Conference, have had a fantastic year, driven by a very enthusiastic committee. Branch president Peter Cooper gives us an overview:

With the academic year drawing to an end and exams looming just around the corner, it is time to have a quick look at what the EWB-branches have been up to. This is the first in a series of stories about our branches; today we look at Cardiff.

UK foreign secretary David Miliband and Baroness Shirley Williams have both visited the EWB-UK office and the Humanitarian Centre, along with Cambridge candidates on their campaign trail, to discuss issues of international development with the organisations based in the Centre.

Engineers Without Borders UK are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Engineers Against Poverty and RedR UK on 30 March 2010.


Eric Jin is one of the 12 British Council’s Shine Award 2010 finalists for his work with EWB Southampton and STAR Southampton.  The Shine Awards are an annual initiative of the British Council and praise international students for outstanding achievement outside their studies in the UK.

March 8th is International Women’s day. The perfect opportunity to celebrate the women in your life and the leading ladies of Engineering.

Traditionally, engineering is seen as a heavily masculine industry. When we look at ‘Development Engineering’ however, we see an almost 50:50 split between men and women. Can this be a way to promote gender equality in the workplace and education institutions?

placements 2012

Engineers Without Borders UK is helping to build a world where everyone has access to the technology and infrastructure they need to defeat poverty. To help realise our vision, we are now offering students and new professionals the opportunity to work with our partner development organisations across the world.

Placements last for between 3 months and 12 months and most start in early July. Applications are now closed.

Other opportunities: role at V3 Power.

We were founded on the idea that young people should have ways to use their skills to help people in poverty around the world. So we are an organisation run by young people. Want to join the team?

We have a wide range of exciting volunteer roles available - and we'll give you the budget and support you need to make things happen. Applications open - find out more and apply online.