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Welcome to IES

IES is a multi-disciplinary engineering body, founded in Scotland in 1857, that provides a forum in which individuals from all engineering and related disciplines can discuss and exchange information, generate ideas and encourage young engineers. IES works with kindred bodies to promote a wider understanding of the role of the professional engineer in society.

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John Mellis

John Scott Russell was one of the foremost naval architects of his time. Born near Glasgow in 1808, he became a noted and popular lecturer, before moving away from academia to focus on industrial engineering. Among his many achievements, two stand out. First, the design and construction of the SS Great Eastern in collaboration with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Second, the discovery and study of a strange wave phenomenon he acutely observed on the Union Canal near Edinburgh. Scott Russell’s ‘Wave of Translation’, now known as Solitary Waves or solitons, turned out to have significance and application in many fields, including optical telecommunications.

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“I hope the history of this product (ATMs) might help to convince some of our bright, imaginative, young people that Engineering is indeed the most creative and satisfying of professions, and that Scotland continues to play a leading role in innovation.”

James Goodfellow / Glasgow, 2016
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