The Institution of Engineers in Scotland (IES) is pleased to highlight the recent lecture delivered at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, by Captain Ali Ashour, FIES, FRINA, FIMarEST, Senior Engineering Officer (OF-5) with the Kuwaiti MOI-KCG and Council Member of the Institution of Engineers in Scotland.
The lecture was hosted by Drummond Division, named after Chief Engineer Victoria Drummond OBE, the first woman marine engineer in the Merchant Navy and an enduring symbol of courage and professional excellence. Her pioneering spirit framed the theme of the session, “Engineering the Future Fleet: AI Driven Digital Twins, SHM and C5ISR Peridynamic Analytics for Crewed and Autonomous Naval Readiness.”
Captain Ashour serves as a Visiting Lecturer with the University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) in the UK, where he mentors officer cadets and engineering undergraduates / Postgraduates, through the Defence STEM Undergraduate Scheme (DSUS). His lecture at BRNC was delivered to engineering officer cadets from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, University College London (UCL), University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, Newcastle University, University of Liverpool, University of Southampton, University of Portsmouth, the University of Plymouth, and the University of Oxford. The audience represented both Commonwealth and multinational cohorts enrolled in the United Kingdom’s strategic defence engineering programmes.
As a Kuwaiti officer and the first non-Commonwealth national to undertake the Strategic Defence Research Partnership on Autonomy between BAE Systems and the PeriDynamics Research Centre (PDRC) at the University of Strathclyde, Captain Ashour’s research sits under the directorship of Professor Erkan Oterkus, himself a Fellow and Council Member of IES. This collaboration explores strategic feasibility, predictive analytics, digital twin integrity, and AI validation in the design and assessment of future resilience capacity building.
“Born on 14 October 1894 in Errol, Perthshire, Scottland, Victoria Drummond OBE proved that engineering leadership is not defined by rank or gender, but by integrity under pressure,” Captain Ashour reflected. “Her courage in 1939 reminds us that the engineer’s first duty is not only to build systems that endure, but to uphold the ethical compass that keeps progress humane.”
A central element of the lecture focused on distinguishing between defence engineering, security engineering, and grid resilience planning, three schools of thought that increasingly intersect within modern strategic planning:
• Defence engineering was presented as the discipline focused on capability assurance, platform survivability, and technological deterrence through rigorous systems validation and readiness modelling.
• Security engineering was explored as the integrative layer linking human, digital, and infrastructural vulnerabilities, where the emphasis lies in pre-emptive system protection, cyber integrity, and operational continuity.
• Grid resilience planning was highlighted as the broader societal branch, connecting national infrastructure with sustainable energy, communications, and logistics networks – ensuring civilian systems can absorb shocks and recover rapidly from disruption.
Together, these schools define the emerging landscape of engineering leadership for both civilian and military contexts, requiring engineers to think beyond mechanical function toward strategic resilience, and what the role of multinational partnerships and alliances means in that context.
In parallel, Captain Ashour examined the governance dimension of engineering ethics through the lens of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) considerations. He noted that ESG frameworks are becoming essential in the design and assessment of defence technologies curriculums, shaping decisions that balance innovation with accountability and long-term societal benefit. These considerations ensure that engineers of the future develop technologies that are not only capable but also ethically grounded and environmentally responsible.
The lecture also focussed on highlighting the connection between advanced research with real-world naval readiness, offering cadets exposure to innovations in digital twinning, predictive analytics, and autonomous capability building. It also shed light on engineering ethics, accountability, and governance – areas that will increasingly challenge future defence planners as technology and autonomy evolve.
The Institution of Engineers in Scotland plays a vital role in consulting policy makers in both Holyrood and Westminster, advising on the ethical development of STEM programmes for defence engineers. Acting as a hub for ideas, IES promotes dialogue between academia, industry, and government to strengthen the moral and technical foundation of engineering practice. The Institution’s mission to advance engineering for the benefit of humanity and to uphold the highest professional standards resonates strongly through such international collaborations.
Captain Ashour’s engagement also represents an extension of Kuwait’s national and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) efforts to invest in knowledge partnerships and technical diplomacy, fostering sustainable relationships that align educational development with innovation and security cooperation. His presence within the IES Council and as a research partner in the United Kingdom’s defence ecosystem reflects Kuwait’s long-standing commitment to global collaboration and the advancement of engineering education across allied nations.
By engaging with future officers and engineers across allied and Commonwealth institutions, IES continues to bridge Scottish engineering heritage with global defence innovation. Captain Ashour’s contributions as both an IES Council Member and international researcher exemplify this vision, reinforcing the Institution’s commitment to shaping a new generation of engineers guided by integrity, ethics, and excellence in service. It is a legacy that echoes that of Victoria Drummond OBE — a Scottish pioneer whose courage and craftsmanship along the Clyde set a standard of determination that continues to guide engineers across generations and continents.