Young Persons Lecture Competition

Applications are invited for engineers, scientists and technologists to take part in the Scottish heat of the Young Persons Lecture Competition organised by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining.  Applicants should be aged 28 and under on 1st June 2026.  Full details can be found by following the link on the QR code or the link found here.

The Scottish heat will take place on Weds 25th February 2026 at 2pm until 4pm, and the venue will be Lecture Theatre A, Bute Building, St. Andrews University, Queens Terrace, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS.  Travel expenses for those outwith St. Andrews will be paid.  There will be pre event refreshments and networking from 1 to 2pm.

Applications must be submitted by 15th February using the online form.  All those selected to take part in the Scottish heat will receive a cash donation of at least £100.  The winner will receive a prize of £250 and will be asked to represent Scotland at the UK Lecture Competition Final to be held in London on 21st May 2026 where further cash prizes are available.

Hamish Dow from the University of Strathclyde won the Scottish heat last year, and went on to win the UK final before being placed second in the World Lecture Competition final.  He said, "The competition was a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable experience. One of the highlights was meeting other young people in the field of materials and listening to their presentations; the talks were of a very high standard and it was great to hear such a wide variety of materials-based lectures. The competition not only helped me further develop my public speaking skills but also provided valuable exposure for my research. Winning the UK final additionally led to an invitation to write a feature article for the September 25 issue of Materials World, where my piece was selected as the cover story."

The competition is being organised by the Mining Institute of Scotland with the support of the Scottish Association for Metals and sponsorship from the Mining Institute of Scotland Trust.

IOM3 Presidential Visit to Scotland

On 17th and 18th of September 2025, IOM3 President Christine Blackmore CEnv CSci FIMMM visited Scotland where she experienced an inspiring and tightly packed two-day programme that showcased the strength of Scottish engineering research and its next generation of talent.

Day 1 – Advanced Forming and Research Centre

The visit began at the Advanced Forming and Research Centre (AFRC), a world-class hub for forming and forging research within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. The tour provided a fascinating look at how advanced technologies and partnerships with industry, such as the £11.8 million R&D project with Boeing, are helping to drive innovation in high-value manufacturing. The enthusiasm of the engineers and researchers was contagious, and it was encouraging to see Scotland at the forefront of precision metals research.

Day 1 – Strathclyde University Student Colloquium

In the afternoon, she joined the Young Engineers Colloquium at the University of Strathclyde, organised by SAM. Undergraduate and postgraduate students presented their project work, much of it completed voluntarily, beyond their formal studies, which showed remarkable initiative and creativity. Christine gave a short talk on the role of young engineers in shaping a sustainable future and on the opportunities within IOM3. The questions, energy and curiosity of the students were heartening. These are the engineers who will help lead the transition to cleaner, smarter technologies.

Day 2 – BAM Ritchies

The following morning brought a visit to BAM Ritchies, the ground-engineering division of BAM Nuttall. The team outlined their involvement in major infrastructure projects such as HS2, Hinkley Point C and the Thames Tideway. A tour of the facilities demonstrated how digital methods and precision planning are being used to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability in some of the UK’s most complex projects.

The two days in Scotland were full, thought-provoking and enjoyable. Meeting students, researchers, and practising engineers reminded me how vibrant our materials and minerals community remains. 

SAM Council and Committees 2025/26

COUNCIL 

President:             Prof Brad Wynne

Vice-President:      Dr Tatyana Konkova

Hon Secretary:      Dr John Wilcox

Hon Treasurer:       Dr Neil Shearer

Council Members:  Prof Stuart Lyon

                            Dr Amir Siddiq

                            Prof Nadimul Faisal

                            Dr Faezeh Shalchy

                            Mr Chibuzor Nwanebu

                            Dr Alireza Valizadeh

                            Dr Logaheswari Muniraj

Younger member:  Mr Obey Suleyman

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE                    ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Dr Norrie McPherson                                      Dr Tiziana Marrocco

Dr Salah Rahimi                                             Mr Obey Suleyman

Prof Bob Reuben                                            Dr Tatyana Konkova

Dr Neil Shearer                                               Prof Nadimul Faisal

Dr John Wilcox                                               Neil Shearer

                                                                        Dr Alireza Valizadeh

                                                                        Dr John Wilcox 

Young Engineers Colloquium

The Association hosted its 2025 Young Engineers event at the University of Strathclyde on Weds 17 September from 2pm to 4.30pm.

Those present heard short presentations from post-graduate materials students from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Dundee covering erosive-corrosive wear, hydrogen embrittlement of metals, cold sprayed metal coatings and the modelling of continuous casting.

Seven engineering student societies demonstrated some of their activities and discussed their achievements:

• GCU Racing Society
• Strathclyde Marine Robotics Society
• University of Strathclyde Motor Racing
• UG Aeronautics Society
• Team Aero-Watt
• HW Racing
• UG Racing

The event was attended by the President of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, Christine Blackmore who closed the colloquium by reflecting on what she had seen and heard and congratulated everyone on their achievements, finally wishing them very success in their future endeavours.