ISA: Moving full speed ahead

As author and poet G.K. Chesterton once said, “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears and new eyes.” The International Society of Automation's task as we start this calendar year is to do just that: develop a new outlook to match the needs of the professionals we serve.

By Dr. Gerald W. Cockrell, 2009 ISA president Indiana State University January 1, 2009

As author and poet G.K. Chesterton once said, “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears and new eyes.”

The International Society of Automation’s task as we start this calendar year is to do just that: develop a new outlook to match the needs of the professionals we serve. ISA has done great work in 2008, including the passing of our name change to take us from “The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society” to the “International Society of Automation.” As 2008 ISA president Kim Miller Dunn said in her end-of-the-year address, the name change is critical for the future of ISA, both as a way to celebrate and show our commitment to our global nature, and as a way to ensure that we’re inclusive and relevant for the future of our profession.

As Kim said, “We’re the International Society of Automation. It’s clear. It’s concise. It’s easy to explain to our stakeholders outside the profession. It says what we mean: We’re global. We’re engaged. We can represent the profession with credibility all over the planet.”

The name change isn’t the only way we’re changing for the future. ISA is leading the charge to develop a new generation of automation professionals. We’re calling each of you to become teachers in the eyes of the next generation and share your passion, insight and knowledge about this great profession we call automation. It’s an exciting time to be in the field and to have the opportunity to influence the future of our industries.

What’s even more exciting, though, is what that next generation will give us in return. Imagine where technology and innovation could be in the next ten, twenty or thirty years. Imagine the breakthroughs and the developments that they’ll discover. Imagine the impact that they’ll have on our companies and on our world.

Now, imagine your role in building that future. Together, we’ll reach out to the next generation, and we’ll help them discover the possibilities of a career in automation.

The next 12 months and beyond hold a lot of promise for ISA: our standards committees are continuously developing cutting edge technologies and best practices to move industries into the future; our certification programs help professionals prove their knowledge and skills in a tough market; our education and training programs continually refresh and revitalize the skill sets of people all over the world; our publications are among the best-read in the industry; and our conferences and exhibits are can’t-miss networking and learning opportunities.

Stay tuned to this column in AppliedAutomation for updates on ISA news. We can’t wait to work with each of you to make 2009 a banner year.

ISA partners with Singapore Polytechnic Institute

The International Society of Automation announced a partnership with the Singapore Polytechnic Institute to deliver automation, instrumentation and control training to professionals in the ASEAN region.

Singapore Polytechnic Institute will work with ISA to conduct short courses in the region, starting with ISA’s popular “Introduction to Industrial Automation and Control” course. Additional courses are under development and are expected to roll out during 2009.

“This is a critical step in our efforts to bring the automation community around the world together, and we are excited about developing a strategic alliance with such a well respected educational institution as Singapore Polytechnic,” said Patrick Gouhin, ISA executive director and CEO.

“ISA is world-renowned in the field of instrumentation, and Singapore Polytechnic is very privileged to have established this collaboration.” said Dr. Dave Chong, director of Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering.