Originally founded in 1957 as The Instrument and Control Society of Southern Africa, the name was subsequently changed to the SAIMC to accommodate new developments in the industry. The name was further changed in 2009 to The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control to embody the Society’s international nature. The motto was translated by the University of the Witwatersrand to mean: ‘Progress by Control’.
Today the SAIMC defines its mission as – The advancement of the standards of theory and practice in the fields of measurement and control through:
* Recognition – the achievement of the highest possible industry recognition for the Society and its members.
* Stature and status – enhancing the stature and status of members and patrons.
* Recruitment – encouraging recruitment to the industry.
* Education – ensuring that adequate standards of education and appropriate curricula are available at secondary and tertiary levels of education, and promoting mentorship programmes.
* Continuing education and training – encouraging continuing education and training to ensure that the knowledge and skills of all members are continually developed and refreshed.
* Exchange of ideas – providing a communication forum for the regular exchange of ideas, applications and technologies between members.
* Friendships, alliances and business opportunities – promoting, locally and internationally, friendships, alliances and business opportunities at all levels in professional yet informal surroundings.
* Disseminating and communicating relevant information – disseminating and communicating relevant information to the members and stakeholders in a controlled and co-ordinated manner.
* Maintaining a source of technical information – maintaining a library of relevant books, publications and periodicals, and other sources of information including the Society’s website.
* Terminology and standards – to develop and improve, through effective means, the necessary terminology and standards in measurement and control theory and technology.
* Administration - the provision of an administrative system which will at all times ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the Society.
I was exposed to these values firsthand recently when I attended my first meeting as a member of the council. Two things struck me immediately: how the Society is spreading into Africa, and the benefits it can add for members needing to accumulate the CPD (continuing professional development) points necessary to keep registration as a professional up to date.
I listened with interest as peers from Mozambique and Zambia outlined the regional initiatives they have planned for the year ahead, and also some of the challenges they face. The freedom with which ideas were exchanged around the table was good to see. Let us hope that forums like these contribute to speeding up the growth and development of our continent, and that the process becomes exponential.
On the subject of CPD points SAIMC president, Johan van Jaarsveldt, explains in his letter this month how the SAIMC, recognised by ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) as a voluntary association, is accredited to allocate CPD points to training material that is judged appropriate for this purpose. He explains how SAIMC members and patrons who offer advanced training courses can benefit from this through the extra value added in accumulated CPD points for those attending such an accredited course. Visit http://www.saimc.net for more information.
In closure this month congratulations to Vinesh Maharaj and the rest of the Durban team on winning the Branch of The Year Award as announced at the recent AGM. To all the branch committees, remember to respond to Jane’s monthly reminders for your branch news so that we can help get your message ‘Out There’.
Steven Meyer, editor: SA Instrumentation & Control
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