The OU marks National Engineering Day with tribute to trailblazing graduate

Posted on 13 November 2024 • Science, maths, computing and technology

The Open University (OU) is proud to commemorate National Engineering Day on 13 November by celebrating extraordinary engineering talent.

In collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, a striking new piece of digital artwork will be virtually projected onto the OU’s Walton Hall building in Milton Keynes highlighting the contributions of four inspirational engineers.

The digital artwork will be showcased virtually using the OU’s new XR Studios, a state-of-the-art extended reality production facility that has helped the university expand its remote and distance learning with augmented and virtual reality.

The digital artwork places a spotlight on OU graduate Alice Kan, an inspiring figure in the engineering community who completed her Professional Certificate in Management at the OU in 2009.

Central to this year’s National Engineering Day celebrations is also the unveiling of a statue of Alice in London, created by renowned visual artist Kelly Anna.

Alice, a Macclesfield-based manufacturing engineer, played a crucial role in the mass production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and continues to work on vaccines for diseases such as Ebola at the Sabin Vaccine Institute.

Alice said about her statue: “Being honoured in statue form is a very unique experience and not something many people can say. I really hope my statue encourages people to understand more about engineering, what engineers do and why it is a great career for anyone who’s got a curiosity for wanting to make things work better.”

The statue marks a historic first, as it is among the very few in the UK dedicated to living female engineers. Only 3% of UK statues represent non-royal women, with even fewer highlighting contemporary engineers.

Professor Josie Fraser, Interim Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:

“We are immensely proud to see our graduate, Alice Kan, celebrated for her transformative contributions to engineering and public health. Alice’s journey from OU student to a pioneering engineer is truly inspirational, and it is always rewarding to see our alumni go on to achieve such remarkable success.

“We hope the public art features across the country inspire young people to see engineering as a creative and fulfilling career that’s open to everyone.”

The art installations will be available for public viewing across the UK on Wednesday 13 November. The OU’s Walton Hall artwork can be experienced virtually on YouTube. Alternatively, everyone is also invited to visit ThisIsEngineering.com to view the various UK artwork installations online and learn more about the four inspirational engineers that are featured.

In addition to the virtual reality artwork, the OU will also be sharing videos from engineering colleagues throughout the day on social media. Follow @OU_STEM on X and The Open University: STEM on Facebook.