Pippa Catterall helps to choose new statue for Royal Academy of Engineering to mark National Engineering Day

To mark National Engineering Day on 13 November, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster Pippa Catterall assisted the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) with choosing the new and modern statue of a living engineer to inspire a new generation into the profession.

According to the Public Statues and Sculpture Association, only 3% of statues in the UK are of non-royal women, and none celebrate modern engineers. This year, the RAE inspired a new generation to see themselves reflected in engineering by honouring Alice Kan as a contemporary engineer who played a pivotal role in the manufacture of the COVID-19 vaccine and is now working on vaccines for Ebola.

The initiative is a pivotal moment for the engineering profession. With women still making up only 15.7% of the engineering workforce in the UK, down from 16.5% in 2023, the lack of visible role models is seen as a key factor in why fewer women are considering a career in engineering.

The statue of Macclesfield-based manufacturing engineer Alice Kan has been specially designed by visual artist and designer Kelly Anna, an acclaimed London-based artist and designer, celebrated for her bold, silhouetted figures that emphasise themes of movement, sport and wellness.

Pippa Catterall was asked to join the judging panel because of her expertise on the history of statues.

About the sculpture, Pippa said: "It was a wonderful privilege to work with a great team at the Royal Academy of Engineering on this project. There are not enough statues celebrating engineering achievements in this country, and most of those hark back to the Industrial Revolution. Engineering is so diverse and so, increasingly, are engineers. I hope that this statue, as it tours the UK, will inspire young people to see that engineering offers a great outlet for their ingenuity."

Alice Kan added: "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."

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the RAE, said: "Engineering is driven by countless unsung heroes and teams who shape our world in profound ways every day. Across the UK, modern engineers, despite their remarkable contributions to our society, remain noticeably absent from public statues and monuments. Their achievements deserve to be celebrated more publicly, which is why, on National Engineering Day, we are using digital art and sculpture to bring their work and their stories to the wider public, and especially to those considering their future careers. We hope this will encourage more people from all backgrounds to join this creative, rewarding profession which improves lives every day."

The public, and especially school-aged children, were invited to engage with the inspiring stories of this year's featured engineers by visiting the Academy's offices in Central London where the sculpture of Alice Kan was displayed from 13 until 20 November, and the digital artwork exploring the Engineering Role Models was displayed across the UK on 13 November.

This initiative directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn about the Computer Science and Engineering courses at Westminster.

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