NEW PROFESSOR ARRIVES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25380, 31 December 1947, Page 6

NEW PROFESSOR ARRIVES

CHAIR OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

INTEREST IN POWER PROJECTS

Professor N. M. MacElwee, who arrived in Christchurch yesterday from England to take the Chair of Electrical Engineering at Canterbury University College, hopes there will be an early opportunity for him to inspect some of New Zealand’s hydroelectric projects and reticulation systems. Being more familiar with coalfired steam-driven generating plants, he expects to find a great deal to interest him.

Although he had heard something f the power shortages in New Zeamd last winter. Professor MacElwee aid he was not in a position to com-

ment. Any information on recent deelopment’s in Britain in his possesion he would readily make available. “In England, all branches of enginering are making such heavy demand ar trained personnel that there should e opportunities for recruits from all arts of the Empire for several years.” rofessor MacElwee said. “It is realsed that highly-trained technical peronnel. qualified to at least the uni-

versity graduation level, are required, and many big firms are intensifying their training schemes. The universities are taxed to capacity, with returned men being given priorities as some compensation for their war service. The intake of students from the schools is therefore comparatively small. The universities are expanding to accommodate about twice their prewar members as the demand is expected to continue even after the postwar rush.”

Discussing the type of recruit sought in British electrical engineering, Professor MacElwee said training should be well-based on fundamental physical principles, building up to a complete understanding of the practical side of engineering problems, rather than early specialisation in practical aspects.

Until recently. Professor MacElwee was acting head of the electrical engineering department of Birmingham University, being chairman of the Faculty Board of Applied Science Studies and staff representative of the Court of Governors. Though he has had wide lecturing, administrative and research experience. Professor MacElwee said yesterday that he was chiefly interested in education. Lately he had been working on ferro-mag-netics and magnetism in heavy machinery and pulse magnetism problems in radar modulators. During the war he was engaged on radar research.

% “During the war period, you stayed, in your study or lab. as long as Jerry would let you. so you saw comparatively few people outside your associates,” said Professor MacElwee, when asked if he had met any New Zealand research workers in England. A whole stick of bombs fell Birmingham University on one occasion: but all their fuses failed, he recalled. After apprenticeship to a shipbuilding and engineering firm, Professor MacElwee studied at Glasgow University, and. on graduatoin. worked with the Gresnock Corporation Municipal Electrical Supply Department and the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company. Manchester. At the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, he later concentrated on electrical machine design and research, and was elected an associate of the college. He returned to lecture there after teaching at King’s College, Durham University. At this time he was studying the use of electricity in the mines. He went to Birmingham University in 1930.