Prof Helen Inglis elected as incoming Chair of REEN Governing Board

Prof Helen Inglis, an Associate Professor in the University of Pretoria’s Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT), has been elected as the incoming Chair of the Governing Board for the international Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN).

Prof Inglis, who has been a member of REES since 2019 and a member of the Governing Board since 2023, will assume a two-year term of office as Chair of the Governing Board on 1 January 2026. She is a staunch supporter of EBIT’s engineering education research initiatives.

REEN is an independent, international and inclusive forum for quality research in engineering education. It supports various regional networks aimed at building capacity and promoting collaboration in engineering education across the world, while sharing high-level activities related to engineering education research. Each region (Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe and the Southeast Asian Nations) is represented in the REEN Board, and its members promote community-building within their regions.

Prof Inglis emphasises that engineering education is an interdisciplinary field. “Traditionally, engineering lecturers are trained as engineers and find themselves teaching future engineers at tertiary level. However, when they become interested in researching effective teaching methods, the research methodologies in the field of engineering education differ drastically from the technical research they are used to.” Through the activities of organisations such as REEN, as well as other engineering education research organisations across the world, there has been a growth in the legitimacy of engineering education research, as well as the sharing of rigorous engineering education research. “The organisation’s members are not only engineers, but also educators, who specialise in the pedagogy of engineering education.”

As Chair of the Governing Board, Prof Inglis’s responsibilities will include fostering board collaboration, working together with the organisers of REEN’s annual conferences, and driving accessibility of the organisation’s events by allowing virtual participation in symposia. “In essence, I will be responsible for creating the space for the Governing Board to do its work in the best interest of both its members and the discipline of engineering education research as a whole.”

Prof Wynand Steyn, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, congratulated Prof Inglis on this achievement. He expressed his pride in the international recognition that accompanies her election to this important body, and the work she has done to promote engineering education research globally.