The combined Heriot-Watt University - University of Edinburgh IIE (Institute for Infrastructure and Environment) Launch event took place at the University of Edinburgh Kings Buildings on Monday 3 December 2012 with around 40 staff from both universities participating.
The start was attended by Professor Lesley Yellowlees, Head of College and Vice-Principal at the University of Edinburgh, and by the Heriot-Watt University Deputy Principal for Research and Knowledge Transfer, Professor Allan Miller. They both stressed on the fact that this initiative is highly desirable, as it is going to further enhance research at both universities.
Professor Garry Pender, Head of the School of the Built Environment, gave a talk at the meeting about REF 2014, as both Institutes for Infrastructure and Environment from the two universities are intending to make a joint submission.
The Combined IIE has already organised a poster session at the Assembly General Meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers hosted at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. A Combined IIE Post-Graduate Conference with peer review process and publication of a Proceedings with ISBN number is planned to take place at the Heriot-Watt University in summer 2013. The Combined IIE encourages further research collaboration, joint PhD supervision and joint research proposal submissions to further increase the research intensity at both universities.