IIW History 1948-1958

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Finally, the programme of work of Commission XIV includes, under a third heading, the establishment of liaison with the teaching profession, the organisation of exchanges of teachers or lecturers, study-courses abroad and, more generall y, the consideration of all arrangements likely to facilitate and develop welding instruction. 2 . ORGANISATION AND METHODS OF WORK. At the meeting in 1951 when iL was set up, Commission XIV appointed Professor PORTEVIN as its Honorary Chairman and appointed, respectively as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, Professor S. P. ANDERSEN,Rector of the University of Trondjheim ( orway) and Mr. H . GRANJO'.\', Director of Studies at the Welding High School in Paris (France). Y'ilith the as istance of the Norwegian secretariat, one or other has, according to the circumstances, presided over the discussions of the Commission, as well as Mr. GOLDSCHMIDT-CLERMONT (Belgium), Founder– President of the IIW. Two Sub-Commissions were later set up : one, under the Chairmanship of Mr. WEDDELL (United Kingdom), studies problems relating to the training of engineers; the other is concerned with the qualification and training of welders and is under the Chairmanship of Mr. ZINKWEG (Netherlands). For the various subjects which are outside the terms of reference of these two Sub-Commissions, rapporteurs are appointed after a general preliminary discussion in which their terms of reference are defined. As a general rule, when it starts work on a problem connected with instruc– tion or qualification, the Commission first carries out an enquiry on the way in which this problem is dealt with in the different member countries. There is thus first of all an exchange of information, which is useful in itself, and also a comparison of local circumstances (organisation of instruction, legislation, traditions, etc.) whose diversity must be considered in any recommendation which can be applied internationally and which constitutes the final stage of the study undertaken. This point should be stressed because, if a better know– ledge of the customs and practices of each country in the matter of teaching or qualification is one of the undoubted results of the work of Commission X IV, the diversity in these practices ha-s· limited the poss ibilities of- iinprovement or innovation at an international leve1. By means of the publication of their technical work, some Commissions of the IIW can show directly to the world of welding how effective their work is, since the readers of these publications derive direct benefit from it. This is not the case with instruction, since the recommendations of Commission XIV can only be applied if they are reinforced in each country by the member societies of the IIW, which must take appropriate steps to facilitate their application while taking account of the special national circumstances mentioned above. Consequently, the Commission, in the course of its work, has formulated recom– mendations which imply action being taken by the member societies who have been asked in particular to help schools and educational centres to obtain the welding equipment necessary for their work, to approach the teaching profession to inform it of the work of the I1'iV, to assist schools in connexion with the pre– paration of syllabuses, the recruitment of t eachers, etc. It is for the information of the member societies as much as for that of the teaching profession that the Commission is organising an enquiry on welding literature which could be used in instruction; this enquiry is greatly facilitated by the exhibition which Com– mission IV (Documentation) organises on the occasion of each annual assembly. 3 . . WORK ACCOMPLISHED AND IN HAND. A. General Recommendations .