b'Dr Wai Yie LeongMember News November 2020 27VolunteersEfficient, economic communications Virtual accreditation visitsIn early January IET Malaysias Network, YoungDespite the restrictions that Professionals Section and 18 On Campus communitiesCOVID-19 has placed on our had more than 100 events arranged for 2020 and aoperations, the tenacity and cohort of volunteers lined up to help deliver them.resilience of IET staff and volunteers However, the health crisisof these communicationshave enabled us to adapt quickly and the resultant lockdownhas strengthened the oneso that accreditations could still meant that the committeeteam working relationshiptake place. Chris Guy BSc CEng had to rethink its strategy.with our dedicated IET HongFIET chaired the IETs first-ever Dr Wai Yie Leong BEng PhDKong and UK staff members. virtual re-accreditation advisory CEng FIET, who chairs thevisit at Macao Polytechnic Institute IET Malaysia Network andin July, supported by fellow the IET Industry 4.0 TN, said:Chris Guy Using a combination ofThe new normsAccreditor Professor Phil Picton.BSc CEng FIETapplications including Zoom,are actually more Google Meet and Skype,economic and we were able to resolveconvenient. WhenWe had a live remote tour of four or all our communications issues. We converted allthe pandemic is over,five labs and were able to ask questions our face-to-face eventswe will keep usingabout the facilities. In the formal meeting and engagements tocommunicationswith students we found it difficult to webinars; online events and competitions; and virtualtechnology toget everyone to contribute. Talking to conferences and meetings.connect IETthe staff members was easy, though, It worked really well. In fact,volunteers, membersbecause the department had allocated I believe that the reciprocal,and potential regular and instant naturemembers aroundsomeone to respond to each issue. Our the world. meeting with three industrialists was just as good as a face-to-face visit. Alison Siu, IET Community Manager, commented:Chris Guy BSc CEng FIET, Chair of the first IET virtual re-accreditation visitThe way in which our IETI found it tricky to maintain concentration at times because volunteers in Malaysia havewe would break off every hour or so. And it felt rather responded to the manystrange to be doing an accreditation advisory visit in my communication challengesshorts!posed by the pandemic is a great example of theSarah Odong, Acting Academic Accreditation Manager, positive impact that can beadded: Despite all the current challenges, it is encouraging Dr Wai Yie Leongachieved by a supportivethat universities and colleges around the world continue to BEng PhD CEng FIET and dedicated team.prioritise their IET accreditation.If youd like to find out more about what the volunteers highlighted in thisfeature have been doing, please visit: www.theiet.org/meet-our-volunteers.'