Engineering Professor Back From Cambridge

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 14

Engineering Professor Back From Cambridge

Professor F. M. Henderson, of the civil engineering department of the University of Canterbury, returned yesterday after 15 months’ refresher leave spent almost exclusively in study in the de-

partment of applied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University, It might seem odd that an engineer should choose this field, Professor Henderson said, but his chief interest was fluid mechanics, and the Cambridge department was one of the world’s most important centres of theory. Within fluid mechanics, Professor Henderson said, he was chiefly interested in the movement of stones, sand, and silt, which was a major problem in New Zealand because of the swiftly-flowing rivers. Till now engineering approaches to this problem had been rather crude.

At Cambridge he tried to take advantage of theoretical work. At the same time he was able to give the theoreticians guidance in some of the practical problems in applying their work. He also helped to set up a new fluid mechanics laboratory in which Cambridge will seek to apply theory. “We may never be able to keep up with Cambridge, which has an exceedingly high concentration of talent,” said Professor Henderson, “but through our contacts there we can benefit from its experience.”

In British engineering schools Professor Henderson found some disquiet about the quality of students, who were said to be below the standard of those taking science. In New Zealand, he said, engineering students were at least as good as those in science, but the British trend confirmed his view that teaching should be “doublebarrelled”—for the honours graduate and the good but not distinguished student.

“In engineering we say that there are those who follow standard codes of practice and those who write the codes,” said Professor Henderson. “There is a difference.”

Outpointed.— Alan Rudkin, the Empire bantam-weight boxing champion, outpointed Edmundo Esparza, of Mexico, in a gruelling, punishing 10-round contest at Manchester on Monday.