Awardee Excellence Community Conference 2025

On 27 and 28 November, we welcomed over 150 Academy Awardees, Fellows and alumni to our second Awardee Excellence Community Conference, hosted in Glasgow.

The conference brought together a vibrant mix of innovators, academics, entrepreneurs and Fellows from across the globe, creating an inspiring space to learn, collaborate, and look to the future of engineering. The Awardee Excellence Community brings together awardees and alumni from the breadth of the Academy's awards, programmes and grants. The Community is over 4,000 strong, and our members represent a wide spectrum of disciplines, sectors and career stages.

This year saw a record number of female delegates - 43% - with at least one woman speaking at each session and an all-women panel discussing their entrepreneurial journeys. Attendees represented a broad range of disciplines as well as our portfolio of programmes and awards. This included Amazon Future Engineering students through to Chairs in Emerging Technology and Academy Fellows.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with attendees widely praising the dynamic agenda, inclusive atmosphere, and opportunities for networking and professional growth.

Looking back at the Conference

The conference programme was curated to reflect the Academy’s new strategic themes, with sessions led by both awardees and Academy staff. Each session was designed to offer practical insights, showcase Academy flagship products such as the Skills Centre, and encourage cross-disciplinary learning. Attendees enjoyed a range of sessions including panel discussions, workshops, lightning talks, site visits, and an engaging awardee exhibition.

By the end of the event, the excitement for future Community events and collaborations was high and delegates left inspired, empowered, and eager to continue building a stronger, more inclusive community of engineers fit for the future.

The Unconference format was a standout feature, allowing participants to shape discussions around topics most relevant to their interests. This flexible approach enabled organic networking and deep dives into areas of mutual interest or concern.

Conference attendee

It reminded me of the incredibly wide range of areas of engineering and society that the Royal Academy supports and can bring together for engaging events like this one.

Conference attendee

As an Engineering Leaders Scholarship recipient, and an early careers engineer, I was blown away by the generosity of my more experienced colleagues in the Academy. The Fellows especially were very generous with their time, and I gained a lot of insight and advice for my own career path.

Conference attendee

Absolutely fantastic. I feel very privileged to have attended this event, and to be a part of this community. A million thank yous.

Conference attendee

I think that the Awardee Excellence Community is a fabulous way to bring together Academy awardees and alumni, as there is such value and expertise in the room.

Conference attendee

Session in focus: Unconference

A highlight for many was the Unconference. The rules of the Unconference were simple - any attendee who wanted to initiate a discussion on a topic was welcome to claim the time and space, and participants were free to move between discussions.

We introduced the Unconference to attendees ahead of the event, asking for topics they'd like to discuss. These responses were then voted on by attendees to identify the most popular discussion topics, shaping the agenda for the session.

The most popular topics included 'skills for future engineers', 'sustainability in engineering' and 'the quantum landscape in Scotland', which were the starting points for discussions that could evolve and end depending on what each group wanted to get out of the conversation.

The Unconference was attended by two thirds of Conference delegates. Amongst feedback, attendees appreciated the opportunity to network with people from a wide range of disciplines and find people who were interested or working in the same areas as them.

Demonstration from our awardee-led exhibition

Dr Calvin Tsay receiving his RAEng Young Engineer of the Year award

Lightning talk from Dr Evi Viza

Panellists in discussion during the 'Enterprise Unlocked' fireside chat

Attendees in conversation

Attendees taking part in a Futures and Dialogue workshop

While you're here

A group of people talk around a circular conference table A man sits with his back to the camera and beyond his left shoulder a woman looks focused and engaged.

Awardee Excellence Community Events

As well as our own programme of events, the Academy runs events throughout the year which the Awardee Excellence Community are invited to.

Woman working on laptop photo credit Moses Londo

Log in to the Awardees' Area

An exclusive space for Awardee Excellence Community members, including the Awardees' Directory.

How to join the Awardee Excellence Community

Connect with hundreds of other awardees from across the Academy.

Community Conference 2025

Looking back at the Conference

The Unconference format was a standout feature, allowing participants to shape discussions around topics most relevant to their interests. This flexible approach enabled organic networking and deep dives into areas of mutual interest or concern.

It reminded me of the incredibly wide range of areas of engineering and society that the Royal Academy supports and can bring together for engaging events like this one.

As an Engineering Leaders Scholarship recipient, and an early careers engineer, I was blown away by the generosity of my more experienced colleagues in the Academy. The Fellows especially were very generous with their time, and I gained a lot of insight and advice for my own career path.

Absolutely fantastic. I feel very privileged to have attended this event, and to be a part of this community. A million thank yous.

I think that the Awardee Excellence Community is a fabulous way to bring together Academy awardees and alumni, as there is such value and expertise in the room.

Session in focus: Unconference

Join us at Community Conference 2026

While you're here

Awardee Excellence Community Events

Log in to the Awardees' Area

How to join the Awardee Excellence Community