RICS - Technical Routes to Membership and Chinese Delegations

The RICS has recently launched two new routes to membership for technical surveyors, Assoc RICS (formerly known as TechRICS) with a Land/Engineering route and a Hydrographic Surveying one. It has taken us far too many months of thought, review, re-review, and a good deal of prodding of RICS Education, to get to this stage. But, at last, droggies with a Cat B qualification - spot the typo if you can - can easily join the RICS at a technical level. [Actually, other hydro surveyors can too - but read on]. It has taken many years to get to this stage. When I first took over as Chair of Geomatics I asked what the routes to membership were for Cat A and B surveyors. "You what?" they responded? So there started the education of RICS staff to ensure they understood the relevance of the internationally recognised IHO qualification. We are getting there I'm happy to say.

And, more good news. The RICS is gradually easing its focus off the UK (or, even, London). With over 70% of its membership in the UK, and its HQ in Westminster, it is easy to fall into a London-centric viewpoint. And it suited the RICS for many years. Perhaps it didn't notice its land surveyors scaling mountains in Africa with tellurometers, or its hydrographic surveyors bobbing around in the Gulf of Guinea. Anyway, China visited us last week and, as you can read in the blog, we are certainly outnumbered. In a good way.