Editing Royal Academy of Engineering (section)

==<span lang="It" dir="ltr">History</span>==
Conceived in the late 1960s, during the [[Apollo space program]] and [[Harold Wilson]]'s espousal of "[[white heat of technology]]", the Fellowship of Engineering was born in the year of [[Concorde]]'s first commercial flight.<ref>[http://www.britishairways.com/concorde/aboutconcorde.html#facts_figures Celebrating Concorde]. Britishairways.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref>

The Fellowship's first meeting, at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 11 June 1976, enrolled 126 of the UK's leading engineers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/fellowship/founder_fellows/pdf/Founder_Fellows.pdf |title=Founder Fellows |publisher=Royal Academy of Engineering |date=10 June 1976 |archive-date=14 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214020618/http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/fellowship/founder_fellows/pdf/Founder_Fellows.pdf}}</ref> The first fellows included [[Frank Whittle|Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle]], the [[jet engine]] developer, the [[structural engineer]] [[Ove Arup|Sir Ove Arup]], [[radar]] pioneer [[George G. Macfarlane|Sir George G. MacFarlane]], the inventor of the [[bouncing bomb]], [[Barnes Wallis|Sir Barnes Wallis]], [[Francis Thomas Bacon]], the inventor of the [[alkaline fuel cell]], and father of the UK computer industry [[Maurice Wilkes|Sir Maurice Wilkes]]. The Fellowship's first president, [[Christopher Hinton, Baron Hinton of Bankside|Christopher Hinton]], had driven the UK's supremacy in [[Nuclear power in the United Kingdom|nuclear power]].<ref>[http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/history/earlydays.htm History of The Academy - Early Days]. Raeng.org.uk (1976-06-11). Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref>

The Fellowship focused on championing excellence in all fields of engineering. Activities began in earnest in the mid-1970s with the Distinction lecture series, now known as the Hinton lectures. The Fellowship was asked to advise the [[Department of Industry]] for the first time, and the Academy became host and presenter of the [[MacRobert Award]].<ref>[http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/history/establish.htm History of The Academy - 1976–1981: Establishing a track record]. Raeng.org.uk. Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref>

In the 1980s, the Fellowship received its own royal charter along with its first government [[grant-in-aid]]. At the same time, it also received significant industrial funding, initiated its research programme to build bridges between academia and industry, and opened its doors to international and honorary fellows.<ref>[http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/history/growing.htm History of The Academy - 1981–1986: Growing influence and activities]. Raeng.org.uk. Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref>

In 1990, the Academy launched its first major initiative in education, Engineering Education Continuum, which evolved into the BEST Programme<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/education/best.htm |title=Education - Best Programme |website=www.raeng.org.uk |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020218224550/http://www.raeng.org.uk/education/best.htm |archive-date=18 February 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and Shape the Future and Tomorrow's Engineers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/education/stf/default.htm |title=Shape the Future |website=www.raeng.org.uk |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011212837/http://www.raeng.org.uk/education/stf/default.htm |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Academy's increasing level of influence – in policy, research and education – was recognized when it was granted a royal title and became The Royal Academy of Engineering in 1992.<ref>[http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/history/fromfellow.htm History of The Academy - 1991–1996: From Fellowship to Royal Academy]. Raeng.org.uk (1992-07-02). Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref> In 2014 the academy launched its annual Africa Prize.<ref name=africa10>{{Cite web |title=Africa Prize 10th Anniversary |url=https://africaprize.raeng.org.uk/about-the-prize/africa-prize-10th-anniversary |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=africaprize.raeng.org.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The Academy's current logo<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/visual-identity-style-guide/logos|title=Academy logos}}</ref> is inspired by the Neolithic [[hand axe]], humans' first technological advance, which was taken to be a symbol appropriate to the Academy, supposedly representative of the ever-changing relationship between humanity and technology.<ref>[http://www.raeng.org.uk/about/housestyle/default.htm Visual Identity Guidelines]. Raeng.org.uk. Retrieved on 2013-08-13.</ref>