IEE Power Division: Chairman´s address. Ivory tower power

Since the Second World War, the scope of electrical engineering has changed completely. Vast new subject areas have been opened up, and the relative importance of power engineering in the field of electrical engineering has declined even though its scope and interest have significantly increased. The proportion of electrical engineering students studying power engineering has also declined, and there is a danger of losing `power¿ capability in most electrical engineering departments, even though there is evidence that the supply of power graduates is already inadequate for industry´s needs. The paper proposes that the education, not only of power engineers, is too specialised and more general training is needed. The paper illustrates the contributions that universities make to engineering through teaching and research.