ICorr President Visits the University of Manchester to Inspire the Next Generation of Corrosion Professionals

Dr Yunnan Gao, President of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), visited the University of Manchester on 26 June 2026 to engage with engineering students and introduce the opportunities available through ICorr membership, professional development, and involvement in the global corrosion community.

Following the successful collaboration between ICorr and the University of Manchester, Dr Gao was invited to deliver a presentation entitled:

“Meet the ICorr President – How the Institute of Corrosion Can Help UoM Students Develop Their Careers”

The event was hosted at the Engineering Building, University of Manchester, and was attended by students with an interest in corrosion, materials engineering, and related disciplines. The session provided an opportunity for students to learn more about the role of ICorr, its activities, and how involvement with the professional body can support their academic journey and future careers.

The visit followed Dr Gao’s earlier engagement with the University of Manchester, where he met with ICorr Scholarship recipient students and discussed the importance of supporting young engineers entering the corrosion profession. The combined activities reflect ICorr’s ongoing commitment to encouraging student participation, developing future corrosion specialists, and strengthening links between academia and industry.

During the presentation, Dr Gao introduced ICorr’s mission and role in advancing corrosion prevention, management, and engineering excellence. Key topics covered included:

• The role of ICorr in supporting the corrosion profession in the UK and internationally
• The benefits and opportunities available through free ICorr student membership
• Career development pathways, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and routes towards professional registration
• Young engineer initiatives, mentoring opportunities, and professional networking
• ICorr’s engagement with international corrosion organisations and global activities, including collaboration with partners in China
• The importance of building professional networks and engaging with the wider corrosion community at an early stage of career development

The presentation was followed by an interactive discussion with students, allowing attendees to explore career opportunities in corrosion engineering, current industry trends, and the skills required to develop successful careers in this important field.

Dr Gao said:

“It was a great pleasure to return to the University of Manchester and meet with students who are interested in corrosion and materials engineering. Developing the next generation of corrosion professionals is a key priority for ICorr. Through student membership, professional networking, mentoring, and engagement with the wider corrosion community, we hope to provide students with the support and opportunities they need to build successful careers.”

The session received very positive feedback, with strong student engagement and interest in becoming involved with ICorr. Students were encouraged to take advantage of ICorr’s free student membership scheme, which provides access to professional networks, technical knowledge, events, and opportunities to connect with corrosion professionals across industry and academia.

The University of Manchester has a long-standing reputation for excellence in engineering, materials science, and corrosion research. Through continued collaboration with universities such as Manchester, ICorr aims to strengthen the connection between education, research, and industrial practice, ensuring that future engineers are equipped with the knowledge and professional networks needed to address corrosion challenges worldwide.

ICorr would like to thank Dr Beatriz Mingo, Professor Dirk Engelberg, and colleagues at the University of Manchester for their support in organising the event and for their continued engagement in promoting corrosion awareness and professional development among students.

Photo: Dr Yunnan Gao, President of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), with University of Manchester students following his presentation “Meet the ICorr President – How the Institute of Corrosion Can Help UoM Students Develop Their Careers” on 26 June 2026.

The Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) is delighted to announce the successful completion of its first direct assessment for Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration, marking an important milestone in the Institute’s professional registration programme.

We are proud to congratulate Huwaynaa Al-Yahyai, Integrity Team Lead, BP, on achieving CEng status. This achievement recognises her professional expertise, commitment to excellence, and contribution to the engineering profession.

As one of the first applicants to undertake the ICorr direct assessment route, Huwaynaa’s achievement demonstrates both the high standards of the CEng registration process and ICorr’s growing role in supporting professional development and recognition within the corrosion industry.

Reflecting on her experience of the application and assessment journey, Huwaynaa shared:

“Becoming a Chartered Engineer (CEng) through the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) is more than a credential. It reflects years of disciplined technical growth and hands-on experience in corrosion and integrity management and represents a commitment to delivering sound engineering judgement against internationally recognised standards in high-risk environments.

For me, it is a defining career milestone. It strengthens my credibility and positions me as a leader accountable for the outcomes of my engineering decisions, leading critical integrity decisions, influencing strategy, and being trusted with greater responsibility.

Earning it, though, is just the beginning. It comes with an ongoing commitment to developing as an engineer, leading with integrity, and playing an active part in raising the standard of the profession, whether through mentoring, sharing experiences and best practices, or challenging the way we work and grow as a discipline.”

Once again, our warmest congratulations to Huwaynaa!

As a Licensed Member of the Engineering Council, ICorr can now assess and register eligible members directly for professional registration, including:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
• Engineering Technician (EngTech)

If you are already a Professional Member of ICorr and believe you meet the requirements of UK-SPEC, now is the perfect time to explore professional registration. Contact admin@icorr.org or ecreg@icorr.org for more information.

Big sporting events mean big crowds and the need for mass transportation systems.  In many cities this need has recently been met by retrospectively fitting light rail and tram systems into existing and older city infrastructure.  As you travel on these electric rail systems you may wonder what safety challenges they face and how they are managed.  This is actually an important stray current corrosion concern because it is inevitable that operation of these direct current (DC) light rail and metro systems will generate some stray or leakage current. In most systems, the electric current required to run the vehicles returns to the power source via the running rails. It is not possible to fully insulate the rails from the ground, which meant some current will leak or stray into the ground.

In urban areas, where these transit systems typically operate, there are buried metallic infrastructure such as gas pipelines and power cables sheaths and the stray current from the rails may interact with these utility services. Stray current can accelerate the corrosion rate of unprotected metal surfaces and lead to early failure, increasing repair costs, increased leakage rates and possible safety and environmental risks.

There is also the possibility of corrosion of the transit system rails, buried trackside equipment and structures such as bridges or tunnels.

It should be noted that only metal surfaces are affected and plastic pipes or cables with plastic outer sheaths are immune – a positive for many modern digital cabling services and newer water systems.

Getting stray current wrong costs time and money, devalues assets and can become safety-critical

However, if good practice is followed, interference and accelerated corrosion can be avoided. Transit system operators can effectively manage stray current by controlling stray current at source. This may be achieved by maintaining track bonding to provide a low resistance path for the return current – this encourages more current to remain in the rails by providing an attractive return route for the current. In addition, maintaining effective rail insulation helps to minimise losses by acting as a barrier. However, in wet conditions, the rail insulation tends to be less effective and stray current typically increases. It is therefore important to ensure drainage is effective, to avoid pooling of water and allow rainfall to run away efficiently.

Stray current is always an on-going issue and levels may increase over the years due to degrading rail insulation or other system faults. Because of this risk, regular monitoring is carried out to check the level of interference and the impact of any stray current. Criteria given in standards allow interference levels to be assessed and actions prioritised.

Monitoring typically includes the routine collection of stray current performance data from monitoring locations on the transit system and on a mix of water, gas and power utility assets. Evaluations are also carried out as part of repair work operations to ensure changes do not inadvertently introduce a bigger risk.

On most systems, to ensure that stray current is managed successfully and any issues are satisfactorily resolved, technical groups are arranged including the transit owner and operator and affected third parties, such as utility companies.

Travelling to the big match conveniently on mass transport can be done knowing stray current risks are being managed as part of the wider system safety.

We would like to extend sincere thanks to Dr. David Buxton, MICorr of Intertek CAPCIS for his valuable contribution to this article.

If you’d like to know more, please visit our Training page whereby we run our Fundamentals of Corrosion and Cathodic Protection Certification Scheme.

Ensuring Confidence in ICorr Professional Credentials

ICorr is committed to maintaining the integrity and credibility of its professional memberships and certifications. These credentials represent recognised standards of competence, professionalism, and commitment within the corrosion and asset integrity industries.

The official method to confirm the authenticity and current validity of an individual’s ICorr membership or certification is to contact ICorr Headquarters directly.

Verification requests may include, but are not limited to:

• ICorr Membership Grades, including Fellow (FICorr) and Professional Member (MICorr)
• ICorr Protective Coatings Inspector Certifications (Levels 1, 2 and 3)
• ICorr Cathodic Protection Certifications (Levels 1, 2 and 3)
• Other ICorr qualifications and professional credentials

For any questions regarding ICorr memberships, certifications, or professional qualifications, please contact admin@icorr.org.

Our team will be pleased to assist with verification enquiries and help ensure that employers, clients, contractors, and members of the public can have confidence in the credentials presented to them. By working together to verify professional credentials, we can help protect the integrity of the profession and safeguard individuals and organisations from fraudulent certification or membership claims.

ICorr recognises the importance of secure and accessible credential verification and is actively exploring future improvements to its systems that will enable online verification capabilities.

As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our volunteers across the Institute of Corrosion.

 “ICorr’s success is built on the dedication of volunteers who generously share their knowledge, experience and time. Their contributions not only strengthen our Institute but also help develop the next generation of corrosion professionals and advance professional standards across our industry. On behalf of ICorr, I would like to thank all our volunteers for their commitment and service.” (Dr. Yunnan Gao, ICorr President)

Volunteers are at the heart of ICorr. Across our branches, committees, technical groups and professional registration activities, members generously contribute their time, expertise and enthusiasm to support both the Institute and the wider corrosion profession.

 Whether organising branch events, mentoring early-career professionals, supporting student seminar programmes, contributing to technical committees, or assisting with professional registration assessments and interviews, our volunteers play a vital role in maintaining professional standards, sharing knowledge, and helping others develop their careers.

This year, ICorr has launched the Skills for Corrosionists training series, an online initiative developed in collaboration with our Midlands Branch to address the growing need for professional and interpersonal skills development among corrosion professionals in the early stages of their careers. The programme has been made possible through the dedication and commitment of volunteer organisers and presenters who are passionate about supporting the next generation.

Another excellent example is the ICorr Regional Research Exchange, jointly organised by the North West and Yorkshire & Humber Branches in collaboration with Young ICorr, the University of Leeds and the University of Manchester. This initiative provides an important platform for students, researchers and industry professionals to share knowledge, build networks and strengthen links between academia and industry.

Behind these and many other activities are volunteers who give their time to help ICorr deliver value to its members and the wider engineering community. Their commitment ensures that the Institute continues to promote professional excellence, support career development and advance the understanding and management of corrosion.

To all our volunteers, thank you for your dedication, expertise and service. Your contribution is essential to the continued success of ICorr and the development of the corrosion profession.

If you would like to become involved and contribute to the work of the Institute, please contact admin@icorr.org with the subject line “Volunteering Opportunity”.

Join us in Dublin for the EUROCORR 2026! This year, the conference theme is “Investing in our future: corrosion challenges for green technologies”, organized by ICorr together with EFC, IoM3 and Dechema. This also incorporates the 67^th Corrosion Science Symposium as a dedicated parallel session organized by ICorr’s Corrosion Science Division (CSD).

Key accompanying events include a Careers Fair, Women in Corrosion event, Young EFC events and a summer school on green technologies

With a strong emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and early-career engagement, EUROCORR provides a prestigious platform for presenting cutting-edge research and fostering global connections within corrosion science and engineering.

As the largest international scientific conference in the corrosion field, this will be the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand to a highly targeted and engaged audience. With 1500 delegates expected to attend from both industry and leading practitioners in academia, EUROCORR 2026 is a strong platform for visibility, networking, and collaboration.

Conference Sponsorships

Find our wide range of sponsorship opportunities here or alternatively, to discuss any of our sponsorship opportunities, please email gareth.hinds@npl.co.uk