It can be argued that the power industry is one of the most important industries in the world. The need for electrical power ... is essential for the development of society and the welfare of people; without electric power, the world would still be in the dark-ages. For this reason, it is understandable why many people would want to become involved not only within this industry, but also with developing and sharing their technical knowledge to create state-of-the-art and world practices / standards. To facilitate this desire of many, CIGRÉ was established to develop and distribute technical knowledge and experience in the field of the generation and transmission of high voltage electricity. It does this by providing an interactive forum that brings together key players, research workers, producers, manufacturers, system operators, traders, and regulatory bodies. Originally founded in France in 1921, this organisation has expanded worldwide with representatives from more than eighty countries. To the non-member (and even to some members), the CIGRÉ organisation can appear complex and exclusive. To the inexperienced engineer starting out in the power industry, becoming involved with such a prestigious organisation can appear difficult and daunting. In order to overcome these barriers that seem to be in place for new engineers, the 'Next Generation Network' (NGN) has been established in order to ensure that everyone's opinions and views are heard, to bring a fresh look to an ever ageing industry and more importantly, so inexperienced engineers can learn from the many experts within the industry. That is, the NGN (with members who will no doubt form part of the future CIGRÉ organisation) will provide the next generation of engineers to lead and to be at the forefront of the power industry in the 21st Century and beyond. read more