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A business-led enquiry into the role of business in a changing world. During 1992 the RSA organised eight dinners at which business leaders were challenged to think afresh about business, its purpose, its role in society and the measures of success.The result was the three year RSA inquiry Tomorrow's Company: the role of business in a changing world. By the beginning of 1993, 25 companies had committed the time and energy of their senior executives to the inquiry, led by Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman, IBM UK Ltd.\nRecords comprise published material including reports

The Science and Industry Committee originally arose out of a recommendation made by the Economics Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at the annual meeting in Belfast 1952. The committee was reconstituted in April 1954 under the joint sponsorship of the RSA, the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Nuffield Foundation. The Committee's work was financed by grants from the Board of Trade and from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, under the Conditional Aid scheme for the use of counterpart funds derived from United States economic aid.

Redefining Work was concerned with the ways our society may function in future and the assumptions we might make about the nature and pattern of work within it. Many aspects of the way we lead our lives are rooted in traditional assumptions which for many people do not reflect today's reality. Redefining work took a comprehensive approach in exploring the issues and crossed conventional boundaries

The aim of the project was to define the role of manufacturing in a sustainable economy, which the Society considered to be one of the key issues of economic and industrial policy facing the UK. A linked series of three lectures and five seminars to clarify the significance of a healthy manufacturing sector in improving the UK's international trade and economic growth.

The functions of the group were to keep the RSA in touch with developments in manufactures and commerce; provide ideas for lectures, projects and initiatives; advise on the value of suggestions for lectures, projects and initiatives coming from the Fellowship and the extent to which the RSA name should be attached to them; evaluate the quality of the RSA manufactures and commerce programme; support the RSA in the formulation and dissemination of ideas and project results and provide advice on sponsorship for manufacturing activities.

The Society was more closely connected with the management of this exhibition than with that of 1851. In both cases the initial organisation was due to the Society, and in both cases the early preparations were made by and at the risk of the Society. However, the 1862 Exhibition was managed by a Commission appointed by the Society, while in 1851 the Managing Commission had been entirely independent. Although 1851 was a profitable exhibition, receipts in 1862 were insufficient to cover expenses. \nThis series includes general correspondence to the Society about plans for the exhibition and about funding, as well as a series of images of the exhibition. There are no details of exhibits. These are included in the exhibition catalogues at SC/EX/1.\n\nRecords include general administrative correspondence to the Society, press cuttings and copy photographs of illustrations

This proposal was developed form earlier discussions initiated by the Education Committee and the Women's Working Group.

Industry Year 1986 took place because it was considered that in the late 1980's the decline in UK manufacturing seriously threatened our ability to maintain let alone improve the quality of life for our citizens. Industry Years' slogan 'Thanks to Industry', was intended as a challenge to a society which is insufficiently aware that almost everything we do depends on industrial activity and which shows little appreciation of such activity. The Industry Committee was formed towards the end of 1982 to carry forward an initiative begun at St. George's House, Windsor, in conjunction with the earlier, 'Comino Committee' of the RSA. The committee members included: \nSir Geoffrey Chandler, Director, Industry Year; Diana McMahon, Deputy Director, Industry Year; Lord Vinson, Chairman, Industry Year Executive Committee; Christopher Lucas, Secretary; John Robertson, Assistant Secretary\nIts main objective was the promotion, throughout the United Kingdom, of a recognition of the importance to the future of our county - and to its influence on the world economy - of a prosperous and profitable British Industry in all its branches based upon modern technology and , with that, to help to effect a positive change in the cultural attitude towards industry in Britain on the part of the public as a whole. The Industry Committee which was formed to take over from the Comino Fellowship Committee, the latter formed in 1979, was established with much wider terms of reference than the running of Industry Year 1986.\n\nIndustry Matters was the successor of Industry Year. It was a clearly targeted programme of action which continued to stress the importance of industry and its role in our lives, building on the momentum achieved during Industry Year 1986. The main aim was to encourage continuing action in three main areas: developing partnerships between industry and education; action by industry to communicate more effectively the part it plays in society; increasing awareness of industry's role and its service to the community. The work was carried on through a network of regional and local groups, with a central team provided for up to two years by the RSA.\n\nSeries of records which include minutes of various steering committees and correspondence relating to the development and administration of the project.

The Ilkley Conferences are annual gatherings of R&D directors, and other senior executives with responsibility for science, research and technology, for major international and UK firms. The aim of the events were to provide networking opportunities and for exchanging information and ideas.

The Society is generally credited with the idea of an international exhibition. However the exhibition was administered by a Royal Commission and the Society had no role in the exhibition itself.\nRecords include general administrative correspondence about the setting up and financing of the exhibition, printed reports, lists of subscribers and synopses of letters from John Scott Russell to Prince Albert, among others. Also includes a series of copy photographs of some of the exhibits and copies of contemporary illustrations. Catalogues and jury reports are included within the exhibition publications section at SC/EX/

Records include minutes of the committee, correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of the Mechanics Committee. Additional correspondence to the committee is also included within the Guard Book series at PR/GE/110

Records include minutes of the Committee of Manufactures, correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of the committee. Additional correspondence to the committee is also included within the Guard Book series at PR/GE/110

Records include minutes of the committee, correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of committee. Additional correspondence to the committee is also included within the Guard Book series at PR/GE/110