The Life Scientific: Washington Yotto Ochieng

About this episode

Professor Jim Al-Khalili interviews Washington Yotto Ochieng about his journey from Kenya to becoming a leading engineer and his contributions to urban transport and technology.

As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Washington Yotto Ochieng once watched a plane cross the night sky and told his mother he wished he could travel on it. But he remembers her encouraging him to dream bigger... Today, Washington is a Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, and President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Over a career bridging industry and academia, he has helped shape the movement of urban transport; how satellites guide us and locate us; and how governments manage the technologies underpinning so much of modern life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Washington about his inspirational upbringing, how reliant we've become on technologies such as GPS, and his work encouraging the next generation of engineers in both the UK and Africa.

People in this episode

Host: Jim Al-Khalili

Guest: Washington Yotto Ochieng

Topics covered

• engineering
• urban transport
• satellite technology
• GPS
• education
• inspiration

Keywords

• Washington Yotto Ochieng
• engineering
• GPS
• urban transport
• satellite
• education
• inspiration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Imperial College London, Royal Institute of Navigation

Places: Lake Victoria, Kenya, UK, Africa

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