Airbus recently selected Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology’s BIRDS Satellite Project as the recipient of its 2017 GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. Airbus is “the worldwide leader in aeronautics, space and related services and the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), the leading global organisation for engineering education” and rewards a project each year that focuses on the improvement of diversity in engineering. This year’s winner, submitted a project which “trains graduate students from developing countries in using cost-effective innovative systems engineering to execute a comprehensive two-year satellite project, with the long-term goal of equipping them to commence a sustainable space programme in their respective home countries.”
The winning project was awarded US$ 10,000, and the runners up US$ 1,500.
About the Award
Now in its 5th edition, the Award was developed and funded by Airbus in partnership with the GEDC, and this year was granted UNESCO patronage. It aims to shine a light on successful projects which have encouraged more people of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in engineering. Diversity has become an increasingly prominent metric for business success, with 69% of executives rating diversity and inclusion an important issue in 2017, up from 59% in 2014.
