Boeing invites Middle East participation for engineering student of the year award

The award, which sees Boeing partnering with Flight International magazine to recognize academic achievements in engineering, is also open to students from around the world.

Boeing's sponsorship of the award, which is being presented at the Dubai Airshow for the first time, is one of the company's many efforts aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in aerospace-related engineering fields.

"Engineering innovation is the heart and soul of the aerospace industry, and Boeing is committed to engaging and developing the work force that will solve the challenges of tomorrow. This award spotlights outstanding students whose work holds potential for the future of aeronautics, engineering and space technology, and who will one day lead our industry to new levels of achievement."

said Charles Toups, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems Engineering and Mission Assurance.

Last year's competition attracted a record number of high-quality entries from around the world, including Australia, India, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. The winner, Agnes Blom, a Dutch doctoral student in aerospace engineering at Delft University of Technology, was recognized for her research in the development of advanced, fiber-steered, variable-stiffness composite laminates.

"The past year has been very exciting," said Blom. "I have learned about some of the industry's latest technologies, met experts and leaders in different areas of aerospace engineering, and spoken to high school students about pursuing careers in this field. As Engineering Student of the Year, new opportunities have opened up to me and forever changed my perspective."

The worldwide competition is open to any full- or part-time engineering student pursuing a recognized degree. The winning student's work must be judged as likely to impact the future of aerospace engineering in areas such as new or enhanced capabilities, systems, processes or tools; new levels of performance; and improved life cycle costs.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32bn business with 70,000 employees worldwide.