• New Diversity Impact Programme to tackle long-standing diversity challenges in university engineering departments in the UK
• Projects funded will transform the outcomes and experiences of students from underrepresented groups, including those who are neurodiverse, disabled or from low socioeconomic background.
• Wider engineering Higher Education sector to benefit from new tools and approaches to remove barriers to student progress

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s new Diversity Impact Programme has awarded its first grants of up to £100k each to 11 projects in university engineering departments that address the unequal outcomes experienced by students from diverse and underrepresented groups.

Launched in October last year, the Diversity Impact Programme aims to inspire change in university engineering departments so that all students succeed and the unique perspectives and experiences of engineers from diverse backgrounds continue to enhance the profession.

An important aspect of the programme is that the universities themselves define what they need to meet their diversity challenges. Among the 11 projects in this first cohort are many that focus on socioeconomic background and neurodiversity—two areas that are underserved by research and where available data suggests career progression and sense of belonging within engineering is weak. Several projects will explore the impact an inclusive culture can have on the outcomes of students from diverse and underrepresented groups; others focus specifically on disability, gender, race and ethnicity.

Universities from all over the UK will be involved and the interventions proposed vary from mentoring and work-based projects to the development of an inclusive culture and peer networks.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “The Academy’s new Diversity Impact Programme has been designed to support universities in making a step change in diversity and inclusivity across engineering Higher Education. Our goal is to help universities to develop interventions, informed by evidence, that transform the outcomes of students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. It is vital that we seek innovative and creative ways to accelerate the pace of change rather than accepting that incremental improvement is all that is possible.

“There is an extensive evidence base supporting the benefits of diverse teams working in inclusive cultures but there is still a way to go in understanding how to deliver the culture of inclusion that unlocks the power of diversity. These projects will give us invaluable insights and experience that will be shared across the Higher Education community so that we can work collectively to drive positive change”.

The eleven projects being funding are as follows (value of award in brackets). More detail about each project can be found on the Academy’s website here.

• De Montfort University (£95,306)
  Access to high-profile jobs: closing the gap

The project establishes an Engineering Sciences Learning Centre and Employability Programme co-designed and co-run with students that will reinforce their academic and professional confidence in pursuing high profile engineering career.

• Imperial College London (£99,450)
  Engineering Progression from School to Year 2 at Imperial

Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds face significant barriers to progression. This innovative project supports students for an extended period as they transition from school into their first year and second years at Imperial. The project builds on a recent pilot project and provides strategic interventions and relationships at key moments in the student’s journey creating opportunities for leadership, academic and personal development as part of a broad package of support.

• Kings College London (£82,642)
  Success for Black engineers

Attainment outcomes for Black engineers at undergraduate level, and for Black students of engineering subjects at school, are weaker than for their white counterparts. This project addresses this problem by providing tailored support for students at key moments in their journey. It trains students from the university’s existing Black community to become peer mentors and Black and minority ethnic staff to become academic mentors for these students. There is an explicit outcome for the university to increase its knowledge and understanding of the experience of Black engineering students. The project also supports wellbeing and personal development, acknowledging that academic attainment cannot be viewed separately from a student’s broader experience and growth.

• Loughborough University (£65,000)
  Don’t forget the Mortar! A new approach to engineering education

This project considers the experiences and activities that form the culture of an institution outside of the core academic content. It acknowledges that this culture is often designed (explicitly or implicitly) by and for majority groups, which can leave people from underrepresented groups less able to navigate the culture and feeling excluded. This results in low levels of belonging which is a significant factor in attainment and retention.

• Newcastle University (£98,661)
  Peer networks: cultivating an inclusive culture and sense of belonging

A lack of access to peer networks has been identified as a barrier to the success and feelings of belonging of engineering undergraduates from diverse and underrepresented groups. This project will examine the structures and accessibility of existing peer networks and identify and evaluate new opportunities to join and form networks to improve feelings of belonging and outcomes for students from all backgrounds.

• Sheffield University (£95,782)
  Diversity Confidence in Engineering (DiCE)

Reflecting challenges in the wider sector, the university’s research suggests that students from underrepresented groups take longer to settle or be accepted, that neurodivergent students struggle to transition into and out of university, that there is an awarding gap between students from some Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and their peers from white backgrounds, and that women are less attracted to engineering programmes than men. Taking an approach that prioritises relationship building and collaboration, this project brings stakeholders together to build skills, empathy and practical frameworks with an explicit aim of developing a more inclusive culture that can shape engineering activity for the public good.

• Swansea University (£98,722)
  50% for the Future

The representation of women within Swansea University’s mechanical engineering cohort is 8.5%. This project strives to address this underrepresentation via evidence-based, beneficiary defined interventions. The project has an ambitious overarching aim to act as a springboard to achieve “50% for the Future” equal representation of men and women, not only studying mechanical engineering at Swansea University, but within the profession.

• University of Central Lancashire (£100,000)
  The EASE Zone

The development of entrepreneurial skills and professional networks are at the heart of this project. In order to tackle the low rate of transfer to employment and low rate of attraction into higher education for some underrepresented groups the project is embedding employers into the teaching and learning environment to build confidence, relationships, develop solutions and facilitate a more effective transition between education and the workplace.

• University of East London (£66,250)
  Together Empowered: voicing minority groups in tackling climate change

This project models a way of addressing the lack of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the engineering profession and the benefits greater inclusion can bring to the key issues of our time. It does so by facilitating the engagement of engineering students from diverse backgrounds with industry partners to develop innovative solutions to the global issue of climate. As students collaborate with professionals to develop innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change they will develop skills, confidence and a new affinity with their chosen field. Industry partners will experience the benefit of engaging with diverse perspectives and be supported to develop the skills required to lead inclusive teams and cultures.

• University of Plymouth (£93,667)
  Embedding systemic inclusion for neurodiverse and disabled engineering students

This project takes a system level approach to the experience of inclusion/exclusion for neurodiverse and disabled engineering students. It considers interventions that motivate stronger engagement and identification with engineering for students from these groups and has an equal focus on the institutional factors that affect outcomes. Interventions cover the creation of new accountability structures, co-creation methods applied to content creation, staff training, raising awareness of the lived experience of disabled and neurodiverse students as well as the creation of tools for use across the institution and beyond.

• University of Strathclyde (£99,751)
  Strathclyde Engineering Scholars—equal outcomes for the most disadvantaged

Half of engineering students from disadvantaged backgrounds will not complete their degree. Those who do demonstrate lower attainment and are typically men. This project establishes a comprehensive, personalised ‘in-kind’ scholarship programme enabling those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds to access and successfully navigate university engineering education with equal outcomes before transitioning to professional graduate employment in alignment with their peers.

Projects will run for between 12 to 18 months. All grant recipients have demonstrated a commitment to transformative change and will join a community of practice to facilitate learning across the cohort of grantees and the wider engineering higher education sector.

This programme is funded through the Academy’s allocation of funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The Royal Academy of Engineering will be supporting a new programme of Fellowships for researchers at risk, which will be led by The British Academy in partnership with the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) and other national academies. The first priority for the scheme will be researchers based in Ukraine.

Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the £3 million package of support will enable researchers at risk to continue their work in the UK for up to two years by providing financial support to cover salary, research expenses and living costs as well as visas.

The lead body for this programme will be the British Academy. The Royal Academy of Engineering will support the scheme by bringing together Fellows to assess relevant proposals and to help with connections between displaced engineering and technology academics and the UK research and innovation community. Any enquiries about the scheme at this stage should be sent to researchersatrisk@thebritishacademy.ac.uk.

The Royal Academy of Engineering has also signed a joint statement by EuroCASE, The European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering, in support of the people of Ukraine, the Academy of Technological Sciences of Ukraine, academic freedom and the autonomy of science, research and innovation. The Academy has no active programmes or projects with Russian involvement.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, the Academy’s President, says:

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with anyone affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has impacted so many lives, including displacing many academics from their home country. This is particularly concerning to the international research and innovation community as there is already a very large volume of displaced academics as a result of crises in Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere.

“As the UK’s National Academy for engineering and technology, we will be playing a role in supporting those affected in our community through the new researchers at risk programme. We are grateful to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for providing funding to enable this partnership, as well as to others – in the UK and internationally – supporting at risk academics. Through collaborative action we hope to protect our fellow engineers and the vital research and innovation they undertake to shape our lives for the better, and will continue to work with partners across the engineering community to lend our support.”

General information for engineers from Ukraine about working in the UK can be found on the Engineering Council website at www.engc.org.uk/refugees

From new techniques to improve sanitation in developing countries to improved materials for use in nuclear fusion, the Royal Academy of Engineering is supporting eight new joint industry-academia research partnerships that will address some of the most complex challenges facing modern engineers.

Focusing on industry-relevant research across the full range of engineering disciplines, the Academy’s Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships scheme enhances the links between academia and businesses with each of the prestigious five-year positions co-sponsored by an industrial partner. Each awardee will establish a world-leading research group in their engineering field.

Commenting on the latest announcement of five new Research Chairs and three Senior Research Fellows, Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng FLSW, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Cranfield University and Chair of the Academy’s Research Committee, says: “It is very encouraging that one of the Academy’s longest established funding programmes—now in its 35^th year—received among its strongest set of applications to date and the number of awards we have made this time reflects this. I remain endlessly impressed at just how creative engineers are at investigating solutions to real-world problems and these projects will deliver societal benefit not only in the UK but also globally. The partnerships that support innovative engineering like this are vital to our future health and prosperity and the Academy values them very highly.”

The Academy has funded 203 awardees since establishing the Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships programme in 1986.

The five Research Chairs and three Senior Research Fellowships appointed are listed below. More detailed information on each can be found here.

Research Chairs

Professor Daniele Dini FREng, Imperial College London
Shell Global Solutions / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Complex Engineering Interfaces

Climate Change is the single biggest threat to present and future generations and meeting our ambitious targets for net zero greenhouse gas emission will require technology mobilisation on an unprecedented scale. Understanding complex engineering interfaces in products and systems in operating environments is key to successfully delivering innovation in the energy sector. In collaboration with Shell, Professor Dini will address the challenges of predicting the behaviour of these critical interfaces and develop new design strategies. Applications will include lubrication and cooling of interfaces in electric vehicles and nanoscale materials and surface design for optimised energy harvesting/storage devices.

Professor Ruth Misener, Imperial College London
BASF / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Data-driven Optimisation

Professor Misener aims to transform the intersection between AI and the chemicals industry to help improve sustainability and energy efficiency. Developing data-driven, optimal decision-making under uncertainty is key to achieving a sustainable society. When coupled with societal values and sociological research, these numerical tools can contribute towards wider sustainability objectives, blending traditional, mechanistic model-based optimisation with data-driven optimisation. The long-term vision is to repurpose machine learning methods for the chemicals industry.’

Professor Michael Templeton, Imperial College London
Oxfam and Water For People / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Global Sanitation Technology

Using robust approaches to designing, testing, and implementing novel onsite sanitation technologies and processes, Professor Templeton aims to address engineering challenges associated with achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of universal access to safely managed sanitation. Examples will include more affordable, easier-to-assemble septic tank designs and modular methods to treat faecal sludge in rapidly urbanising cities and emergency settings. His approach combines laboratory experiments, fieldwork, mathematical modelling, and collaboration with in-country practitioners and end users to co-develop engineering solutions that will improve the lives of the poorest members of society in developing countries.

Professor Laurence Tratt, King’s College London
Shopify / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Language Engineering

The standard Virtual Machines (VMs) for programming languages such as Ruby and Python run programs slower than state-of-the-art alternatives with Just-In-Time (JIT) compilers, but many programs are only compatible with the standard VMs, which thus remain dominant. The poor performance of standard VMs damages productivity by wasting programmer time, gives users a poor experience of the software, and contributes to climate change by requiring more servers to be used than should be necessary. Professor Tratt aims to improve the performance of programming languages such as Ruby and Python by retrofitting them with state-of-the-art research techniques taken from JIT compilers. By ‘meta-tracing’ existing VMs, RetroJITs sidesteps the problem of manually creating a JIT, while simultaneously guaranteeing compatibility with programmer expectations.

Professor Yang Hao FREng, Queen Mary University of London
QinetiQ / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Software Defined Materials

Software Defined Materials, also known as ANIMATE materials, are ones that can be modified by simply uploading and updating computer software. Professor Hao aims to develop these materials to enhance future wireless connectivity in a way that is programmable and flexible for multifunctional applications and that integrates communication, sensing and computation. Complex devices and systems made from these materials will contribute to a circular economy by significantly reducing electronic waste and the cost of materials, as well as energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Senior Research Fellows

Dr Charles MacLeod, University of Strathclyde
Babcock International Group / Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Sensor-Driven Automated High-Integrity Welding

Welding—and the successful fusion of welded joints—is a critical manufacturing process utilised in multiple international sectors including energy, construction and transport. Traditionally, welding and inspection of high-integrity joints are separate, sequential processes, reducing productivity and increasing rework if defects are only detected at completion. This fellowship seeks to introduce the volumetric imaging capability of ultrasonics directly into the welding process and aims to deliver high-integrity welds right first time, every time.

Dr Mehrnoosh Sadrzadeh, University College London
Cambridge Quantum and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) / Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Engineered Mathematics for Modelling Typed Structures

Recent advances in machine learning have led to significant improvements in reasoning about textual data, yet they are not at a level that makes them readily applicable to all application areas. Dr Sadrzadeh is working on a mathematical model that uses the theory of tensors—higher order algebraic objects native to quantum mechanics—to unify two historically disjointed fields of logic and statistics to enrich the machine learnt features of text with their logical compositions.

Dr Edmund Tarleton, University of Oxford
UKAEA / Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Materials Modelling for Fusion Energy

STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is an ambitious programme to deliver a prototype fusion reactor that could pave the way for commercial reactors. Nuclear fusion has the potential to provide a new source of unlimited clean energy but the materials engineering challenges are significant due to the extreme conditions inside the reactor. This fellowship will apply the latest breakthroughs in materials modelling to simulate the behaviour of irradiated engineering alloys to help guide the design of STEP and contribute to making fusion energy a reality.

Notes for Editors

1. Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships aim to strengthen the links between industry and academia by supporting exceptional academics in UK universities to undertake use-inspired research that meets the needs of the industrial partners. Awardees are expected to:

• Establish or enhance a world leading engineering research group
• Deliver ‘use-inspired’ research that meets the needs of their industrial partners
• Disseminate the outcomes of their research for appropriate academic impact
• Become a self-sustaining research group by the end of the award (by securing substantial external grant income: RCUK, EU, industry, charities, etc.)

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to:

Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0745

E:  Pippa Cox

• The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub is opening applications for the September intake of its Regional Talent Engines programme for people based in Northern Ireland, North West England, North East England, and Yorkshire & the Humber
• Successful applicants will receive a £20,000 grant and six months’ support to develop ideas for engineering innovation into startups
• Applicants must hold a Further Education technical qualification or be an experienced mid-late career engineer

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub has opened a new round of applications for its Regional Talent Engines programme to support entrepreneurial mid-late career engineers and individuals from vocational backgrounds to develop innovative ideas. The Enterprise Hub will grant successful applicants £20,000 equity-free funding for living and business costs to help grow their ideas into startup businesses.

Designed to boost innovation in regions across the UK, applicants must be based in Northern Ireland, North West England, North East England, or Yorkshire & the Humber. The programme is targeted at people who either hold a technical qualification from a Further Education college or are experienced mid-late career engineers looking to bring an innovative idea to market.

In addition to funding, successful applicants will also receive six months’ support to prepare them for commercialising their engineering solutions. The Enterprise Hub will provide expert mentoring, training, one-to-one coaching, access to the Academy’s diverse network and meeting space in the Academy’s Taylor Centre. After completing the programme, participants will be invited to become Hub Members with lifetime support, including access to the Enterprise Hub’s facilities, training opportunities, and network of Academy Fellows, investors, experts, and advisors.

Speaking about the launch of the new programme, Ana Avaliani, Director of Enterprise and Sustainable Development at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said, “Our Regional Talent Engines programme supports ambitious mid-late career engineers and individuals with technical backgrounds who can often be underrepresented in the enterprise community. This programme hopes to cultivate their passion for creativity, problem-solving, and design to launch their own startups. With an emphasis on mentoring and skills development, participants can gain the confidence to begin new careers as entrepreneurs with equity-free financial backing from the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub. We encourage anyone with an idea for an engineering or technological solution to apply.

“Having recently started the programme in Northern Ireland, North West England, North East England, and Yorkshire & the Humber, we are keen to champion diverse talent from across the regions of the UK. Our long-term aim is to strengthen local entrepreneurial ecosystems by helping launch successful engineering and technology businesses, creating jobs and economic prosperity.”

Applications are open until 23 May 2022 with the programme commencing in early September. Full details of the programme including guidance notes can be viewed on the Academy’s website. All applications for each regional programme must be submitted on the online grant system.

Notes for Editors

1. The Enterprise Hub was formally launched in April 2013. Since then, we have supported over 290 researchers, recent graduates and SME leaders to start up and scale up businesses that can give practical application to their inventions. We’ve awarded over £11 million in grant funding, and our Hub Members have gone on to raise over £800 million in additional funding.
2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For media enquiries please contact: Chris Urquhart at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0725; email: Chris.Urquhart@raeng.org.uk

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, has been shortlisted for the 2022 Bold Woman Awards by Veuve Clicquot. First launched in 1972, this will be the 50th year that Veuve Clicquot has honoured the impact of pioneering female leadership and entrepreneurship. 

Announcing its finalists on International Women’s Day, the Bold Woman Award celebrates excellent female leadership, honouring inspirational women with a proven record of business or organisational growth, underpinned by a commitment to supporting other women into leadership roles.

Dr Sillem is the first female CEO of The Royal Academy of Engineering and co-founder of the Academy’s Enterprise Hub, which supports and funds UK tech and engineering entrepreneurs. Recognised as a major champion for diversity in STEM, she sits on multiple boards and councils and is an adviser to AccelerateHER, a network of female founders and partners with a mission to help women accelerate growth and scale companies.

At the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dr Sillem is pioneering a sustainable, global society and inclusive economy. Named one of the ‘Inspiring 50 Women in Tech’, she chairs the UK government’s Business Innovation Forum, the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, and co-chaired with Sir Lewis Hamilton his Commission to improve Black representation in UK motorsport. She is also a trustee of EngineeringUK and the Foundation for Science & Technology, a member of the UK government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council, a non-executive director of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and Laing O’Rourke, and an advisor to the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

Dr Sillem says: “I am honoured and delighted to be shortlisted for this unique award for bold leadership alongside some incredibly inspiring women who have achieved so much during their careers. Having chosen to work in a community where I have always been in a minority, I hope this visibility will help to challenge people’s perceptions of leadership in engineering.

“Engineering is a fantastic career if you want to make a difference, improve people’s lives and shape the future. Through the Academy’s work, we want to inspire many more people from all parts of society to become engineers: engineering is for everyone and the engineering community should reflect the society we serve.”

Also shortlisted for this year’s award are:

• Roni Savage, MD & Founder of Jomas Associates, an Engineering & Environmental Company serving the Construction industry since 2009. Jomas was heralded as a high growth company by Goldman Sachs in 2017. The following year, Roni was awarded Black British Business Person of the Year.  She has worked on many major construction schemes across the UK and is Policy Chair for Construction for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
• Melanie Smith CBE, CEO of Ocado Retail, who has overseen the business’s phenomenal success as it increased revenue by 40% since 2019 – faster growth than any other grocery retailer – and personally led the firm’s strategy to keep the UK fed during the early phases of the pandemic.

Pip Jamieson, Bold Awards judge and founder of The Dots, said:

“This year’s shortlist honours women who are having a transformative impact on the UK, driving not just financial success but real change across industry and wider society. The Bold Future category in particular is dominated by those leading social enterprises and charitable organisations, reflecting a shift towards entrepreneurship that’s driven by ethical values and purpose. Alongside representing a new generation of pioneering leaders, these tremendous nominees are driving fresh initiatives that will truly improve the lives of many.”

The accompanying Bold Future Award celebrates up-and-coming leaders of the future, honouring the women who will shape tomorrow. The finalists are:

• Mursal Hedayat MBE,  Founder and CEO of Chatterbox. Chatterbox is on a mission to shake up the labour market by connecting talented yet marginalised people with opportunities in the digital economy. Their first product is an AI-powered, award-winning platform that helps companies improve cross-regional collaboration and cultural intelligence through the power of language learning.
• Victoria Hornby OBE, Founder and CEO of Mental Health Innovations (Shout). Shout 85258 is the UK’s first free, 24/7 digital messaging service to help those struggling with mental health. The organisation has had over 1 million conversations since its inception.
• Lavinya Stennett, Founder & CEO of The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise founded in 2019 working to teach and support the teaching of Black history all year round, aiming to empower all students with a sense of identity and belonging.

Notes to editors

1. The Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot is a modern evolution of the Business Woman Award which has been running since 1972; the first and longest-running international accolade for female business figureheads. The judging panel includes Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik; Pip Jamieson, Founder of The Dots; Sian Westerman, Co-Chair at British Fashion Council Trust; Naomi Kerbel, Global Head of TV and Radio at Bloomberg; and Moira Benigson, Founder of MBS Group.  

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in London in September 2022.

For more information on the awards see https://www.veuveclicquot.com/en-gb/bold-by-veuve-clicquot/about

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

On UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development today (4 March), a trio of bio ‘Engineering Heroes’ join British astronaut Tim Peake in celebrating the role of engineering in shaping their careers, protecting the planet and delivering better healthcare, in a new series of films launched by the Royal Academy of Engineering in partnership with BecomingX and Amazon.

The ‘Engineering Heroes’ films will be shared on social media and distributed to schools through the BecomingX Education Programme and the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Connecting STEM Teachers Network, supported by Amazon. They aim to inspire the next generation of young people, from all genders, ethnicities and parts of society, as well as challenging public perceptions of engineering.

European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake CMG is renowned for his enthusiastic promotion of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education and careers to young people, explaining how STEM skills enabled him to travel into space. He also inspired millions of people during his time on the International Space Station by sharing stunning images of the Earth from orbit.

Tim’s film is being launched alongside three others that spotlight bioengineering superstars:

• Professor Frances Arnold FREng is a mechanical and chemical engineer who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2018 (the first American woman to do so) for her work in evolving enzymes in making fuels, chemicals and materials less harmful to the environment. These ‘new and improved’ enzymes are used today to make laundry detergents to biofuels (Gevo), non-toxic alternatives to pesticides (Provivi), and medicines (like anti-diabetic drug, Januvia).

• Professor Robert Langer FREng is the most cited engineer in history and 2015 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. He is probably best known as the Co-Founder of Moderna, the biotech start-up that was one of the first companies to pioneer the mRNA vaccines (used to tackle Covid-19). His innovations, including controlled release drug delivery systems and tissue engineering, have transformed a variety of medical treatments, enabling victims of serious accidents to re-grow missing tissue for example, and increasing the accuracy of treatment for brain cancer.

• Nanxi Liu is an engineer and entrepreneur who by the age of 22 co-founded Nanoly Bioscience, a venture-backed biotech company that developed technology that enables vaccines to be transported without refrigeration. One of Forbes’ 30 under 30, Liu was also CEO and Co-Founder of Enplug, a leading digital signage company, which was successfully acquired. She is now Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Blaze Technology, a platform that enables people to build software with no code.

The films are part of the ‘Engineering Heroes’ film series, which celebrates engineering and technology trailblazers and advocates, uncovering the inspiring stories behind their success and the challenges they overcame.

The release of the films follows findings from a recent report by EngineeringUK into secondary school teachers’ knowledge of engineering that recommended that more be done to promote engineering as an inclusive career. The report concluded that “teachers’ perceptions of the workforce, including barriers they perceive are faced by women, people from minority ethnic groups, those with disabilities and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, may affect the way in which they provide careers advice and to whom”, and therefore recommended that those engaging with young people in careers advice work to instil confidence in all young people that they have the capability to become an engineer.

Major Tim Peake CMG, says about his involvement:

“Looking down at Earth from space changes your perspective. It’s currently the only planet we know of that harbours life. Seeing this magnificent blue jewel, in its natural place within the solar system, leaves a lasting impression of how fragile our existence is and how we need to work together to protect our home.

“Engineering has taken me to space, and has led others to develop ways of living on Earth more sustainably, and to invent life-saving vaccines and transport them to every corner of the globe. These are just some of the advances engineers are making that are helping our world to become better today. Tomorrow rests in the hands of the next generation. I hope my story helps inspire some of them to take their own giant leaps towards engineering a brighter future for themselves and our planet.”

 ‘Engineering Heroes’ features other notable engineers such as Dame Stephanie Shirley, Professor Sue Black, and Ursula Burns.  It forms part of the This is Engineering campaign, which features real young engineers who have followed what they loved into engineering, and joins the established BecomingX series of films featuring Olympic Gold Medallists, Nobel Peace Prize winners and Oscar winners. 

A key part of the Academy’s partnership with Amazon is to attract young people from all backgrounds into engineering and computer science careers as part of Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s comprehensive childhood-to-career programme which aims to inspire, educate and enable children and young adults from lower-income backgrounds to try computer science and pursue careers in this field.

This includes the Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme to support women students from low-income households studying computer science and related engineering courses at UK universities, and Amazon’s support for the national Connecting STEM Teachers programme, a network for teachers across all STEM subjects that ensures they have the knowledge and confidence to engage a greater number and wider spectrum of school students with STEM. The programme works with 1,000 schools and operates across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The ‘Engineering Heroes‘ films can be viewed at www.thisisengineering.org.uk/heroes.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, comments:

“The Academy, Amazon and BecomingX share an ambition to inspire and support young people to become the next generation of engineers and computer scientists. These new films carry a powerful message that anyone can follow their passion and become an engineer, and that engineering innovation is central to addressing global challenges, such as improving healthcare and tackling climate change.

“Engineering is a fantastic career if you want to make a difference, improve people’s lives and shape the future. By sharing these stories, we want to inspire many more people from all parts of society to become engineers: engineering is for everyone and we need our engineering community to better reflect the society we serve.”

Lauren Kisser, Director at Amazon’s Development Centre in Cambridge and head of Alexa AI Information, said:

“World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development is a brilliant way to inspire the next generation of future engineers and celebrate the important work engineers do to create a more sustainable future. Role models have played a crucial part in my career and I believe they are key to engaging young people, especially young women and girls, and showcasing the range of fascinating careers in engineering. By sharing the stories of our Engineering Heroes – Tim Peake, Frances Arnold, Nanxi Liu and Robert Langer – as part of our Amazon Future Engineer programme, we want to encourage the next generation to consider what an engineering and computer science career might look like.”

Paul Gurney, CEO and co-founder of BecomingX, said:

“For many young people, the thought of becoming an engineer feels like a daunting prospect. Whilst they see the benefits of phones, software, electric cars, and medical technologies, they rarely get to see the people behind these technologies and engineering projects that have revolutionised our society. This collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering and Amazon aims to change this and demystify engineers, showing young people that engineering is accessible to them, no matter what their background may be. We’re proud to feature four people in this series who all came from quite humble beginnings; people who worked hard to get to where they are, who failed on many occasions, but never gave up on their dreams of using engineering to create a better world for us all.”

For more information and interview please contact sarah.wright@raeng.org.uk, 07957626074.

Notes for Editors

1. All the films can be viewed at www.thisisengineering.org.uk/heroes. 
2. Biographies:

Professor Frances Arnold FREng became a globally recognised chemical engineer and a recipient of the Nobel Prize for chemistry

A rebellious teenager who moved out of home, Frances was often absent from school and had low grades. However, after almost perfect scores in her SATs, she was accepted to study engineering at Princeton. She went on to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering and her work on enzymes is now used in laboratories to make everything from advanced medicines to biofuels and laundry detergents. In 2018, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on enzymes, making her the first American woman to receive the award.  These achievements are made more remarkable by the fact that Professor Arnold has not only survived breast cancer but also experienced considerable loss in her life – losing both a husband and a son.

Professor Robert Langer FREng became the world’s most cited engineer and winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

Growing up in a small house in Albany, New York, Bob enjoyed maths, science and magic tricks, but he left school unsure what to do next. While studying at Cornell, he realised how much he enjoyed chemistry, which became his major. After later graduating from MIT, he received over 20 offers from oil companies, all of which he rejected, as he was driven to help others more directly. He accepted a research position at a hospital and his intense curiosity and focus led him to become the most cited engineer in history, a chemical engineering professor at MIT, and one of the leading scientists behind Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2010, and won the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the world’s leading award for engineers and engineering, in 2015.

Nanxi Liu became the co-founder of two award-winning technology companies before she was 22 

After growing up in rural China, Nanxi moved to the US aged five. She excelled at school and gained a place at UC Berkeley. Nanxi funded her studies by building and selling apps and entering hacking competitions, including winning $10,000 for an app which messaged the police. She co-founded Nanoly Bioscience, a biotech company, in her senior year of college, which helps safely store vaccines at higher temperatures. She then co-founded Enplug, a leading digital signage software company, used by thousands of companies worldwide, which was acquired. She has also won an EMMY as a TV producer, sits on the board of CarParts.com, is a concert pianist, and was recognised in the Forbes 30 under 30. She is now Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Blaze Technology, a no-code software tool.

Tim Peake CMG became the UK’s most famous astronaut, after spending six months on the International Space Station

While Tim loved physics and maths at school, he was never academically brilliant and left school on completion of his A’Levels to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Tim was always passionate about flying, and after serving in the British Army Air Corps as an officer and test pilot, he decided to apply to become an astronaut, seeing the space station as a testbed for cutting edge technologies. After the gruelling year-long selection process, he was accepted from 9,000 applicants as one of six new astronauts to join the European Space Agency. This led to Tim going on a six-month space mission and becoming a spokesperson for astronauts worldwide. During Tim’s mission, his education outreach programme reached over two million schoolchildren and continues to inspire students today. In 2019, Tim won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Rooke Award for the public promotion of engineering.

5. About This is Engineering: This is Engineering is a campaign to raise awareness of the breadth of careers in engineering and help address the significant engineering skills and diversity shortfall that is holding back growth and productivity across the UK economy. The campaign aims to give more young people, from the broadest possible backgrounds, the opportunity to take up an exciting, engaging, rewarding and in demand career. This is Engineering  is led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with EngineeringUK. The campaign has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and our corporate partners, including Amazon. More information about the campaign is available at www.thisisengineering.org.uk and @ThisIsEng on Twitter.
6. About Amazon: Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion or invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit aboutamazon.co.uk and follow @AmazonNewsUK.
7. About Amazon Future Engineer: As part of Amazon in the Community, Amazon Future Engineer is a comprehensive childhood-to-career programme aiming to inspire, educate and enable children and young adults from lower-income backgrounds to try computer science, and pursue careers in this field.
8. About Becoming X: BecomingX is a learning and development organisation that aims to create a world where everyone can realise their potential. BecomingX works with the world’s most inspiring and iconic people to understand the personal attributes that underpin high performance and to help demystify what it really takes to succeed. Combining in-depth understanding of high performance and expertise in personal development, BecomingX helps education providers and companies to build the skills, knowledge, attitudes and relationships needed to succeed. BecomingX is a ‘B Corporation’, certified to meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact and is the highest scoring education company in the UK. Visit www.becomingx.com.
9. World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) is an official International day proclaimed in 2019 by the United Nationals Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). This was based on a proposal from the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO). WED is an opportunity to celebrate engineering and the contribution of the world’s engineers for a better, sustainable world. https://worldengineeringday.net/
10. The Royal Academy of Engineering (www.raeng.org.uk) is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age. Visit www.raeng.org.uk and follow @RAEngNews.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

• Royal Academy of Engineering and Engineering Council call for a step change in ethical decision-making similar to that achieved in health and safety
• Recommendations aim to develop a world class culture of ethical behaviour in engineering

A new report, Engineering Ethics: maintaining society’s trust in the engineering profession, has been published today to ensure that ethical culture and practice become embedded in the engineering profession in the same way as health and safety considerations. The report has been produced by the joint Engineering Ethics Reference Group, established in 2019 by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council, and includes a roadmap of short-, medium- and long-term actions to embed ethical best practice. At the heart of the report is the need to retain public confidence in the ethical behaviour of engineers.

While reported public trust in engineers remains high, the ever growing expectations of society coupled with new advances in technology mean that engineers must continually evaluate how ethical behaviours need to improve and evolve. Inevitably, there are tensions between profitability, sustainability and safety that engineers seek to be aware of and need to balance.

The engineering profession has been working for many years on embedding ethical culture and practice into the profession, including operating sustainably, inclusively and with respect for diverse views. Together, such behaviours make a profession aspirational and trustworthy but require a culture of continuous improvement.

Engineering Ethics marks the next step in this work, summarising progress so far and recommending actions that reinforce benefit to society while seeking to embed an ethical culture of continuous improvement. The report encourages all engineering organisations and employers to consider what they should be doing to embed ethical thinking more strongly in all that we do.

Professor David Bogle FIChemE FREng, Chair of the Engineering Ethics Reference Group, said: “Engineers act in the service of society, making decisions that affect everyone, from small-scale technical choices to major strategic decisions that can affect the lives of millions and even the future of our planet. We want to make sure that ethical practice is at the heart of all these decisions.

“Our vision is that UK engineering ethics principles and practice are regarded nationally and internationally as world class, with ethics embedded in engineering culture such that society can maintain confidence and trust in the profession.

“Realising this goal will require collaborative action and shared responsibility. But this is essential if we are to retain public trust and attract young people into the profession who truly reflect the diversity of society and who will help achieve a sustainable society and inclusive economy that works for everyone.”

The actions suggested by the report are grouped under five themes and are all drawn from feedback from the profession, with the aim of fostering a culture of ethical debate and accountability. They will increase awareness of ethical issues within the engineering profession and improve engineers’ ability to both deal with, and call out, bad practice.

The themes are:

• Leadership and accountability Maintain position and recognition as leaders in driving ethical standards and practice forwards, where leadership means encouraging behaviours that can be practised across all levels of the engineering profession, not just by senior members.
• Education and training Support and maintain a consistent and coherent approach (across HE/FE/CPD) to improve the quality of how ethics is understood by those in the engineering profession.
• Professionalism Engage with the profession to maximise adoption of professional values, ethics and practice. Encourage engineers to ‘Think ethics before action’. Maximise the number of professionally registered individuals in the engineering community to uphold ethical practice and increase the accountability of individuals against ethical standards.
• Engagement Maximise engagement with society and industry to foster public awareness of ethics in engineering. Stress the centrality of ethics to the engineering profession, promoting debate and learn how this may influence our ethical responsibilities.
• Governance and measurement Understand ethical culture in the engineering profession, benchmark against and learn from other professions, and set targets and develop tools and guidance for future improvements.

The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council have agreed to take forward the proposed actions with the support of the professional engineering institutions and a new governance framework is proposed to manage this process. The Academy is also publishing 12 new case studies, designed for use in engineering education and for individual engineers, to illustrate ethical issues.

Professor David Bogle FREng will present the report’s recommendations at a webinar at 18.00 GMT on 21 February 2022, followed by a panel discussion with Chi Onwurah MP, Professor Chris Atkin FREng, Chair of the Engineering Council, Dr Ollie Folayan, Chair of AFBE-UK Scotland and Maitheya Riva, early career engineer representative, IOM3.

The report can be found on the Academy’s web pages here.

Notes for Editors

1. The joint Engineering Ethics Reference Group was established by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council. It operates at a strategic level with the overarching objective of providing advice and a steer to the profession about embedding a culture of ethical behaviour.

2. The 2021 Ipsos MORI Veracity Index ranked engineers sixth most trusted profession, behind nurses and doctors. https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2021-12/trust-in-professions-veracity-index-2021-ipsos-mori_0.pdf

3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
    
4. The Engineering Council holds the national Register of Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), Chartered Engineers (CEng) and information and Communication Technology Technicians (ICT Tech). It also sets and maintains the internationally recognised standards of competence and ethics that govern the award and retention of these titles. By this means it is able to ensure that employers, government and wider society, both at home and overseas, can have confidence in the skills and commitment of registrants.

Media enquiries to:

Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 (0)20 7766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

Kate Webster at the Engineering Council. Email: kwebster@eng.org.uk, Tel: +44 (0)20 3206 0567

The Engineering X Safer End of Engineered Life (SEEL) mission has appointed its first cohort of SEEL Champions, individuals in 11 different countries working in a range of industries, sectors and disciplines who are leading projects to improve the way we dismantle and dispose of engineered products and structures.

The Champions are all determined to effect change and help raise awareness of the need to plan for end of engineered life and prevent harm to human health and the environment by finding better ways to decommission and dispose of the world’s vast diversity of human-made artefacts, which now exceeds our planet’s living biomass.

From assessing the environmental impact of the disposal of medical devices in a UK hospital to the problems of decommissioning coal-fired power stations in South Africa, and the global legal, environmental, security, and safety implications of digital data ‘eternity’, the Champions are tackling a wide range of urgent challenges.

Also addressed by some champions is the open burning of solid waste, identified by the SEEL mission in its 2021 Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life as requiring urgent global action, which was discussed for the first time at COP26 and is now a topic on the agenda of the UN High Level Climate Champions.

The full list of SEEL Champions and the challenges they are addressing are:

• Osazoduwa Agboneni, Nenis Engineering Limited, Nigeria
  Safety and sustainability in the management of automotive waste.
• Shafiul Azam Ahmed, Commitment Consultants, Bangladesh
  Environmental, health, and social protection in the small-scale plastic recycling industry in Bangladesh.
• Professor Ana Basiri, University of Glasgow, Alan Turing Institute, UK
  Digital inheritance legislation and reducing the environmental impact of digital data.
• Alice Tait and Abigail Bush, Clinical Engineering Innovation, UK
  Understanding the environmental impact of low-cost medical devices and masks at Cambridge University Hospital.
• Dr Amrit Chandan, Aceleron, UK, East Africa, India and Caribbean
  Redesign of lithium battery production for safer end of engineered life and development of circular economies.
• Dr Alec Gunner, TWI Ltd, UK
  A coordinated international approach to development of probabilistic standards for quantifying structural integrity of infrastructure at end of life.
• Joseph Hwang, PT Gikoko Kogyo, Indonesia
  Scoping for a mechanical biological treatment plant to produce biogas and solid refuse-derived fuel for thermal conversion to heat and electricity.
• Mufaro Kanganga, Gwanda State University, Zimbabwe
  Sustainable de-and re-manufacturing methods for handling end-of-life mining equipment.
• Amod Karmacharya, Clean up Nepal, Nepal
  Interventions to reduce air pollution caused by open burning of waste, from engagement at policy level to raising public awareness.
• Delila Khaled, ImpaXus, Global
  Advancing women’s leadership, equity and inclusion in the waste management and recycling sector worldwide.
• Dr Deepali Sinha Khetriwal, Mike Gasser and Dea Wehril, E[co]work, India
  Inclusive solutions to improve safety for informal micro-entrepreneurs of the e-waste sector in India
• Kannika Khwamsawat, Dr Poonsak Chanchampee and Dr Siriporn Borrirukwisitsak, Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management, Thailand
  Extended Producer Responsibility for safer management of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
• Dr Opeyeolu Timothy Laseinde, University of Johannesburg/McTodd Pty, South Africa
  Safer decommissioning of coal power stations, including improved ash disposal facilities and ash reuse.
• Dr Letícia Sarmento dos Muchangos, Osaka University, Japan
  Risk assessment of landfill gas from open dumping and burning of municipal solid waste in low-income contexts
• Dr Dilipkumar A. Patel, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, Gujarat, India
  Safety and sustainability in construction demolition waste management.

Safer End of Engineered Life (SEEL) Champions will be part of a global network of experts, learning from each other, the wider SEEL programme and beyond. Through the programme, they will receive a tailored package of support including networking opportunities, communication and other resources.

Professor William Powrie FREng, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton and Chair of the Engineering X Safer End of Engineered Life programme, said: “Whenever anything is built, we need to think about how it will eventually be ‘unbuilt’ and disposed of, so that at the end of its engineered life it does not cause harm to human health or to the environment. We are identifying and connecting individuals and organisations who are already championing safety at the end of engineered life, bringing them together and providing the support they need to achieve a greater impact. The support needed will vary between individuals, topics and regions; hence we are adopting a flexible and adaptive approach.”

Dr Ruth Boumphrey, Director of Research at Lloyd’s Register Foundation and member of the SEEL programme board, said: “Often new products and structures are designed and manufactured with very little thought about what happens when these things are no longer useful—the ‘end of engineered life’. This is unsafe and unsustainable. The people who work at the end of engineered life are often overlooked and undervalued, and many work in unsafe conditions. Lloyd’s Register Foundation are proud to be supporting a diverse group of inspiring champions from around the world who are committed to shining a spotlight on these issues and improving safety across a wide range of sectors and geographies. It’s our privilege to support their work.”

More information about the champions and their projects can be found here.

Notes for Editors

1. Engineering X is an international collaboration, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, that brings together some of the world’s leading problem-solvers to address the great challenges of our age. Our global network of expert engineers, academics and business leaders is working to share best practice, explore new technologies, educate and train the next generation of engineers, build capacity, improve safety and deliver impact.

   Engineering X Safer End of Engineered Life is a five-year programme that seeks to address the global challenge of improving safety related to decommissioning, dismantling and disposal of products and structures at the end of their life. Its objectives are:

• to understand and apply practical interventions to improve safety at end of engineered life
• to build an international community of knowledge and good practice across national and sectorial boundaries for the improvement of safety in end of engineered life
• to raise awareness and public understanding of these issues

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

3. Lloyd’s Register Foundation is an independent global charity with a unique structure and an important mission: engineering a safer world. We reduce risk and enhance the safety of the critical infrastructure that modern society relies upon in areas such as energy, transport, and food.

   Our vision is to be known worldwide as a leading supporter of engineering-related research, training and education that makes a real difference in improving the safety of the critical infrastructure on which modern society relies. In support of this, we promote scientific excellence and act as a catalyst working with others to achieve maximum impact. We meet our aims by awarding grants, by direct activity, and through the societal benefit activities of our trading group, which shares our mission. Through our grant making we aim to connect science, safety and society by supporting research of the highest quality and promoting skills and education.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced the second cohort of West Midlands students to receive the Lord Bhattacharyya Higher Education bursaries, which aim to widen participation in engineering. Nine bursaries, each worth £5000 a year for three years, have been awarded to students from underrepresented groups across the region who are progressing from A Levels or technical engineering courses to degree-level engineering courses in the 2021/22 academic year.

The nine awardees are:

• Dawud Ahmed, studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Birmingham University
• Mohammed Shahid Akther, studying Aerospace Technology and Coventry University
• Farid Alhaji, studying Automotive Engineering at Coventry University
• Jamila Houmadi, studying Electronic Engineering with Foundation Year at Birmingham City University
• Iqra Khan studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Raees Kiani, studying Civil Engineering at Coventry University
• Afras Malik, studying Aerospace Systems Engineering at Coventry University
• Bianca Miller, studying Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Essex
• James Wilkes, studying Aircraft Maintenance Engineering at Solihull College & University Centre

These prestigious awards form part of the wider Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme, a five-year programme funded by the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy (BEIS) as a tribute to the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya Kt CBE FREng FRS, a renowned engineer, academic, educator and government advisor who established WMG at the University of Warwick in 1980. The programme, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in close partnership with WMG, aims to promote engineering to young people in the West Midlands from low-income backgrounds and those who are underrepresented in engineering. The comprehensive support package provided to the programme’s network of secondary schools and FE colleges aims to upskill teachers and inspire young people to take up engineering, before supporting their progression into further and higher education and into engineering careers.

Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “It’s so great to see these talented young people in the West Midlands being supported to become future engineers and technicians. The Academy is proud to help continue the engineering heritage of this region and it is vital that we work as a profession to attract a diverse workforce who will in turn bring added benefits of creativity and productivity to local businesses.”

Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, University of Warwick adds: “I would like to congratulate the second cohort of recipients of a Lord Bhattacharyya Higher Education bursary—Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was a passionate advocate of inspiring young people to follow a career in STEM. I’m absolutely delighted to see the enthusiasm of the students and the diverse range of engineering subjects that the students are passionate about”.

Applications for the third round of Lord Bhattacharyya Higher Education Bursaries will open in March 2022, for students enrolling at university in September 2022.

More information about the nine awardees can be found here.

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
2. WMG, University of Warwick, is a world leading research and education group, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes.
        As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.
        WMG’s education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.
        An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development.

Media enquiries to:

Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk
or
Lisa Harding at WMG Lisa.Harding@warwick.ac.uk  Tel +44 7824 540845

The government’s Levelling Up white paper has been published today and is available here.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, the Academy’s President, says:

“Engineering is essential if we are to pivot the UK towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy and level up areas of regional economic disparity. Reinvigorating economic prosperity across different regions of the country depends on both on engineered infrastructure, and the crucial engineering skills and innovation that make this, and many other technologies that benefit society, possible. We welcome the strong and clear priority attached to R&D and innovation, including through the R&D mission, and we will work with others to encourage the maximum leverage of private sector investment to stimulate innovation and a more inclusive economy. The commitment to better quality and more granular spatial data and the importance attached to skills is also welcome.

“As Vice Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, I am pleased to see a new Innovation Accelerator announced for the city of Glasgow. I have seen first-hand how research and innovation has helped transform areas of Glasgow and the City Region that had seen significant socio-economic challenges. I therefore encourage a continued focus on innovation endeavour to transfer the strength of our research base across the UK into technology, engineering and high-value manufacturing, to the benefit of local communities.

“The Royal Academy of Engineering is working hard to leverage research and innovation to drive economic growth across the UK. Our Regional Talent Engines programme aims to support retention and development of engineering talent within local innovation ecosystems and help ambitious and technically minded individuals to upskill, gain confidence and launch new careers as entrepreneurs. We have just launched this programme in Northern Ireland, north west England, north east England, and Yorkshire and Humber. Long term, we aim to support new business and job creation in regions across the UK and develop a community of successful engineering entrepreneurs across each region.

“In 2020 we launched the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme, a regional programme in partnership with WMG Warwick that provides engineering-focused STEM education support for students and their teachers to inspire the next generation of innovators in the West Midlands, and we look forward to linking this to the investment in this area announced today.”

Ends

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact: Tom Exall at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0691; email: Tom.Exall@raeng.org.uk