DUBAI — Airbus Group and the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) have named Professor Fadi Aloul of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates recipient of the 2015 Award for Diversity in Engineering Education.
The award was presented by Charles Champion, executive vice president airbus engineering and patron of the diversity award, at the GEDC annual meeting in Adelaide, Australia. In addition to the global visibility, which the award offers, Professor Aloul receives a significant financial contribution to support his work.
“We are convinced at Airbus Group that diversity fosters innovation, performance and engagement,” said Thierry Baril, chief human resources officer of Airbus Group. “We need talented and diverse engineers to remain at the forefront of our innovative and fascinating industry. That’s why Airbus Group is working hand in hand with the education sector to build and secure a diverse talent pipeline.”
Professor Aloul was selected as the Award recipient for his key role in developing a common first-year program at the AUS, which introduces undergraduate students to the engineering profession, stimulating their critical thinking, creativity and innovation.
Two other finalists, who presented their projects to a distinguished international jury included Professor Martin Baumann from Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, Germany and Associate Vice Provost Renetta Tull of the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, US.
“This year, the Jury had the opportunity to assess three outstanding candidates, whose work focuses on very different areas. At Airbus Group, we are committed to continuously building a diverse and inclusive workforce, and to encouraging all forms of diversity, as so well illustrated by this year’s Award recipient,” said Champion. — SG
