One of the largest, global defense contractors in the world has announced that they have formed a Student Cooperative Agreement (SCA) with an Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company to offer internship opportunities to Emirati students. BAE Systems will offer students chosen in cooperation with the Mubadala Development Company an intensive 18-week aerospace and security internship program in England. The SCA will also develop and operate an outreach program for school-aged children in the UAE focused on STEM careers.
The agreement was made with the full support of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and will last until 2020. Each year the program will select five full-time undergraduate engineering students to attend the 18-week program held at the BAE Military Air & Information business center in England. The students chosen for the internship will be given real world industry experiences tailored to their individual engineering disciplines. Some of the potential projects expected to be part of the program will be an evaluation of a large photovoltaic array for BAE Systems, the use of industrial robotics in aerospace and manufacturing with additive manufacturing or 3D printing technologies.
The BAE Systems building in London, England.
“This agreement is a key step towards strengthening the development of our students and the UAE’s future workforce. We’re confident that Mubadala and BAE Systems’ partnership on this initiative will supply UAE youth with the strong technical and engineering skills needed to compete in the global marketplace and ensure UAE competitiveness for generations to come. The Abu Dhabi Education Council is working to produce a solid foundation for the development of an integrated knowledge based hub for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This has been done through developing the public school curriculum with focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects,” said the Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council H.E. Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi.
BAE Systems is a massive security, defense and aerospace company that is headquartered in London, England. The company operates primarily in the UK and the United States, and they have operations worldwide, including Australia, India and Saudi Arabia. The partnership with Mubadala could be a sign that BAE is exploring the idea of developing a more prominent presence in the United Arab Emirates similar to their large presence in Saudi Arabia.
The Abu Dhabi skyline at night.
“In setting up this joint internship programme with Mubadala, BAE Systems is able to support the UAE’s ambitions of developing a significant presence in the aerospace sector, whilst sharing and transferring knowledge to the Emirati talent of both now and in the future. Education and skills development in engineering and manufacturing is at the heart of BAE Systems and we are pleased to be able to demonstrate our commitment to the UAE and its national agenda,” said BAE Managing Director, Military Air & Information Chris Boardman.
Mubadala was founded back in 2002 by the UAE government to develop and foster the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy and expand their manufacturing sector into new, high-tech markets. The company was developed to attempt to marry two goals often at odds with each other; to generate long-term, sustainable profits while also developing strong social returns throughout Abu Dhabi and all of the United Arab Emirates. Currently the company is valued at more than $66 billion and has invested in companies all over the world.
“Our partnerships with BAE Systems and ADEC comes at an opportune time for the aerospace industry in the UAE. In line with Abu Dhabi’s vision to establish a global aerospace hub, we constantly strive to contribute to the development of the country’s knowledge based economy in order to bring best-in-class technologies and practices to the region. This internship programme with BAE Systems provides students with first-hand industry experience and is a key tool for empowering and developing our national talent,” explained CEO of Aerospace & Engineering Services at Mubadala Homaid Al Shemmari.
The five-year partnership is expected to benefit the UAE students who are participating as well as giving BAE Systems access to a completely new potential pool of talented engineers. The internship will provide students with a plethora of academic and career guidance support including industry mentors. Their mentors will walk the students through the realities of the global aerospace and engineering fields and help them incorporate their experiences into the rest of their education.
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