Professor Sam Cruchley
Deputy Director of Education for EPS
Sam Cruchley is a Professor in Materials Education within the School of Metallurgy and Materials
Engineering and Science Leadership Academy
Developing the next generation of leaders in UK industry.
University of Birmingham, in partnership with the ERA Foundation, has created the Engineering and Science Leadership (ESL) Academy — a pioneering extra-curricular programme designed to create a pipeline of engineering-trained leaders who possess the strategic vision, interdisciplinary expertise and systems-thinking required to drive innovation, lead complex organisations, and navigate the challenges of the 21st century.
Inspired by the successful models at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and tailored to the UK's unique industrial landscape and talent needs, the Academy equips our most ambitious and motivated engineering and physical science students with the leadership capabilities, entrepreneurial mindset, and real-world experience needed to thrive in senior roles across all engineering and science sectors.
The programme is built on a fundamental principle: it is far more effective to develop leadership and business skills in individuals who already possess deep technical expertise than to teach technical fluency to those from non-technical backgrounds. Engineers and scientists are systems thinkers, understand data and statistics, and are fluent in the technologies shaping the future. When empowered with strategic, commercial, and interpersonal skills, they become uniquely capable of leading innovation from the front.
Why University of Birmingham?
• University of Birmingham is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. As a Russell Group institution with a globally recognised College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, we combine academic excellence with a deep commitment to civic and industrial impact.
• Our faculty includes internationally renowned researchers and educators, with many holding direct experience working with industry and government. Combined with our community of over 40 Industrial and Honorary Professors, including those with advisory appointments within UK government departments, we have the right balance of expertise.
• Not only this but our students are among the highest achievers in the UK, and with Birmingham being one of the most targeted university by top graduate employers according to the Highfliers Graduate Market report.
Programme Structure
The Academy operates across two stages, designed to develop increasingly sophisticated leadership skills.
Engineering and Science Leadership Academy (ESL 1)
Engineering and Science Leadership Academy (ESL 1)
A highly selective 12-month extra-curricular programme for our highest-potential undergraduate and postgraduate students. Delivered through ten interactive and experiential half-day workshops held fortnightly, each session is led and facilitated by a combined group of industrial and academic leaders chosen for their subject-matter expertise and ability to provide inspiring, insightful input from their leadership experience.
The programme covers core capabilities adapted from MIT's Gordon Engineering Leadership Programme and enhanced for the UK context:
- Effective communication and building relationships
- Developing people and teams
- Developing vision and selling proposals
- Delivering change and transformation
- Project management and organisational structures
- Understanding and influencing stakeholders
- Creating high-performance teams
- Financial management and control
- Taking initiative and making decisions with uncertainty
- Leading with ethics, integrity and courage
Students develop these skills through real-life examples, group-based case studies and role-play activities. Each participant submits a reflective portfolio including a personal development action plan, with successful completion formally recognised by the University.
In addition, participants benefit from mentoring from experienced industry leaders, networking opportunities with senior professionals, and dedicated funding to support personal and professional development.
Advanced Engineering and Science Leadership Academy (ESL 2)
Advanced Engineering and Science Leadership Academy (ESL 2)
The most promising ESL 1 graduates are invited to apply for the Advanced Academy, which consolidates their learning through active application of leadership skills. ESL 2 includes:
- Comprehensive 1-to-1 mentorship from an industry leader, tailored to individual development needs
- A funded eight-week executive summer internship with a major UK company, working with or for a senior leader on a challenging improvement project
Students emerging from ESL 2 will have the skills necessary to accelerate their careers towards senior technical leadership roles, with strong innovation and entrepreneurship understanding and deepened industry-university collaboration.
Who Can Apply?
The Academy is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences who aspire to be future leaders in UK industry or entrepreneurs, and who demonstrate motivation, ambition, curiosity, independence, resilience, and leadership potential. Only current College of Engineering and Physical Science students are eligible and must apply via the internal application form. More information on this can be found on the student intranet page.
Our Ambition
Beyond Birmingham, the Academy is designed to serve as a model for the wider Higher Education sector. We aim to inspire and collaborate with other universities, industrial partners, and professional engineering institutions to scale up leadership development across the UK and beyond. By doing so, we will help build a national ecosystem that invests in the next generation of engineering-trained leaders - those who will shape the future of the UK economy.
How to get involved
We would welcome current leaders (or companies) who are passionate about the development of future Science and Engineering leaders to contribute their knowledge and experience to this exciting new initiative.
Your involvement could be via:
- Joint leadership of one our capability workshops
- Delivery of workshop content, such as presentations, case studies, tutorials, Q&A
- Individual and/or group mentoring
- Support of networking events with student delegates
- Sponsorship of impact internships for ESL2 delegates
Partner with us
If you are a university interested in exploring how the ESL Academy model could work at your institution, or a company looking to invest in the pipeline of future engineering and science leaders, we would love to hear from you.
Staff
Brian Robb
Industrial Professor – Engineering Systems
Professor Samuel Brian Robb is Deputy Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Group and Industrial Professor of Engineering Systems.
Dr Philip Craven
Associate Professor in Chemistry Education
Staff profile for Dr Philip Craven
Contact us
Contact us
Please get in touch to learn more:
- Andy Hammond, Alumni Relations Manager
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences