An Engineering and Science Leadership Academy designed to tackle key ‘real-world’ skills gaps among students is being launched by the University of Birmingham.
l-r: Professor Sam Cruchley, University of Birmingham; Andrew Everett, CEO, ERA Foundation; Sir Alan Rudge, President, ERA Foundation; Professor Marika Taylor, University of Birmingham; Dr Paul Golby, Board Member, ERA Foundation; Professor Brian Robb, University of Birmingham.
Funded by the ERA Foundation, the academy is designed to equip talented undergraduate and postgraduate students with leadership and entrepreneurship skills, as well as real-world experience.
The ERA Foundation, established in 2000 as the sole descendant of the UK Electrical Research Association, exists to support UK engineering and manufacturing, innovation, and skills development programmes. It has committed £235,000 to support the Academy over four years.
The core aim of the Academy is to address a perceived shortage in the pipeline of engineering-trained leaders who also have industry-critical skills necessary to drive innovation and lead complex organisations.
Based on a successful model developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the programme will be developed and delivered in collaboration with industry leaders and professional engineering institutions.
Its underlying principle is that it is more effective to teach leadership and business skills to engineers and scientists with technical expertise, than to teach technical fluency to non-scientists.
The world-class research and strong industrial links at the University of Birmingham opens a wealth of opportunity and we are excited to see the Academy develop.
Sir Alan Rudge, who gained his PhD at Birmingham in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in 1968, and who is President of the ERA Foundation, said: ‘The ERA Foundation’s core purpose is to grow and support UK high-tech manufacturing which includes developing new engineering talent and promoting excellence and entrepreneurship throughout the sector. The world-class research and strong industrial links at the University of Birmingham opens a wealth of opportunity and we are excited to see the Academy develop.’
Programme lead, Professor Sam Cruchley, said: ‘This Academy will enable us to nurture a new wave of industry-ready leaders. As it becomes established, it will also serve as a model for the UK higher education sector, expanding collaboration opportunities between universities and industrial partners to scale up leadership development across the UK.
‘Our aim is to help to build a national ecosystem that invests in the next generation of engineering-trained leaders who will shape the future of the UK economy.’
We warmly invite experts from the University's alumni community to contribute their knowledge and experience to this exciting new initiative, which could be through the delivery of lectures or mentoring. If you are interested in getting involved, contact Andy Hammond, Alumni Relations Manager, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Profile of Professor Marika Taylor, Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Birmingham
Deputy Director of Education for EPS
Sam Cruchley is a Professor in Materials Education within the School of Metallurgy and Materials
Industrial Professor – Engineering Systems
Staff profile for Samuel Brian Robb.
