ABB supports launch of engineering scholarship programme for Africa
Curated by ETH Zurich and Ashesi Accra and in close collaboration with leading global technology Swiss multinational companies ABB, Barry Callebaut, Bühler, LafargeHolcim and Nestlé, this programme for highly-talented engineering students aims to ensure that graduates effectively contribute towards economic development across Africa through the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive and sustainable future.
Once all upcoming milestones have been achieved, this first-of-its-kind master’s programme is set to begin in August 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. It will be facilitated by Ashesi University, while the education and lecture programme will be driven by both Ashesi University and ETH Zurich. This collaborative approach is designed to support capacity building through the development and strengthening of skills, processes and resources required to drive the success of the programme, establish its sustainability beyond this initial collaboration and foster knowledge transfer between the two institutions.
“ABB is excited to be part of such an impactful initiative that aims to bridge the gap between higher education and the reality of working in industry,” said Carolina Granat, Head of People Development at ABB. “At ABB, we remain committed to educating and training highly-skilled leaders and entrepreneurs who can accelerate economic and social development by applying global innovations to solve complex problems in Africa.”
ABB’s contribution to this programme continues the company’s longstanding support for education in communities across the world, from providing mobile science laboratories for underprivileged students in India and mentoring young engineers in Hungary to Instituto ABB’s 20+ years educating children from the favelas of São Paulo.
The programme is targeted at undergraduate students with an engineering background across any country in Africa. Intake is limited to 25 to 30 students, with the best candidates identified using an assessment process that considers knowledge, skills, motivation and leadership potential. Parallel to the assessment process, the scholarships will be awarded purely based on academic merit. Students admitted to the programme will receive financial support in the form of a scholarship covering living expenses and tuition fees.
Thecurriculum for the collaborative master’s programme is focused on providing a modern, interdisciplinary engineering education over six semesters and will include lectures and project work. It will focus on Mechatronics Engineering, with a close attention to automation and production in the disciplines of design, optimisation and control and management of manufacturing processes, machines and systems.
Students will be expected to develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will enable them to apply their knowledge to new products and/or dedicated solutions for Sub-Saharan Africa. They will also be required to complete an industrial internship with a partner such as ABB to continue to drive leadership in technology and innovation within the duration of the programme to accumulate the credits required to graduate. Upon completion of the three-year programme, graduates will receive a degree title from both ETH Zurich and Ashesi University.
ABOUT ABB
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
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