Fifth edition of UNESCO-backed award is announced at global engineering deans' conference in Canada

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Airbus, the worldwide leader in aeronautics, space and related services and the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), the leading global organisation for engineering education, have announced the recipient of the 2017 GEDC Airbus Diversity Award.

Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology's BIRDS Satellite Project was selected, with the Schulich School of Engineering: Discover Engineering Programme at Canada's University of Calgary and the Women in Engineering (WIE) Programme at the University of New South Wales in Australia as runners up.

Now in its fifth edition, the Award was developed and funded by Airbus in partnership with the GEDC, and this year was granted UNESCO patronage. It aims to shine a light on successful projects which have encouraged more people of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in engineering. Diversity has become an increasingly prominent metric for business success, with 69 percent of executives rating diversity and inclusion an important issue in 2017, up from 59 percent in 2014.

"Diversity is a cornerstone of our business and an indispensable component for our continued success," said Jean-Brice Dumont, upcoming Executive Vice President (EVP) of Engineering Airbus Commercial Aircraft, member of Airbus' Diversity and Inclusion Steering Board, and Patron of the Award.

"Diversity is not just important; it's part of Airbus' DNA. We are committed to further encouraging and enabling all types of diversity to maintain a high level of innovation in our industry. Our partnership with the GEDC is one illustration of this commitment, as we work together to identify successful projects like the one that has just been awarded to develop our next generation of diverse global engineers."