Airbus GEDC Diversity Award Claimed by Canadian University for the 7th Time
The 7th edition of the Airbus GEDC Diversity Award, an initiative aimed at encouraging diversity in engineering education, saw a record-breaking number of entries in its history. A total of 48 projects from 43 universities and organizations across 18 countries were submitted for the competition, with the final three projects pitching to a jury in a virtual, closed session.
The Airbus GEDC Diversity Award, launched in 2012, recognizes and rewards achievements in bringing diversity into engineering education. The jury for this year's edition included Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President Engineering of Airbus Commercial Aircraft and the Patron of the Award, Şirin Tekinay, Dean of the College of Engineering at the American University of Sharjah and the GEDC Chair, Jennifer Ogle, Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Airbus France, Amanda Simpson, Vice President for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas, and Yacob Astatke, Assistant Vice President for International Affairs at Morgan State University and a 2016 GEDC Award Recipient.
One of the finalist projects was the C4: Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom initiative at York University in Toronto, Canada. This program brings together students from multiple disciplines to collaboratively solve real-world problems in partnership with external organizations. By engaging students from different academic backgrounds alongside engineering students, C4 promotes diversity in engineering education.
The interdisciplinary approach of C4 encourages teamwork across various fields of study, fostering a broad, integrative learning experience. The program helps broaden the traditional engineering curriculum to include social, economic, and environmental considerations, which aligns with fostering diversity and inclusivity in the educational process.
In its first year, the C4 initiative involved 74 students from 23 programs and 8 faculties. In the 2019-2020 academic year, the initiative chose 11 project teams to participate with off-campus partners and mentors. The program helps students recognize the value of their disciplinary skills and learn to work effectively across boundaries.
The C4 initiative's impact and value in education and community engagement were recognised when it was awarded the Albert S. Barber Award. In the seven years of the award, over 170,000 students worldwide have been directly impacted.
For their outstanding work, the C4 initiative from York University was awarded the 7th Airbus GEDC Diversity Award. The winning project was awarded a cash prize and an opportunity to work with mentors from Airbus engineering and inclusion and diversity teams.
The other finalist projects included Embracing Diversity MOOC from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and NUSTEM: Science for Families from Northumbria University, UK. Each project was evaluated on the impact of their work, evidence of results, and the potential to scale for growth.
The Airbus GEDC Diversity Award continues to play a crucial role in encouraging more people of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in engineering. The success of initiatives like C4 demonstrates the potential for diverse teams to make significant contributions to the field.
The C4: Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom initiative at York University, which promotes diversity in engineering education by bringing together students from different academic backgrounds, was recognized with the 7th Airbus GEDC Diversity Award. This award, launched in 2012, is aimed at fostering personal growth and learning through education and self-development, encouraging diversity in engineering to drive innovation. The success of initiatives like C4 highlights the potential impact of diverse teams for significant contribution in the engineering field.
