Number of scholarships for engineering education to treble in next two years

The ABB Jürgen Dormann Foundation for Engineering Education, which supports talented but needy students, is holding its first international meeting for student scholars from around the world. More than 30 scholars from six countries are attending a week of events in Switzerland.

Gary Steel, chairman of the foundation’s board and head of ABB Human Resources, told a meeting at ABB’s corporate research center in Dättwil that the number of current scholarships – about 50 – would treble in the next two years.

The meeting included presentations from ABB executives, including Joe Hogan, CEO, and Peter Terwiesch, head of Research and Development. Jürgen Dormann, after whom the Foundation is named, also attended. Foundation scholars from Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Mexico and Poland took part in the meeting, along with Swiss students and ABB interns and trainees.

“ABB is extremely proud of the foundation’s work in supporting engineering education in emerging markets,” said Steel. “The week of events that has been organized for the scholars represents a tremendous opportunity for them to work together on a variety of engineering projects, to exchange ideas and learn different approaches.”

During their visit, the students are working on and presenting engineering projects, and will visit ABB centers and the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, as well as having time for sightseeing in central Switzerland.

The ABB Jürgen Dormann Foundation for Engineering Education was set up in Baden, Switzerland, in 2007 to honor Dormann’s achievements as former ABB chairman and CEO. It provides scholarships to talented electrical engineering students in different parts of the world who can prove a high standard of academic achievement and who need financial support to continue their studies.

The students receive scholarships for a maximum of four to five years, and attend at least one international meeting organized by the foundation during that time. They also receive mentoring from ABB specialists in their home country.

Partnership agreements have been signed with universities in six countries. Discussions are under way to extend the program to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.