A new scholarship funded by a London livery company in memory of renowned aircraft engineer and designer Sir Sydney Camm will allow one student a year in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing (SEC) to make a start on a career in aerospace engineering.
Following initial fundraising by the Sir Sydney Camm Commemorative Society of Windsor, Sir Sydney’s home town, the new scholarship will be funded and managed by the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers. Each summer the University will select a shortlist of candidates from students studying toward Foundation degrees in the field of Aerospace. The students will be interviewed by a panel from the Coachmakers Company and one scholarship, currently worth £4,000, will be awarded as a contribution towards fees in the ensuing top up year.
SEC Dean Professor Edith Sim said the scholarship was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved: “It is a great achievement for our School of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering and the excellent students who participate in the programmes. It builds on Kingston’s historic reputation in aeronautical engineering and is a real opportunity for our students not only to receive an award but to have a forum for meeting the leaders in this important industry for the UK economy.”
Edith said Kingston was chosen to receive the award because of its links with the memory of Sir Sydney Camm and, in particular, because it embraces support for students who may face financial constraints in pursuing their education.
The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers dates from the 17th century, when its role was to license the trade of coach and coach harness making in the City of London. Today, it has strong links with the modern transport equivalents – the automotive and aerospace industries – as well as supporting, where the skills still exist, the more ancient crafts of carriage building and harness making.
Group Captain Marcus Wills, a past Master Coachmaker and a Trustee of the Charity, said: “The Company’s charitable ethos is to provide scholarships and bursaries where individuals have shown the determination, ability and potential to succeed but, without financial assistance, might be unable to do so. In 2011, we chose Kingston to be the recipient of one such award, to contribute to the future of aerospace engineering in the UK and in memory of Sir Sydney Camm, possibly the world’s greatest-ever aircraft designer and who had such close links with Kingston.”
The Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship may be awarded to any UK student that meets the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) Aircraft Engineering Top Up. Details of this course are available at: http://www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate-course/aircraft-engineering-2013/
To apply for the Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship please send a brief C.V. along with a Personal Statement of no more than 500 words explaining how achieving an honours degree would enable you to enhance your contribution to the UK Aerospace/Aviation Industry. Your Personal Statement should also explain how your previous education and experience have prepared you for further study at honours degree level.
Submit your application by email to Nikki Phillips. Please put Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship in the Subject Field. The CV and Personal Statement should be attached to the email as separate word documents. If you are a current or past Kingston University student, please include your student number along with your application.
The deadline for applications is June 8, 2012.
Selected candidates will be interviewed during the first week of July at Kingston University.