Upcoming young aerospace engineers from BAE Systems recently hosted a series of skill-building workshops and career-oriented presentations for students across Qatar.
Supported by Qatar University (QU), the weeklong visit was part of BAE Systems’ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational outreach programme, which has been actively engaging with students and educators in Qatar since 2010.
Samantha Surmon and Adam Rule, both graduate engineers in BAE Systems’ Air division in the UK, hosted workshops on the “Theory of Flight” and gave students the opportunity to explore the daily life of an engineer in a large international company. Between October 25-29, presentations were held at QU College of Engineering (CENG) while workshops were held at independent secondary schools for boys and girls.
Presentations at QU gave invaluable insights into how STEM subjects can help guide and propel careers for aspiring Qatari engineers while the workshops at secondary schools focused on aerospace engineering with special emphasis on the history of flight, Newton’s Third Law, thrust, drag, lift and air resistance. After students were briefed on key concepts of flight, they were split into groups and challenged to design and build paper aeroplanes – competing for the best design. These activities served to help the students understand the basic physics behind everyday engineering innovations such as aircraft.
Approximately 100 students attended the interactive STEM workshop.