AUS Leads The Arab World In Airbus Fly Your Ideas Competition

Three-member AUS Team Cr8 competes for global glory from among 100 teams from around the world

AUS Team Cr8 project selected for Round Two is about “Energy harvesting using piezoelectric floor panels to increase aircraft sustainability and efficiency by integrating ground and in-flight harvesting mechanisms.”

American University of Sharjah (AUS), ranked one of the top 450 universities worldwide by QS World University Ranking, announced today that its Team Cr8 is the only team from the Arab world to move on to Round Two of Airbus Fly Your Ideas Competition. More than 600 teams from Universities across the world had submitted their project ideas in Round One of the competition. The AUS Team Cr8 is now among the 100 teams from around the world as they compete for recognition at a global level with their innovative ideas to shape the future of flight.

UNESCO has given patronage to the 2013 edition of the Fly Your Ideas competition to help advance engineering education which is focused on finding solutions for a sustainable future. The contest challenges students worldwide to develop ideas for a more sustainable global aviation industry.

The three-member AUS Team Cr8 consists of Nabeel Kassim Electrical Engineering junior student, Bharath Raghavan Master of Mechanical Engineering student and Sandhya Raghavan Civil Engineering junior student. Their concept, that made it to the second round of the competition, is about “Energy harvesting using piezoelectric floor panels to increase aircraft sustainability and efficiency by integrating ground and in-flight harvesting mechanisms.” In other words, their concept is about capturing electricity and reducing its wastage as it is produced by pressure exerted during the course of operation of an aircraft.

Round Two teams, including AUS Cr8, have until 12th April 2013 to explore, test and develop their concepts and to deliver a 5,000 word report that includes charts, calculations and a short video. While the idea remains in the hands of the students, an Airbus mentor and expert are assigned to each team to support, inspire and challenge the competitors. More than 200 Airbus mentors, assessors and experts are involved in the process of selecting the five final teams who will present their concepts to a panel of Airbus and industry experts at Airbus in Hamburg, Germany on 12th June 2013. The Awards Ceremony will take place in Paris on 13th June 2013 at the UNESCO headquarters. At stake, are the first prize of €30,000 and the chance for the winning team to host an ’innovation week’ on campus run by Airbus experts. The runner up team wins €15,000.

Congratulating the selected students who make up Team Cr8, AUS Chancellor Dr. Peter Heath said: “It is a great achievement by our students to be the only team from the Arab world that has made it to the second round of this high-profile global competition. It is a unique opportunity for our students to make their reputations in one of the fastest growing sectors in the UAE even before they graduate. I wish success to members of Team Cr8 and assure them of our full support in the studies and research that they would like to conduct in their quest for glory.”

Cr8 Team member Nabeel Kassim said: “Over 600 teams worldwide got shortlisted down to 100 teams - not only are we one of the 100, Team, Cr8 is the only team in Arab world to have qualified. That itself is an achievement for us.

“‘While our idea is good, there were over 600 other teams out there with good ideas. When we got an email from Airbus confirming that we qualified for Round Two, it seemed unreal! Being given the chance, we plan on giving it our best and hopefully are one of the top five."

Cr8 Team member Bharath Raghavan said: “I’m extremely grateful to Airbus for presenting us with this wonderful opportunity because regardless of the outcome, the knowledge and experience we get is priceless."

Cr8 Team member Sandhya Raghavan said: “It is an honor and privilege to be chosen from amongst so many teams worldwide. We will do our best to make AUS proud."

Fly Your Ideas competition is open to teams of three to five students of any nationality or discipline. To qualify, each participant must be studying a Bachelors, Masters or PhD-level qualification and must be a registered student at a recognised degree awarding institution until 30th April 2013.

AUS, recently ranked among the top 450 universities worldwide by QS World University Ranking, is also accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates and by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States.

Emirate:  Sharjah

Date: Feb 19, 2013

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