BAE Systems is the premier transatlantic defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With more than 100,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded GBP £15.4 billion (USD $28 billion) in 2005.

To help address the falling number of students choosing to study engineering and technology, BAE Systems run a worldwide education programme aimed at encouraging young people throughout their academic careers to take an interest in science and technology. BAE Systems support education in Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the US. Their 2005 Corporate Responsibility Report focused on four key issues for the business, including education.

In the UK, BAE Systems Schools Roadshow has visited 134 schools and over 17,000 young people have taken part – learning about the exciting opportunities in engineering. Last year they won the 2005 Edge Employer Award for their schools activity. At Further Education level, BAE Systems is the largest employer of engineering apprentices in the UK, with more than 1,000 apprentices in training. Last year they received the Employer of the Year Award at the Apprenticeship Awards 2005. This year the company received a “Big Tick” Award from Business in the Community for its education activity. And at Higher Education level BAE Systems have strategic partnerships with 20 colleges and universities in the UK to build engineering research capabilities and improve graduate recruitment.

As a Corporate Champion to the Initiative, BAE Systems is keen to be involved in all three strands: Higher Education, Professional and Technical Skills and Schools. A particularly focus has been identified in the area of Systems Engineering.

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BP is the world’s second largest oil and gas company producing around three per cent of the oil and gas consumed in the world through operations in 100 countries and more than 96,000 employees. BP’s main activities are the exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas; oil refining, marketing, supply and transportation; and manufacturing and marketing of petrochemicals. BP has a growing activity in gas, power and alternative energy businesses.

An understanding of the role of education, whether practical or theoretical, basic or advanced, underpins all of BP’s community investments. An emphasis on building skills, addressing basic needs, encouraging business developments and developing advanced technology inform BP’s analysis. Of equal importance is their commitment to engage and understand the priorities of local communities.

BP recognizes universities as powerful catalysts in a society. Their university partnerships around the world continue to create new ideas and technologies. BP anticipates its association with UKIERI will enhance India’s distinguished research culture. BP’s research interests include carbon mitigation, renewable energy, catalytic chemistry, process safety engineering, mathematical modelling, separation science, and enhanced oil recovery. BP already is engaged in a bio-diesel pilot project with the Energy and Resources Institute.

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GSK is a research-based pharmaceutical company, with operations in 119 countries. GSK make prescription medicines, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and consumer healthcare products. Their business accounts for 6.3% of the world’s pharmaceutical market. GSK have strong positions in several therapeutic areas including anti-infectives, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular, depression, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and urology.

GSK supports a range of educational programmes with the aim of developing an understanding of science issues in everyday life and inspiring young people to take up careers in science. This is part of their broad commitment to social investment that focuses on healthcare and education. The company’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report detailed its work to support science education.

Through its science education progammes, GSK works with students, teachers, government bodies and other partners to cultivate communities in which people not only understand the value that science brings to their lives, but also believe that learning about science is rewarding in its own right. In schools, GSK works to give science context: making science more relevant to young people by giving pupils access to GSK scientists and facilities; encouraging students to participate in activities such as science demonstrations and hands-on events; and sponsoring and producing resources for science teachers.

For UKIERI, GSK is offering funded places each year to Indian undergraduate and postgraduate students to spend a year in the UK in either its Research and Development or Global Manufacturing departments. Within GSK R&D, chemists in Discovery Research initiate the search for lead molecules with the desired level of potency and selectivity for a particular biological target and with suitable properties to allow further optimisation. Those based in their Centres of Excellence for Drug Discovery (CEDDs) then optimise the potency and selectivity whilst manipulating the physicochemical properties of the molecules to ensure efficient absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of the drug. In Chemical Development potential routes of synthesis are designed and evaluated. Moreover, GSK research interests include suspension mixing; low boiling point propellants and thermodynamically sensitive products; solid to solid interactions and granular material processing transport; particle size reduction technology and control; univariate and multivariate sensor technology; statistical process control techniques and mathematical modelling.

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Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. The aim of the Shell Group is to meet the energy needs of society, in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally viable, now and in the future.

Shell has operations in over 140 countries and territories and employ approximately 109,000 people. Around the globe, Shell companies work in partnership with industry, government and society to deliver what is expected of us - economically, socially and environmentally. Shell is perhaps best known to the public for our service stations and for exploring and producing oil and gas on land and at sea; but Shell deliver a much wider range of energy solutions and petrochemicals to customers. These include transporting and trading oil and gas, marketing natural gas, producing and selling fuel for ships and planes, generating electricity and providing energy efficiency advice. We also produce and sell petrochemical building blocks to industrial customers globally and we are investing in making renewable and lower-carbon energy sources competitive for large-scale use.

Shell is committed to finding environmentally and socially responsible ways to meet the world's future energy needs and have invested $1 billion since 2000 in alternative energy sources. They are a leading developer of new technology and were one of the first energy companies to acknowledge the threat of climate change and to call for action from governments, industry and energy users.

Shell works towards the UN's Millennium Development Goals, primarily through delivering the modern energy needed to lift people out of poverty, but directly through their support for local schools and education. In 2005 Shell spent $127 million on community programmes around the world, working in partnership with NGOs, national and international organisations and agencies. Their core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people define who they are and how they work. These values have been embodied for more than 25 years in the Shell General Business Principles, which since 1997, include a commitment to support human rights and to contribute to sustainable development. Their annual Sustainability Report, which is reviewed by a committee of external experts, is judged as among the best in not just its sector but in any sector.

Shell's research interests include coal beds methane recovery; smart fields; oil recovery; biomass research; biomass conversion technologies; computational fluid dynamics; and catalysis.

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