BAE Systems

BAE Sytems has a long history of commitment to education at all levels and recognises the importance of investing in the education and skills of young people. In the UK it has an extensive education programme which includes a school road show, online curriculum support for teachers and young people and work experience opportunities. It was because of this commitment to education that it was keen to be involved in the UK-India Education and Research Initiative and to build on their existing presence in India .

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 .

BAE Systems considers corporate responsibility as a part of everyday management of a responsible business . It invests in socila upliftment and environment awareness programmes around the world . At the HE level , they have strategic partnerships with 40 colleges and universities to build engineering research capabilities and improve graduate recruitment .
Their involvement as a Corporate Champion in UKIERI is across three strands namely Higher Education, Schools and the Professional & Technical Skills strand. BAE Systems has a business footprint in Bangalore which includes a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd which is based in Bangalore .  

BAE SYSTEMS' ENGAGEMENT WITH UKIERI SCHOOL CLUSTERS

BAE Systems has been concerned about the falling number of students choosing to study engineering and technology courses To help address this, they run a worldwide education programme aimed at encouraging young people throughout their academic careers to take an interest in Science & Technology Within UKIERI, BAE Systems sponsors the Yorkshire Bangalore cluster which has science and engineering as one of its focus areas A lead secondary school and its feeder primary schools from Brough, near Hull, where BAE Systems has a major site, have been identified to link up with schools in Bangalore.

BAE Systems areas of interests in UKIERI

• Higher Education /Research Systems Engineering Research ( Collabration between University of Leicester and IIS Bangalore )
• PTS :  Interest in "Train the Trainer" programme, which may relate to its training programmes in Brough, and may involve apprentices. (Partnership between Ayr College Scotland and ITI Karnataka initiated )
• Schools : Interested in schools links for its UK centres in Brough and Derby (School cluster Partnership between Yorkshire and Bangalore doing well )
  
  Visit the BAE Systems website .

BP

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.

Visit the BP website.

GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline 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 Through its science education programmes, 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.

GSK is one of the four Corporate Champions of the UK India Education and Research Initiative In addition to funding support, GSK supports the UKIERI-GSK graduate chemist trainee programme, through which they offer fully funded work placements to young Indian Chemistry Post-Graduate students, to spend a year in the UK in either their Research and Development or Global Manufacturing Departments This significant contribution to the PTS strand of UKIERI adds to the Initiative's key objectives, which is to bring about a step change in the UK-India education and research relationship.  

UKIERI-GSK Work Placement Programme  

The UKIERI-GSK partnership exemplifies in fair measure, a robust mutually beneficial partnership between a government supported Initiative and the industry. GlaxoSmithKline are one of the four Corporate Champions of UKIERI, ( the others being BAE systems , BP and Shell ) all of whom have made considerable funding contribution to UKIERI , besides providing professional expertise and support to all the strands of the Initiative . Besides supporting UKIERI with their substantial funding contribution, GlaxoSmithKline contribute to UKIERI by providing work placement opportunities to bright young chemistry post graduate students, tapped from almost 50 leading Higher Education institutions from all parts of India . The students are given exceptional opportunities to work on cutting edge research projects in GSK facilities in the UK– many of which contribute to innovative drug discovery programmes. The students have given very positive feedback on having shared the best practise in R & D from a global pharmaceutical leader. The partnership contributes strongly to the overarching UKIERI objective of improving the understanding of education and research between the two countries.

UKIERI facilitates this fairly resource intensive partnership with a comprehensive, time bound process each year , on which the UKIERI team works closely with the GSK team . A special secretariat is set up for this project for almost seven months of the year , through which the programme is promoted in leading Indian Institutions via specially designed collateral ,  the database of the applications is managed , screening and evaluation conducted , interviews organised . Both teams work jointly on  facilitating contracts , credentials and background checks , visa and travel details , banking and taxation advice , accommodation and travel to the UK and even monitor performance and experiences later on . GSK have provided excellent care to help settle the students and very valuable professional experience thereafter .

Albeit a resource intensive one , this is clearly one of the model corporate partnerships of UKIERI . Team GSK has hailed it as a ‘highly successful partnership with a very effective team , slick processes and excellent working relationships .'

GSK's areas of interests in UKIERI

Research / Higher Education

• 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.
• Application of unvariate and multivariate sensor technology to the above and statistical process control techniques to assure outcomes.
• Mathematical modelling and simulation of the above processes.

Professional & Technical Skills

• Work placement opportunity for up to 20 bright graduate trainee chemists from leading Indian universities each year for R&D and GMS, is a key area of interest to GSK .

Visit the GlaxoSmithKline website .

Shell

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 them- economically, socially and environmentally. Shell is perhaps best known to the public for the 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. They 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. 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 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.

Although Shell's biggest contribution to society is through its products, the energy and petrochemicals that growing economies need, its operations also make a strong, positive contribution to development of society at large. Shell supports the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) as a valued Corporate Champion , and its aims to create a ‘step change' in the educational and relationship relationship between India and the UK , so that in the longer term the two countries become each other's partner of choice in education .

Shell believes that by strengthening inter-institutional collaborations and promoting stronger links to industry and related communities, such an initiative will lead ultimately to India and the UK being each other's preferred partner.

SHELL'S ENGAGEMENT WITH UKIERI SCHOOL CLUSTERS

Shell has been a proactive supporter of the UKIERI School strand. The cluster between Bristol City UK and New Delhi II has been assigned to Shell for sponsorship. The focus area of this cluster is Environmental Sciences with cross curricular involvement. Senior memmbers of the Shell staff have been involved in interaction with the Head Teachers of their Cluster and have specially conducted a planned visits to each of the six cluster schools to meet with the teachers and the students and identify areas in which they could further support the partnership. They have also engaged proactively with the UKIERI Bangalore School cluster .

SHELL'S AREAS OF INTEREST IN THE HE STRAND

Shell's areas of interest have been modified and published in all the UKIERI Research Awards call for bids as:

• Smart technologies to manage and operate oil production
• CO2 Sequestration
• Petroleomics- Understanding of Crude oils at molecular level
• Physical Property correlation to molecular structures
• Clean Coal Technology
• Chemo metrics

SHELL SUPPORTS A PTS PARTNERSHIP IN PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
The project aim is to develop skilled Indian technicians through a joint development and delivery programme between Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering and Dundee College , with support from Shell Technologies India , Bangalore . The skills that will be developed through this training programme will include experimental skills such as synthesis, chemical plant operations, analytical skills and process control, as well as employability skills including team working, basic statistics, data handling and computer skills.

The key outcome of this project will be the design of a programme to train technicians and operators for the petrochemical or other industrial R&D centres such as the Shell Technology Centre in Bangalore .

Visit the Shell website .