New aviation scholarship for women at Swinburne
In Summary
- Swinburne offers new aviation scholarship for women, funded by the International Aviation Women’s Association
- Swinburne is the first university in the Asia-Pacific Region to offer this scholarship
- Applications close on 31 January 2019
Swinburne is the first university in the Asia-Pacific region to offer a new aviation scholarship for women.
Funded by the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA), the scholarship is open to domestic and international students.
“Over the past few years, Swinburne has been committed to improving opportunities for women in science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM),” says Professor Zheng Lei, Swinburne Department of Aviation Chair.
“This new scholarship will enable young women to reach their full academic potential and realise their passion for an aviation career by subsidising their study costs.”
Supporting a new generation
The scholarship arose following a worldwide study tour by Swinburne aviation students. As part of this tour the students visited Fedex Express in Memphis, Tennessee and met Bobbi Wells, Vice President, Safety and Airworthiness, Air Operations and IAWA President-Elect. She approached the board to fund a scholarship.
IAWA Vice President, Next Generation, Kathryn Callahan, says IAWA is committed to helping those who are seeking to join the industry.
“The IAWA board was impressed with the diversity and global outreach efforts of Swinburne University of Technology and believes it is important during the course of a career to develop a professional network, have contacts, and build presence in the industry.
“Through our scholarship programs, IAWA is able to support the development of women who are passionate about careers in aviation and aerospace,” Ms Callahan says.
She encourages young women pursuing careers in aviation and aerospace to add their names to IAWA’s mailing list and participate in their events.
Applying for scholarship
The scholarship is valued at A$6,500 for one year.
The recipient will be required to attend the IAWA 2019 International Conference in Lima, Peru. All expenses will be covered by IAWA.
Applications close on 31 January 2019.
Swinburne and gender equity
Swinburne was one of the first Australian universities to join the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot to improve the promotion and retention of women and gender minorities in STEM.
The university has long been a champion of gender equity and for the past nine consecutive years has been recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Women.