Northrop Grumman and UAE's Higher Colleges of Technology to Host
Unmanned Aircraft Innovation Challenge
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)
of the United Arab Emirates have
signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate and explore
ways to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) education in areas that build local capacity across various
sectors in the UAE.
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Signed during the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Summit held
recently in Dubai, UAE, the
agreement continues a successful partnership between Northrop
Grumman and HCT that began in 2010. The agreement further expands
Northrop Grumman's focus on domestic and international educational
programs aimed at deepening student appreciation of and interest in
STEM programs and careers.
Since 2010, students at HCT have participated in "Innovation
Challenge" – a competition during which teams of HCT students,
mentored by Northrop Grumman engineers, gain practical experience
by designing, building and testing an unmanned aerial vehicle. The
activity culminates in a flying competition.
The 2013 Innovation Challenge unmanned aircraft competition,
which is open to the public as spectators, will be held
April 23-24 at the Zayed Cricket
Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The
competition's elements include an oral presentation on the team's
design and build of its UAV as well as a flying competition that
meets specific criteria. The winning student team will travel to
the 2013 Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
convention held in August in Washington,
D.C., and present its design to an international
audience.
"Northrop Grumman is honored to participate in, and sponsor,
this competition that encourages innovation among students in the
UAE," said Pamela Frazier,
president, Northrop Grumman International, Inc. "Innovation
Challenge supports an important element of the vision of the UAE
leadership in ensuring knowledge and technology are transferred to
younger generations. It is a perfect example of how Northrop
Grumman cultivates literacy in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics and encourages student interest in STEM programs and
careers, especially among females and other minorities."
"The 2013 Innovation Challenge will build on the great success
of the previous events and we will see our students, both male and
female, demonstrate with great skill how they are able to utilize
the knowledge they gain in their courses in such a practical,
applied and hands-on manner," said Tayeb
Kamali, HCT vice chancellor. "This competition is a clear
example of HCT's learning-by-doing philosophy, and we thank
Northrop Grumman for again committing such wonderful support to
enriching our students with these experiences in the field of
unmanned aerial vehicles."
During the Global Entrepreneurial Summit, Frazier was part of a
panel discussion on "Establishing a Unified GCC SME Ecosystem,"
during which she shared highlights of the Innovation Challenge and
the importance of continuing to provide students with innovative
opportunities that pique their interest and curiosity.
About the Higher Colleges of Technology
Founded in 1988, Higher Colleges of Technology has grown to
become the largest of the higher educational institutions in the
UAE, gaining a well-respected reputation for innovative and
experiential teaching and learning practices which incorporate
cutting-edge technologies and the latest in 21st century
methodologies. For more information on HCT, visit
www.hct.ac.ae.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government
and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation