Pictured: Alexander Smith; Jenni Fernando, Senior
Lecturer in Aviation Management; Andy Holding, Birmingham Airport
Community Affairs Manager; Deirdre Kotze, Airline Environmental
Manager at TUI Travel PLC; Dr Yang Dai, Senior Lecturer in Aviation
Management; Marc Watkins, Coventry Airport's Business Development
Manager; Ashley Bannister
Coventry University is celebrating its first group of
high-flying graduates, as this year sees the first cohort of
students to be awarded a BSc (Hons) degree in Aviation Management.
The course was introduced in 2008 by the Faculty of Engineering and
Computing and gives students insight and valuable hands-on
experience from partnership working and placement opportunities
with organisations in the industry.
Following the graduation ceremony at Coventry Cathedral, on
Thursday 24 November 2011, three special industry awards were
presented to outstanding students by professional partners Coventry
Airport, Birmingham Airport and TUI Travel PLC, at an event held in
The Hub, the new heart of the University campus.
Ashley Bannister received the Coventry Airport Prize for the
Best Degree Student, based on his final year performance; while
Alexander Smith gained a double accolade, being awarded the
Birmingham Airport Prize for Outstanding Overall Performance and
the TUI UK and Ireland Prize for Best Final Year Project, for his
thesis on reducing aircraft fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
Coventry University's Senior Lecturer in Aviation Management,
Jenni Fernando said:
"Coventry University is delighted to have such a close working
relationship with Coventry Airport, Birmingham Airport and TUI
Travel PLC. The programme of site visits, work placements and
graduate employment provided by our industry partners is of huge
benefit to the students and really places them one step ahead for
their chosen career paths."
Currently a final year student is working part time in TUI's
Coventry office, following a successful paid internship last year
at the company's base in Luton.
Deirdre Kotze, the Airline Environmental Manager at TUI Travel
PLC gave an industry seminar to students regarding TUI's
Environmental Strategy, following the presentation of awards in The
Hub. She said:
"Working in partnership with universities like Coventry is key
to the success of TUI's placement scheme and helps us build on our
reputation as a leading company to work for. We hope that the link
between Aviation Management Students and TUI, by the provision of
placements and the employment of graduates, will go from strength
to strength in the future."
Birmingham Airport Community Affairs Manager, Andy Holding
said:
"It is vital for the future of aviation in the Midlands that
high-calibre individuals are committed to joining our industry.
Birmingham Airport is delighted to recognise Alexander Smith's
achievements and the growing reputation of the BSc Aviation
Management course at Coventry University.
"In return for hosting visits and supporting academic staff with
our own experience and expertise, we've directly benefitted from
the quality of teaching that the University provides, through
hosting work-experience placements where students have been able to
provide invaluable additional research capacity. More recently
we've employed our first graduate from the course."
Coventry Airport's Business Development Manager, Marc Watkins
said:
"Coventry Airport is delighted to give the prestigious award for
Best Degree Student to Ashley Bannister, at the start of what will
surely be a flourishing career in aviation. In addition to
sponsoring this award and supporting aviation students at their
graduation ceremony, Coventry Airport has had three student interns
over the last year.
"It was a natural choice for Coventry Airport to partner up with
the University when looking for student interns to help the Airport
forward in its growth and development; and these students have been
a great asset to the Airport and are a credit to Coventry
University and its scholastic values. Both parties have genuinely
benefited from this relationship, with students gaining relevant
work experience to bolster their CVs, and the Airport having access
to the fresh innovative thinking that comes from working with
members of a course such as this."
Students who wish to further their knowledge of the aviation
industry can apply for postgraduate courses at Coventry University,
choosing from either an Air Transport Management MSc or Aviation
Management MBA, or graduates may embark on research studies at the
end of their BSc course.
For more information about Coventry University, please visit
their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk