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Cheers of celebration echoed across campus as staff and students celebrated the achievements of the latest cohort of graduates from WMG, University of Warwick. A highlight of the University calendar and the pinnacle of every student’s academic journey, this year’s summer degree congregations saw 305 students awarded their degrees from WMG.

The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme has been inspiring young people to learn about engineering and the rewarding careers it offers since 2020. Five years on, schools and colleges from the West Midlands have come together to celebrate its impact.

Led by the Royal Academy of Engineering in close partnership with WMG, University of Warwick, the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme provides a comprehensive package of engineering-focused science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) support. This includes grants to schools and colleges; teacher networking and CPD opportunities; funded industrial secondments; and individual FE and HE student scholarships.

The WMG Outreach team at University of Warwick was delighted to welcome a brand-new cohort of students for its Work Experience Week this summer (Monday 7 July to Friday 11 July). Launched in 2019, the annual event – which is organised by WMG Outreach and the University’s Widening Participation team – aims to foster inclusivity in engineering by giving students from under-represented backgrounds the chance to meet new people, learn new skills, and explore what a career in STEM could look like.

Representatives from the world of trade gathered for the inaugural launch of a new organisation which aims to support women in trade and address the export gap.

The Women in Trade Hub UK (WiTH UK), created by WMG, University of Warwick with the support of the Chartered Institute of Export & International TradeLink opens in a new window, aims to create a community, bringing together existing resources while being responsive to the needs of female entrepreneurs.

Barriers to break 

Noting that women face “systemic barriers” in business and trade, Dr Rebecca Wilde, Head of Business Innovation, Supply Chain and Trade at WMG, University of Warwick, said that WiTH UK will serve as a community that can “empower women, and empower men who support women, in trade management and operational roles.”

Highlighting the many “great organisations out there globally that support women in trade,” Dr Wilde said there’s a lot of work to be done to boost the proportion of women-led trading SMEs and women in senior positions at larger trading organisations.

Engineering students are putting the finishing touches to their projects in preparation for a series of international challenges and competitions.

As part of its commitment to enhancing the student experience, WMG offers a variety of multi-disciplinary, student-led engineering projects at the undergraduate level, with connections to industry partners.

These projects help students develop essential skills such as time and risk management, teamwork, and practical hands-on experience, with each member of the team assigned a specific role and area of responsibility – from engineering and technical leads, to marketing and sales support. The projects have a strong track record of producing highly employable graduates for industry and academia.

Congratulations to a group of female engineering students who have been named as finalists at the Autocar Great Women: Rising Stars awards.

There was a total of seven WMG Degree Apprenticeship students, recognised in the Apprentice category, with six employed by JLR and one from Bentley.

Three of the students, Erin Purewal; Amy Flavell and Keishe Gopikrishna, are studying on the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions (DTSLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window) programme.

A further four, Alexandra Spurway, Beth Daniel, Charlotte Bradford and Emily Ruscoe, are studying on the BEng Applied Professional Engineering Programme (APEPLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window) programme.

Professor Robin ClarkLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Dean of WMG, visited China recently to strengthen connections and explore new opportunities.

During his trip he attended The University of Warwick’s offer holder event in Beijing, engaging with nearly 300 prospective students and their parents.

He also met with leadership at Beijing City University (BCU)Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window and visited East China University of Science (ECUST) in Shanghai – a long-term partner of WMG. On the research side, Professor Clark spent time strengthening partnerships with Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JIITRI), the National Innovation Centre par Excellence (NICE) and industrial partner Pujing Chemicals.

With a shared commitment to bring together academia and industry in battery research and development, WMG at The University of Warwick and the Faraday InstitutionLink opens in a new window have partnered to deliver a bespoke training programme to help bridge the skills gap in the UK battery sectorLink opens in a new window.

As the UK accelerates towards a more sustainable, electric future there is a rapidly growing demand for skilled researchers and engineers in battery technology and innovation. The Faraday Institution, the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research and battery skills development, understands the growing demand for next-generation researchers to help support the ever-evolving battery industry.

Seeking a unique training solution to equip its PhD students and early career researchers with up-to-date knowledge and skills in the latest technological advancements in batteries, the Faraday Institution partnered with the WMG Skills CentreLink opens in a new window to establish the WMG-Faraday Battery School. Now in its seventh year, the industry-aligned 4-day programme recently welcomed 30 PhD students to WMG’s Energy Innovation Centre, bringing the total number of upskilled researchers to 240.

Edward Motson, a BSc Cyber SecurityLink opens in a new window graduate from WMG at The University of Warwick, was named as the Fred Piper Award Winner at ‘CIISec LIVE’ in Bristol.

In honour of Professor Fred Piper, this national award is presented by The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) to celebrate outstanding students, not only for academic achievements but for contributions to the cyber community too.

Those nominated for the Fred Piper Award have previously been awarded the titles of Best Student or Best Project by CIISec’s Academic Partners, as part of CIISec's Student of the Year Awards.