UoM “pioneer” student wins place at Digital Academy

Six students from Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Computer Science departments have been selected to pilot the Siemens Digital Academy this summer, with University of Manchester student, Ariana Escobar Chalen, being one of those selected.

According to Siemens: “The Academy has been created to prepare high-potential undergraduates to thrive in a future of industrial digitalisation.”

The newly established scheme gives selected students £3,000 of sponsorship, up to 12 weeks of paid summer internships and an opportunity to join the Simens Graduate Scheme. The academy also offers digital training and Digital Academy Events. It aims to offer its students a “practical, collaborative space” to explore the industry and to put their academic work into a real-world context.

The list of successful applicants was unveiled at a launch event at Siemens Digital Factory in Congleton. Winners includes students from across the country; Nikhil Patel and Miles Moran from Newcastle University; Thomas Edwards from the University of Sheffield; Diana Crintea from the University of Southampton; Maryem Khan from the University of Loughborough; and Ariana Escobar Chalen from the University of Manchester .

The students were chosen after completing the Sir William Siemens Challenge, a two-day hackathon-style event, also known as “Mindsphere Live”, which was held at the University of Sheffield. The event involved 84 promising engineering students from partner universities.

Nikhil Patel said: “Being part of the Digital Academy gives me an insight into how Siemens operates as a business and it also provides me with the means to be able to make a difference.

“It gives me the opportunity to develop my technical and transferable skills whilst working on real, cutting-edge projects. I think that being a part of this scheme will help to accelerate my career progression and allow me to grow as an individual, with the help of Siemens.”

Ian Donald, Head of R&D at Siemens Digital Factory in Congleton commented: “The Digital Academy takes that experience [Mindspace live] to the next level. It illustrates that engineering is a practical subject where the real and virtual worlds co-exist and where data plays an increasingly important part in creating value.

“It’s not just about sitting at a computer, it’s really hands-on. It’s about interaction, working in teams to solve actual problems – which is what this pilot cohort will be doing this summer.”

Applications for the second ‘MindSphere Live’ competition are open now. The competition is open to 17 universities and gives those that enter the opportunity to engineer a device that fulfills a given set of criteria.

Aside from the grand prize of the Sir William Siemens Award, applicants can win internships or graduate roles, or, in Ariana’s case, a place at the ‘Digital Academy’. The winning team will also have their device displayed in the University of Sheffield MindSphere Lounge.

More information on Siemens MindSphere event and Digital academy can be found on their website.