For the second year in a row, the ARBS Education and Research Foundation has awarded scholarships to two engineering students to participate in the annual design summit hosted by Engineers Without Borders.
ARBS Foundation executive officer, David Eynon, said the scholarships were awarded to RMIT University student Rohan Walsh and University of Sydney student Stephen Au.
He said Walsh travelled to Nepal while Au went to Cambodia.
“These scholarships are a great way for engineering students to see their skills as a means of providing practical support to people in remote communities or countries that lack many of the facilities we take for granted in Australia,” Eynon said.
Both students described their time overseas working in these communities as a life changing experience.
The ARBS Foundation supports education and training in the airconditioning and refrigeration industries by providing scholarships and research grants.
“In each case the team of students worked closely with the community to identify ways they could use their engineering skills and knowledge to improve the quality of life for these communities. After all that is what engineers do in practice,” Eynon said.
Engineers Without Borders has a range of programs that bring together engineers and local communities and each year a number of design summit experiences are held in Southeast Asia.
"The foundation is pleased to be able to support this program. It has a social impact on communities and brings into sharp focus the important work undertaken by engineers,” he said.