TU Delft to appoint Airbus Professor of Practice
On 6 June 2024, TU Delft and Airbus signed an agreement to select a Professor of Practice from Airbus for the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The Professor of Practice, who will be recruited in the coming period, will align the research agendas on a strategic level, but also bring in operational knowledge and experience to education, research, innovation projects and lifelong learning at the university. Henri Werij, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering: “A Professor of Practice from Airbus will bring in highly valuable strategic and operational experience from an aircraft manufacturer to our education, research and innovation projects. This will help us to develop the right technology and to get it implemented faster.” The agreement was signed at the ILA international aviation trade fair in Berlin.
Professor of Practice
A Professor of Practice is an experienced and visionary expert who holds a primary position in a non-academic organisation and who is appointed part-time at the university to bring in operational experience and knowledge. Airbus and TU Delft signed an agreement to appoint an Airbus Professor of Practice at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. Henri Werij, Dean of the faculty: “The added value of the Airbus Professor of Practice is to bring in knowledge, business trends, experience, and networks that are complementary to what we already know. Especially for making aviation more sustainable, this collaboration with the practice of an aircraft manufacturer is essential.”
“It's a great honour and important stepping stone for our mission to pioneer sustainable aerospace to have a Professor of Practice from Airbus appointed at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft University of Technology. Not only does it strengthen our ties with this top-tier university and enables us to infuse our operational expertise and insights, the new role also aligns with the recently launched Airbus Tech Hub in the Netherlands, which aims to engage the local ecosystem to propel aerospace technology and innovation." said Mark Bentall, Head of R&T Programme at Airbus.
Airbus and TU Delft have been working together on education, research and innovation for many years now. In 2023, Airbus and Delft University of Technology signed a strategic partnership agreement to advance talent and technology. The five-year pact involves collaboration on topics such as curricula development, continuous training, recruitment, inclusion and diversity, entrepreneurship education for students, sustainability, technology and innovation.