The project is aimed at encouraging engineering graduates to stay on another year to take on the specialist masters degree to develop a much-needed UK bedrock of timber engineers and "make timber engineering more attractive to school leavers and graduates".
"This is the sort of initiative widely practiced by other sectors, including rival materials industries," said advisory board chair of Napier’s Forest Products Research Institute and one of the sponsorship project’s key backers Geoff Rhodes. "Our industry recognises the urgent need to increase the level of understanding of timber among construction professionals and their comfort in specifying and using it, and this would create a body of experts who could take timber’s use in construction forward."
Sponsors would pay £3,750 to cover an MSc student’s tuition fees, and would also be encouraged to help cover their living and other expenses, although this would not be a set part of the package.
"The sponsorshp will involve excellent opportunities for interraction with the sponsored student, and this could lead to employment opportunities for the future," said Mr Rhodes. "Students could also be one of the sponsor’s own employees who they might want to develop and support on the course."
Sponsors could also "influence" the university course to help it meet current market needs.
Napier is hoping to have 15 to 20 sponsorships in place by May to give planning time for graduates to do their MSc in the next academic year, starting in the autumn.
"We are currently talking to a number of companies and are optimistic we are going to get the support," said Mr Rhodes.
The initiative has been enthusiastically endorsed by Napier vice-chancellor Dame Joan Stringer.
"Our MSc Timber Engineering degree is a shining example of our university addressing the significant shortage of specialist education and technical expertise in UK timber engineering," she said.
For more contact details: geoffrhodes. associates@gmail.com
