STRASBOURG, FRANCE — ISU graduate Bijal Thakore was announced the winner of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) prize for her service in the engineering sector at a recent prestigious award ceremony.
Bijal, who graduated with a M.Sc. in Space Studies from the International Space University in 2006, and who also attended the Space Studies Program in Vancouver in 2005, was overjoyed when she was awarded the prize at the Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2008 event, organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Bijal quoted: “Young people – both men and women alike – are contributing to advancing engineering, science and technology in our society in more ways than ever before and are moving engineering away from the professional stereotypes.”
While doing her Master at ISU, Bijal interned for the X Prize Foundation, where she researched economic incentives that would result in adequate technological solutions to water scarcity and poverty, and received recognition for her outstanding contribution.
After her graduation she worked for ISU as a teaching associate and researcher where she lectured whilst working on space applications and planetary robotic systems.
Bijal is now Client Development Officer and Technical Consultant for LEGO Business Works at LEGO Systems in Denmark. This involves developing technical solutions and focusing on ‘technology intensive’ sectors for a company that is traditionally regarded as non-technical. She helps companies in the aerospace, energy, and telecom sectors to understand engineering processes and how to drive efficiency by 3D modelling with LEGO bricks. She also looks at the future systems of Robotics at LEGO.
“Being recognised for this is a great honour. I love waking up every day to solve challenges for LEGO’s B2B applications team that combines solutions in engineering, technology as well as social behaviour and hence, being able to break the traditional ways in which different sectors operate.”
Bijal received a trophy plus a cheque for #500.
Her achievements go way beyond her technical skills. Bijal completed the half marathon in Strasbourg in one and a half hours, and is set to cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia in eight days in February 2010. She also loves travelling, playing sports, painting and building robots. But a hobby that will remain close to her heart is making technical engineering knowledge accessible to the public.
The International Space University, the ‘gold standard in interdisciplinary space education’, is a graduate school that conducts programs at its central campus in Strasbourg, France, and at locations around the world. ISU offers a unique core curriculum covering all disciplines related to space programs and enterprises – space and earth sciences, engineering, satellite applications, policy and law, business and management, and space and society. ISU also provides short courses for professional development and life-long learning.
Since its founding on the campus of MIT in 1987, with noted author and visionary Sir Arthur C. Clarke as its first Chancellor, ISU has graduated more than 2700 students from 100 countries, many now in senior positions with commercial and government space-related organizations throughout the globe.
For more information about ISU’s programs and activities: www.isunet.edu
