Autodesk continues to inspire next-gen global innovators

Namratha Jagtap

SAN FRANCISCO: Manufacturer of 2D and 3D design software Autodesk Inc. has continued plans to invest heavily in education, enabling the next global generation of engineers, architects and designers to be inspired and prepared for visionary careers, the firm announced at its first annual World Press Day.

Autodesk offers a compelling suite of education solutions for educators, as well as the real-world tools students need to visualize, design and create projects.

“Autodesk feels passionately about inspiring and preparing the next generation of engineers, architects and designers,” said Paul Mailhot, Autodesk senior director, worldwide education programs. “We want them to have the necessary tools to experience their ideas before they’re real.”

The firm will continue to support education initiatives by investing in important programs that encourage students of all ages to take an interest in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

A few of the educational priorities for Autodesk’s in the coming year include:

• A continued investment in Project Lead the Way, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of pre-engineering instruction for middle- and high-school students

• Support of the FIRST Robotics competition, in which students throughout the world use Autodesk visualization tools to create the robots of their wildest imaginations

• Steady contributions to primary, secondary and higher education institutions, helping educators inspire students to pursue visionary careers through Autodesk technology and academic solutions such as Autodesk Design Institute, Autodesk Design Academy, Autodesk DesignKids and Autodesk Animation Academy software offerings

• Continued support for design and engineering students through Autodesk’s popular Student Engineering and Design Community, which provides students and educators the much needed access to real-world tools and resources for free

• The advancement of technology education and adoption in developing economies such as India, China, Russia, Eastern Europe and Latin America

Inspiring creativity at a young age

Autodesk is a major supporter of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of pre-engineering instruction for middle- and high-school students.

Participating schools place an emphasis on STEM education with dynamic pre-engineering courses that employ rigorous project-based curricula. The program currently boasts over 1,800 participating schools in the US and District of Columbia, reaching an estimated 1,75,000 students. Autodesk has donated its 3D products, such as Inventor software, to the program.

Autodesk also supports the FIRST Robotics competition, which inspires young people to appreciate science and technology through the design and construction of imaginative robots. Autodesk has been a sponsor of the FIRST Robotics event since 1992, donating the tools students need to imagine and create their robots. This year, the firm donated $17 million worth of software and training resources to the program.

Through Autodesk specialized academic solutions DesignKids and Design Academy, middle- and high-school educators are able to teach students how to apply their math and science skills to design projects such as bird houses, skate board parks, bridges, vacation homes, a desktop toy or even their dream room.

Preparing the next generation of innovators

Autodesk allows college students throughout the world to pursue visionary careers by arming them with the tools and skills they need to compete in the real world. To date, approximately 80 per cent of universities and colleges in the US use Autodesk technology and education solutions to provide millions of students the professional experience necessary to compete for today’s jobs. One of those schools is Oregon State University (OSU), whose College of Engineering is among the largest engineering programs in the US in terms of undergraduate enrollment.

Students at OSU are given applicable real-world experiences and work on real engineering projects, giving them a competitive advantage in the job market and reducing civil engineering labor shortage in the US.

Student engineering and design community

Autodesk launched its Student Engineering and Design Community in September 2006 to allow students in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design, and gaming and animation free access to the professional tools they need to bring their ideas to life. To date, more than 50,000 students and educators from more than 2,500 institutions in 73 countries have made more than 50,000 downloads of Autodesk’s 3D software.

Any student or educator with a valid education email address is invited to participate in the community. Although the free software downloads are becoming increasingly popular, the site also allows students to learn, collaborate and communicate with their peers on campuses around the world through forums, chat discussions and other social networking capabilities. The popular job postings section provides students with opportunities for internships as well as full-time and part-time jobs.

Students now have the chance to share their designs created using Autodesk Inventor to compete for prizes from HP, ATI and 3Dconnexion. The contest will close May 1 and winners will be announced on May 15.

(Autodesk hosted the author in San Francisco)

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