Skip to main content

IRF Washington highlights future industry leaders

The IRF has helped educate the next generation of leaders since 1949 Sixty-five years after its founding, the IRF Fellowship Program for graduate students of engineering and transportation policy remains a cornerstone of the IRF’s work. Since 1949, IRF members and donors have helped fund the education of more than 1,346 transportation professionals from 118 countries. The Fellowship Program identifies international students with outstanding potential and helps nurture them as they take their place as the ne
June 30, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
IRF Chairman HE Eng Abdullah A Al-Mogbel meets with IRF Fellows past and present
The IRF has helped educate the next generation of leaders since 1949

Sixty-five years after its founding, the IRF Fellowship Program for graduate students of engineering and transportation policy remains a cornerstone of the IRF’s work. Since 1949, IRF members and donors have helped fund the education of more than 1,346 transportation professionals from 118 countries. The Fellowship Program identifies international students with outstanding potential and helps nurture them as they take their place as the next generation of transportation industry leaders.

Every year, one-time financial grants are awarded by the International Road Educational Foundation to a select group of applicants based on a strong academic background, professional qualifications and leadership potential. The new class of IRF Fellows meets every year in Washington, DC for the week-long IRF Road Scholar Program designed to enhance their leadership skills and provide valuable insight into the transportation industry through meetings with successful business leaders.

Many IRF Fellows have become high government officials, as well as leaders in the private sector and in academia, where they are in a position to exercise a multiplier effect in the transfer of technology and information. Through the IRF Fellows Alumni Association, founded in 1993 by the late Dr Sadamu Mino, strong bonds are formed among the Fellows, the IRF and the IRF’s member organisations.

Recipients of the IRF Fellowship must be graduate engineers or graduates in other disciplines such as public administration, transportation economics, traffic engineering, transportation policy, structures, design, planning, highway maintenance, or mechanical engineering, which have application in a highway department or highway related organisation or firm. They must possess a good working knowledge of the English language if studying in the United States.

“The Fellowship Program provides IRF members a unique opportunity to meet and develop relationships with the next generation of transportation industry leaders,” said Patrick Sankey, president & CEO of the IRF. Mr. Sankey added, “While there are many qualified students, the IRF is seeking candidates who possess a strong passion and believe in the immense socio-economic benefits of having better, safer, and more sustainable roads and transportation networks in their home countries and around the world.”

The IRF encourages all its Members in good standing as well as IRF Fellow Alumni to submit nominations for the Class of 2016. Students not nominated by an IRF Member or IRF Fellow may apply for a grant; however, greater consideration will be given to those students nominated by an IRF Member or Fellow. Students awarded grants will be enrolled in a US. university for the fall semester of 2015. Nominations must be received by September 30, 2014.

3918 IRF Washington
Dr Essam Radwan, IREF chairman said, “The IRF Fellowship Program has always been and will always be a catalyst for educating and training the next generation of international transportation professionals. I have had the privilege of teaching Fellows at three universities […] they are all successful professionals in their home countries and take pride in being affiliated with the IRF. The Fellowship Program is a win/win for our member universities and for the industry as a whole”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF publishes ITS manifesto
    February 22, 2013
    Ministerial launch marks IRF’s long-term commitment to ITS deployment and the creation of conducive policy environments for the adoption of smart technology While sustainable mobility is recognised as one of the keys to social and economic development, our roads are becoming increasingly congested, road transport has negative environmental impacts and more and more cars need to be accommodated. For IRF, a pivotal response to this dilemma lies in the increased deployment of intelligent transport systems (IT
  • IRF’s global road awards open
    June 13, 2013
    The International Road Federation is inviting entries for its Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) programme. According to the IRF, this competition is intended to highlight innovative road projects and individuals that raise the profile of roads in worldwide social and economic development. The awards provide an important route for promoting road industry innovation and achievements receive worldwide publicity. Winners will receive a crystal trophy at the 17th IRF World Meeting & Exhibition in Riyadh late
  • IRF and Qatar University partner for safer roads
    January 30, 2017
    The International Road Federation and the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Centre (QTTSC) at Qatar University have partnered to deliver a series of Road Safety Training programmes taking place between now and April 2017 These courses have been carefully selected to reflect the specific traffic safety challenges of Qatar and other fast-motorising nations in the Middle East and North Africa. At the end of the cycle, participants will have an advanced understanding of the different diagnosis tools an
  • iRAP creates Safer Journeys Lead for Africa
    December 13, 2022
    For the new role, the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), based in London, is looking for a person with a passion for safe mobility and a strong awareness of road infrastructure safety technical issues in Africa.