Airbus Beijing Engineering Center (ECAC) is holding its first campus recruitment this year, targeting graduates from Tsinghua University who have majored in mechanical design for work on the all-new A350s.

This is ECAC's third campus recruitment in China since its formal inauguration in July 2005. The previous two were carried out successfully at Beihang University and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in November and December last year.

To date, the ECAC has 59 Chinese engineers, including university graduates, engineers from major Chinese aviation manufacturers as well as overseas graduates and qualified members recruited directly from within the industry. Divided into four groups, they are to receive basic and technical training in Europe.

"The first group of 15 Chinese engineers will complete their nine-month training in Europe by the end of this month and will start work at ECAC shortly," said Airbus Beijing Engineering Center General Manager, Jose Cataluna-Casanova. "This year we plan to recruit 100 more Chinese engineers in China. The number of Chinese engineers will reach 150 by later this year, and 200 by the end of 2007."

The ECAC is located in the Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone, adjacent to the office building of Airbus China. The center offers China's aviation industry the opportunity to participate in up to five percent of the A350 program, which includes both design and manufacturing. Design will be undertaken by the ECAC and the manufacture of corresponding parts and components will be the responsibility of Chinese aviation manufacturers.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2006)