Boeing

The 2003 Boeing/Fulbright Cyprus Internship Program got off to an official start today with a reception here for two Cypriot students who will intern this year at Boeing, the world's leading commercial aircraft manufacturer.

Dimitris Papageorgiou and Sotiris Koullapis were selected for six-month internships as part of a program jointly sponsored by Boeing, the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Fulbright Commission. The two will pack their bags and move to the Seattle, Wash., area next month, where they will work at Boeing Commercial Airplanes' facilities.

Papageorgiou will work as a design engineer in the 747 Wing Structures organization at the Boeing plant just north of Seattle. Koullapis will be a product support engineer in the Technical Services and Modifications organization in Seattle.

Boeing had committed to providing six Cyprus university students paid internships with Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle from 2001 to 2004. The internships last from three to six months.

Feedback on the program to date has been outstanding, according to both student participants and the Cyprus Fulbright Commission.

"I was assigned to the Airline Support group of Flight Operations Engineering," said Solomos Solomou, one of three Cypriot interns who worked at Boeing in 2001. "I worked as a product support specialist doing takeoff performance analysis for different Boeing aircraft, including the 737-900, the 757-300, the 767-400, and the 777-300. I learned a lot and had the unique opportunity to take various training seminars that gave me a deeper understanding of the industry."

A panel consisting of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission's chairman and executive director, two commission board members and a Ministry of Education representative selects the participants. The 2004 program will be launched in early October 2003.

"Boeing is committed to helping Cyprus develop a strong and diverse engineering base", said Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Sales Director Steve Aliment, who attended the reception. "With this program, we are expanding our long-term relationship with Cyprus and building a broader base of cooperation and economic expansion between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States."