Codan has awarded Sebastion Cox the inaugural Codan Founder’s Scholarship in partnership with Adelaide University, supporting a multi-year PhD focused on advanced sensing technologies.
The Scholarship embeds PhD research within Codan’s engineering teams, giving researchers the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers and apply their research to real word technology challenges across Codan’s communications and detections businesses.
Mr Cox recently completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) with First Class Honours and is now undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Adelaide University
His research, titled Advanced Microwave Sensor Design for Detection Technologies, will explore new sensing approaches that could improve detection performance in complex, real world environments.
As part of the program, Mr Cox will undertake elements of his research at Minelab, a Codan company and global leader in metal detection technology. Working alongside more than 80 engineers at Minelab’s Mawson Lakes headquarters, he will contribute to sensor prototyping, field data collection and algorithm development.
“It’s a privilege to have been awarded the Codan Founder’s Scholarship. I’m excited by the opportunity to work alongside an accomplished team and contribute to meaningful research,” Mr Cox said.
The Codan’s Founders’ Scholarship was established to honour Codan founders Ian Wall, Alastair Wood and Jim Bettison, who met while studying at the University of Adelaide before founding Codan in 1959.
The program supports outstanding PhD candidates undertaking research in areas including electronic engineering, signal processing, artificial intelligence and geophysics, with projects aligned to Codan’s core communications and detection technologies.
Codan CEO and Managing Director Alf Ianniello said the scholarship reflects the company’s long-term commitment to developing advanced engineering capability in Australia.
“The Codan Founders’ Scholarship is an important way for us to recognise the legacy of our founders and support the next generation of engineering excellence.”
The partnership with Adelaide University provides a pathway for emerging engineering talent to combine academic research with practical industry experience, while supporting research aligned with the development of future technologies.
Professor Nelson Tansu, Dean of the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Adelaide University, said the scholarship would help attract and develop PhD talent in areas important to South Australia’s future capability.
The Codan Founders’ Scholarship reflects Codan’s ongoing investment in engineering, innovation and the development of the next generation of technical talent, building on the company’s long-standing connection with Adelaide and its commitment to designing and developing advanced technology in South Australia.