The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is inviting candidates to take part in IATA FACE UP!, IATA Air Cargo Thesis Competition 2020. This is the opportunity for recent graduates from around the world to present their thesis to industry executives at the 2020 World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in Istanbul, Turkey. Their work must focus on innovation and transformation in air transport logistics (e.g., transportation, operations, mobility, revenue management, distribution, customer experience, etc.). The decision about the winner will depend upon the innovative, transforming, and visionary nature of the content, as well as the quality of the solution presented in the thesis.

An independent jury panel will evaluate the work and choose the top three entrants. They will have an opportunity to pitch their thesis idea in front of 1200 top-level industry professionals at the closing plenary of the WCS. Besides being a unique networking opportunity, attending the WCS will also provide a valuable chance to learn about the latest trends and developments in the air cargo industry.

Prize/Award

The top three thesis writer will have the following benefits and opportunity

• Free entry pass to the Future Air Cargo Executive Summit (FACES) 2020 and the FACE Cocktail will be free for each individual entrant who was a finalist.
• Entry pass to 2020 WCS will be free for each individual Entrant who was in the final round, including travel and accommodation.
• Each shortlisted finalist will have a 10-minute presentation slot at the 2020 WCS Closing Plenary to present their thesis.

Eligibility 

All the candidates must have the following profile to enter the IATA Air Cargo Thesis Competition 2020

• University graduate ( bachelor, masters, or Ph.D.), current or within two years of graduation.
• The thesis preferably defended before December 2019.
• The research focused on air transport logistics.
• Able to present in a dynamic and captivating way at the WCS Closing Plenary.

Furthermore, a candidate must submit a 2-3 minute video about their educational background, the topic of the thesis, and their vision on how to modernize the air cargo industry, in English. In addition to that, the candidate also should zip file including an executive summary of the thesis in English (2-3 pages maximum) and their entire thesis.

The application closed on 12th January 2020 and the finalist will be announced on 12th February 2020.