University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Announces Norman C.T. Liu Aviation Scholarships

April 12, 2016
Scholarships awarded to eight full-time students from Asia, Africa, the Middle East or Latin America over the next five years.

DUBLIN, 12 April, 2016 – The University College Dublin (UCD) Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School today announced that GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) Chairman Norman C.T. Liu has generously established a €100,000 scholarship fund to support students enrolled in the school’s new master’s program in aviation finance.

The Norman C.T. Liu Aviation Scholarships will be awarded to eight full-time students from Asia, Africa, the Middle East or Latin America over the next five years.

Norman C.T. Liu is currently Chairman of GECAS, the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric. With nearly $50 billion in assets and a portfolio of over 2,100 aircraft and helicopters, GECAS is the world’s leading commercial aviation financing company. Since its beginnings in 1993 from the combination of GE Capital’s commercial aircraft financing unit and part of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), GECAS has maintained a large presence in Ireland with offices in Dublin and Shannon. 

Liu is a 30-year GE veteran with over 20 years with GECAS. He served as GECAS President & CEO the last seven years. He graduated from Yale in 1979 and from Harvard Business School in 1982.

“I am delighted to support UCD Smurfit School -- one of Europe’s leading business schools – and its new program in aviation leasing, finance and law and help students from emerging markets gain practical knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this industry,” said Liu.

“We appreciate the generosity of Norm Liu, who is one of the true leaders in the aviation finance business. These scholarships, together with Norm’s active participation with students and faculty in the UCD program, are testament to the importance of the new MSc in Aviation Finance as a means to ensure a consistent pipeline of excellent talent for the aviation industry. This is consistent with our strategy of working with key sectors of strength in Ireland to re-imagine business better together and to establish Ireland as the go-to place for education and expertise in those sectors” said Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD Business.

About GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS)

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is a world leader in aviation leasing and financing.  With over 45 years of experience, GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types including narrow-bodies, wide-bodies, regional jets, turboprops, freighters and helicopters, plus multiple financing products and services including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, capital markets, engine leasing, airframe parts management and airport/airline consulting.  GECAS owns or services a fleet of over 2,000 aircraft (~1,784 fixed wing/ ~246 rotary wing) in operation or on order, plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~380 aircraft. GECAS serves over 270 customers in 80 countries from a network of 26 offices. www.gecas.com

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School

In 1964, University College Dublin became one of the first universities in Europe to offer the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA).  In 1991, the graduate business school opened its own campus in Blackrock, County Dublin.  With over 100 faculty members, 1,400 students and 70,000 alumni worldwide, UCD Smurfit School is one of a small number of business schools worldwide and the only school in Ireland, to hold triple international accreditation (US - AACSB, European - EQUIS and UK – AMBA) .The school’s courses have been consistently ranked among the leading European business schools’ by the Economist and Financial Times, since 2000. The School is also a member of CEMS and the Global Network for Advanced Management, which are alliances of leading global business schools.