3 European universities shaping a new generation of experts in science and engineering

The common ground shared by the fields of science and engineering lies in their ability to improve our world. Engineers at Tesla have developed electric cars that are more efficient and environmentally-friendly than gasoline-powered cars. Equally impactful, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are working to develop new solar cells that are more efficient and affordable. These professionals also spearhead the development of new technologies to generate and distribute sustainable energy, make clean water accessible to all, reduce pollution, build greener cities, and better understand the effects of climate change.

It’s clear that today, you don’t need to be Leonardo da Vinci or Albert Einstein to change the world. Many science and engineering graduates possess the skills, knowledge and power to make radical shifts in workplaces, homes, and people’s everyday lives. Plenty are already doing just that. In 2018, for example, graduate students were behind some of the year’s most inventive solutions to real-world problems. They developed a new approach to amputation, a polymer additive for agricultural sprays so that pesticides stick to the plants and a system that captures clear images through dense fog for improved driving conditions.

They are an excellent example to show us what a good science and engineering degree can give you and how you can substantially impact others. Today, it is even more vital to find the right institutions that will help you make the right decisions, take on new opportunities, or bring your career to new heights.

Here are three universities shaping a new generation of experts in science and engineering that the world needs:

University of Limerick

University of Limerick (UL) is a young, energetic and enterprising university with a proud record of innovation in education and excellence in research and scholarship. Source: University of Limerick

The Faculty of Science and Engineering is located within the award-winning University of Limerick (UL). Known as the Home of Firsts, due to its excellent reputation for academic and student achievement, UL is first for graduate employment (97% of Science and Engineering graduates are employed or in further study), industry links, facilities, support for international students, and student experience. Its outstanding campus has also recently received a Best Student Campus 2023 Award at the National Education Awards for the third time in five years.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering at UL stands at the forefront of pioneering research in critical domains such as information and communication technologies, materials and surface science, biosciences, environment, and bioengineering. With a focus on innovation and pushing the boundaries of knowledge, it goes beyond mere theoretical instruction to empower students to become trailblazers in their chosen fields. It has 37 outstanding postgraduate programmes that can help boost career and salary prospects, including Computing, Design, Engineering, Mathematics and Science.  Through these, students gain not only specialised knowledge but also the practical skills and expertise required to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape of innovation.

The Faculty is home to over four hundred PhD researchers, and has extensive research capabilities with practical links to Industry. The internationally recognised research institutes: Bernal, Lero and MACSI are based in the Faculty, as well as a number of nationally and internationally-funded research centres. Faculty members are also highly regarded for conducting leading-edge research in key areas such as information and communication technologies, materials and surface science, biosciences, sustainability, and bioengineering.

With access to an outstanding array of state-of-the-art facilities, learners have the opportunity to learn in a friendly, collaborative and empowering. On campus, they have access to unrivalled academic and sporting facilities, such as Ireland’s most digitally advanced and largest campus library, one of the world’s most powerful microscopes, a flight simulator and the largest multi-sport synthetic grass park in Europe. It is also worth noting, on successful completion of a level 9 or 10 postgraduate programme, UL students have the opportunity to avail of a two-year post study work permit in Ireland.

Ready to take your first step into the University of Limerick Faculty of Science and Engineering? For more information on postgraduate applications, click here.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology enjoys several high rankings such as being top for impact in the Netherlands. Source: Delft University of Technology

With eight faculties located in the main campus of Delft, the Netherlands, Delft University of Technology has one of the largest university campuses in the world measuring over 161 hectares. Almost 27,000 students call Delft their second; nearly 22% are international.

Delft is ranked in the top 20 European universities, and is among the Netherlands’ top three universities. It is also the most international university in the country, holding the number one spot nationally for “Impact: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure.” Most recently, the Times Higher Education Subject Rankings ranked Delft number 21 for Engineering and Technology.

Delft is committed to ensuring its campus is as sustainable as possible — there are 4,000 solar panels on 12 buildings’ roofs. Their staff is involved in new construction and renovation projects — the Pulse education building, where the Faculty of Architecture played a role in its construction, is the first energy-neutral of its kind on the campus.

Delft offers several dynamic programmes, including the Master of Science in Civil Engineering. This programme trains students to think of sustainable solutions for real-life issues like climate change and resource depletion. You will understand the mechanics, dynamics, design and construction of various civil structures; the development of construction materials for a sustainable built environment; solutions to build on, in and with soils; plus hydraulic and offshore structures for energy and resource harvesting, and transport and flood protection.

Thanks to Delft’s excellent research facilities, students receive a strong suite of scientific and engineering skills to enable them to participate in multidisciplinary teamwork for finding these important solutions. Students can complete this particular master’s programme in two years.

University of Edinburgh 

The impact of Edinburgh’s research benefits communities locally, nationally and internationally. Source: University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is world-renowned for many things: ranked #16 in the QS World University Ranking 2022, fourth in the UK for research power, and famous alumni that include Nobel laureates and Olympic athletes. It is also ranked among the top 20 most international universities, is a member of Universitas 21 research network as well as the European networks: Coimbra Group, League of European Research Universities (LERU) and Una Europa alliance.

Apart from being located in one of the world’s top 20 student cities, Edinburgh, the university offers outstanding facilities for learning including well-stocked libraries and 30 computer labs. That’s not including the top-notch faculty in each school at the University of Edinburgh.

The result? Unique programmes can be crafted to meet industry demands. Take Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, for example. Postgraduate computer science students are trained in niche areas of computer science, becoming experts and changemakers in the field.  MSc programmes offered here include Advanced Technology for Financial Computing MSc, Artificial Intelligence MSc, Cognitive Science MSc, and Computer Science MSc, to name a few.

The School of Engineering, on the other hand, is one of the largest the university has to offer. Engineering has been taught at Edinburgh since 1673. Today, the school houses over 1,300 students studying both undergraduate and postgraduate courses — all of whom are taught by around 85 permanent members of expert staff and a number of visiting academics that are globally-reputed

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International