EMEA: Where electrical engineers spark innovation

03 Apr 2019

“Electrical science has revealed to us the true nature of light, has provided us with innumerable appliances and instruments of precision and has thereby vastly added to the exactness of our knowledge.” – Nikola Tesla

In a world based on automatised goods, power stations and a constant demand for connectivity, electrical engineers from established universities are highly sought-after.

In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there’s never been a better time to equip yourself with the latest tools and curricula needed to propel your professional portfolio and fuse your inventive drive with an innovative degree.

Author of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, calls for leaders and citizens to come “together shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people.”

In need of workers who acknowledge the role of new technologies and how they’re impacting our physical, digital and biological worlds, influencing all disciplines, economies and industries, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human; engineers will drive the progression in the fourth industrial revolution.

To amplify that need, the Transforming Undergraduate Education in Engineering report by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) states that, “Industry still values a solid foundation in math and science, although the relative importance of math may diminish slightly in the years ahead. Students must have a sufficient grasp of these fundamentals to understand the dimensions of a problem without relying on models.

“To instill these skills and qualities in future engineers, changes in approach will be required by academics and industry leaders, participants agreed. Universities will need to adjust faculty reward structures to place more of a premium on teaching, promote more cross-disciplinary instruction, and welcome involvement by industry in supplying case studies, mentorship of students and shared laboratory experiences.”

From the electric bulb to solar panels, electrical engineering has stretched so far over time and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

That’s why Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are rapidly empowering career-driven graduates through electrical engineering programmes. Understanding the importance of hi-tech and highly-trained engineers, the future is electric.

Engineer the electrical future with these four EMEA universities…

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY – ISRAEL

For aspiring electrical engineers from across the world, Tel Aviv offers Mediterranean coastlines, inclusive student communities and a university that educates future leaders of the hi-tech world in the heart of a startup nation.

With tuition costs that are much lower than most European, American or Canadian undergraduate, English-taught engineering degrees, Tel Aviv University (TAU) exposes students to new and innovative academic directions.

Ranked in the Top 51-75 faculties, the Faculty is known for its dedicated research efforts and the development of new technologies. Some of these include flash disk memories, cellphone lenses with extended focus, improvement of cellular phone imaging and protecting airplanes against heat-seeking missiles.

Tel Aviv University

The School of Electrical Engineering has dedicated research experts in fields working on, but not limited to, AI and deep learning, signal processing, communications, control systems, power electronics, computers, bio-electronics and materials and much more.

Always striving for the next big idea, TAU funds students with ideas for startups through TAU ventures, offering current learners and alumni a place to work and create, while preparing them and connecting them with future investors. TAU was recently 9^th in a PitchBook Universities report, which places universities according to the number of graduates who have founded venture-capital-backed startups.

Plus, with their very own Faculty affiliate programme, undergraduate students are connected to big name companies like Apple, Samsung, Intel, Mellanox, Cisco and General Motors for internship opportunities and future employment. Practical projects are also a mandatory part of the curriculum, allowing students to gain hands-on experience. This is a university worth connecting to. For more information click here.

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER – UK

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Manchester offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes to develop a bright system of modern engineers.

In the agricultural sector, the school plays a key role in major projects such as the N8 AgriFood programme, the Global Food Security ‘IKnowFood’ project and the STFC Food Network+.

To promote resilient energy systems, this school has made climate change a primary focus and aims to combat its effects with advanced materials technology, the use of robotics and working with developing countries to improve rural electrification.

University of Manchester

To surge electrical engineering into the future, the school works with the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, where they have research teams based in both west Cumbria, at the Dalton Cumbrian Facility and in Manchester – joining forces with major organisations in the nuclear and power industries, such as Sellafield Ltd, the National Nuclear Laboratory, GE Grid and National Grid.

So, it’s safe to say that this is a school where your potential is set alight and fed across a diverse area of contemporary and relevant fields of electrical engineering science!

SCHOOL OF ENERGY SYSTEMS, LAPPEENRANTA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – FINLAND

According to Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), a global 100 percent renewable electricity system can be achieved by 2050.

A recent study by LUT illuminates the steps required to enable a realistic transition that prevents societal disruption. Titled the Radical transformation pathway towards sustainable electricity via evolutionary steps, it was recently published by the leading journal in natural sciences, Nature Communications.

Focused on their ecological footprint, LUT enables young engineers to think outside the box and conduct their own research. Part of a highly-innovative university, the School of Energy Systems offers a multidimensional Master’s Programme in Electrical Engineering and generates significant scientific knowledge for learners to follow.

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Their Doctoral Programme in Energy Systems also supplies an electrical engineering research field. By opting for this, LUT students have access to an academic and industrial network, guidance and supervision in their research activities, financial resources and a proactive working environment.

Knowing that electrical energy is a key answer to the world’s urgent energy challenges, LUT has decided to further their research efforts, heightening their integration of new technologies and encouraging students of all ages to transition towards a sustainable, solutions-based sector.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, L’ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE – SWITZERLAND

At L’Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the School of Engineering is a compact engineering school with the right dose of ambition and drive, cementing itself as a key player in the international field, now known as a leader in engineering design and applied science.

For engineering students, EPFL offers the chance to participate on several creative projects, from data-driven discoveries of new materials to new methods for energy generation and distribution. Here, you will contribute to life-changing studies of neuro-technologies, prosthetics, soft and smart materials and advanced manufacturing and micro-machining concepts.

The Master’s of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at EPFL represents the ability to dream and the power to create. Responding to the growing needs of the interconnected sectors in science and technology, while educating highly-competitive researchers and professionals in the fields of electrical and electronic engineering.

Through this specific course, students are prepared for a wide variety of careers in academia or in industry, such as electronics and microelectronics, information technologies (RF-engineering, photonics, signal and image processing), telecommunications, multimedia, mechatronics, power systems, biomedical instruments, electric drives and aerospace.

As Mina Bjelogrlic explains, the Master’s in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at EPFL, “I love this school because it’s so international and you get to learn about all other cultures and ways of doing things. EPFL offers me plenty of opportunities for research and I plan to stay here to proceed with my PhD.”

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