Schools on both sides of the Atlantic that fuse industry with Engineering

17 Nov 2017

Engineering is by its nature a mixing pot of ideas; a combination of science and mathematics with theory and creative design. It is fitting that the amalgamative essence of engineering extends to how it self-supports education and industry.

The collaboration of both educators and industrialists is crucial to students looking to gain the applied skills needed in engineering fields.

This year, the Engineer’s annual Collaborate to Innovate conference (C2I 2017) will be celebrating the power of collaboration between industry and education.

“One of the hallmarks of UK engineering collaboration is the degree to which major organisations work with the academic research base.”

Furthermore, the Royal Academy of Engineering published a guide on effective industrial engagement in engineering education, and how forging strong links between the two will create a network of knowledge exchange for both working professionals and aspiring students alike.

The guide lists resource sharing, conferences, competitions, and visiting professors from around the world as methods that the most dedicated educators and professionals will use in strengthening and advancing the future of engineering.

Students seeking the very best background in engineering should consider institutions that make technology and resources more accessible to learners, and demonstrate efforts to bridge the gap between lessons and application in the workplace.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON (UTA) – USA

UTA’s College of Engineering displays its commitment to producing graduates that are ready to excel in industry and entrepreneurship by emphasizing experiential learning and innovation.

The College offers 11 baccalaureate, 14 master’s, and nine doctoral degree programs in Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Nine undergraduate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), and the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET.

The College’s location in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex offers unique opportunities to interact with and be employed by some of the world’s largest and best-known corporations, and an entrepreneurship ecosystem encourages start-ups.

UTA is classified as a Research 1 University – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation. Engineering students have top-tier facilities and resources at their disposal, such as the Aerodynamics Research Center and the Heracleia Human-Centered Computing Lab.

Engineering students at UTA secure the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in both the public and private sectors, thanks to comprehensive courses taught by accomplished faculty in an encouraging learning atmosphere.

THAYER SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE – USA

Free of specialist departments, engineering students at Dartmouth are free to explore all avenues of study. The school embraces cross-disciplinary teaching so that students and staff alike reap the rewards:

“Creativity, collaboration, and innovation thrive when biomedical engineers work side-by-side with electrical engineers, and materials scientists with computer engineers, and engineering majors rub elbows with Ph.D. students.”

Dartmouth runs courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in a staggering number of topics, such as Virtual Medicine and Cybercare, Chemical Engineering, and Engineering Electromagnetics.

Professional industry-based education is infused at every level, with training available via the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network, and work opportunities with numerous faculty start-ups like DoseOptics, and Simbex for medical product Design and Development.

In the true spirit of melding education with industry application, Dartmouth students learn Engineering in Action, using their skills in outreach projects, like building hydro-power systems in Africa as part of the Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering team; just one example of the difference engineering students can make in the wider global community.

WHITING SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING (WSE), JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY – USA

WSE’s goals include delivering “outstanding engineering education that is innovative, rigorous, and relevant, and that prepares its graduates to be 21st century leaders”. The school aims to achieve this by combining research with practices that push the boundaries of known knowledge into the future of engineering.

Course selection is diverse at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, with a range of Bachelors’ Minors, Masters, and PhD’s across fields of study in Applied & Computational Mathematics, Cybersecurity / Security Informatics, Environmental Engineering, and Space Systems, Space Science and Aerospace, to name just a few.

Industry businesses and students alike benefit from WSE’s Industry Partnership projects, sponsored research and design projects, as companies gain access to highly-qualified students and faculty who use ‘world-class facilities to tackle real-world industry problems’.

WSE also collaborates with International Initiatives, teaming with schools in Europe, China, Israel, and many other institutes committed to sharing the beneficial industry-supportive, networked teaching approach.

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE – UK

The Faculty of Engineering at Strathclyde enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the current industry through its partnered institutes, consultancy projects and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. In these collaborative ventures, staff, students, businesses, and research all have something to gain.

“Strong links with industry partners is one of our key strengths; these relationships have a major influence on both our research programmes and taught courses, keeping our academic staff and students at the forefront of engineering.”

The Faculty hosts courses at all levels across the departments of Architecture, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Process Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Design, Manufacture & Engineering Management, Electronic &Electrical Engineering, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering.

Home to highly-specialised courses, and the largest Engineering Faculty Industry Scholarship portfolio in the UK, Strathclyde is a sound choice for students seeking close contact with industry practice to ensure they are equipped with the tools needed to build successful careers.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER – UK

Manchester’s Faculty of Science and Engineering is a behemoth of categorical engineering fields of study. Split into nine schools, the Faculty’s engineering students have access to the cutting-edge resources and courses from the schools of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy.

In pursuit of educational, industrial, and professional improvement, Manchester’s SE Faculty runs Continuing Professional Development training courses, tailormade research and design for businesses, and Knowledge Exchange schemes involving students in community and educational projects.

As a heavy investor in research and ground-breaking study, engineering students at Manchester benefit from industry-relevant courses built around fresh findings and ideas.

“Manchester has always been a city of pioneering science and engineering – and our creativity and innovation has changed the world,” says Professor of radio frequency and microwave communications, Danielle George.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER – UK

With a wide range of professionally-accredited specialist undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Exeter’s School of Engineering is a prime choice for study in any discipline of engineering.

“I like that Exeter has a general first year for all the engineering disciplines. It means that you get more rounded knowledge and a better understanding when working in interdisciplinary teams.” Materials Engineering student, Rianna Russell, says of the networked teaching approach found at Exeter – a feature that results in a detailed knowledge transfer between various schools of thought.

Course options include Civil Engineering and Energy Engineering, while the Engineering and Entrepreneurship course utilises experiential learning to help students launch their own business and innovative products.

Touting collective investments and study projects that produce ‘research-led teaching enhanced by strong industrial links’, Exeter is an established centre of research excellence that students can be assured will supply specialised facilities, and useful and impactful course material shaped by industry feedback.

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