The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in partnership with the Engineering Professors’ Council, is bringing together engineering experts and higher education leaders from across the world to see how the UK higher education sector can learn from institutions in the UK and globally who have adopted pioneering approaches within their engineering degree courses.
The New Approaches to Engineering Higher Education event will mark a sea-change, signalling key global initiatives that are making engineering degrees more attractive to students and better suited to the changing needs of industry and society.
These approaches include:
IET president, Jeremy Watson CBE, said: “There is an urgent need to get more young people studying engineering, but we’re currently excluding vast numbers of students because they have not formally studied Maths and Physics.
“This is an outdated view that we need to change. We’re not saying that these subjects aren’t important but the role of an engineer is about solving creative challenges so we must also harness students’ creativity.
“The important principles of maths and physics can be taught in a relevant ‘work-ready’ way as part of a degree. It is also crucially important that engineering courses refocus on teaching problem solving and creating solutions to improve our world and society. This should also include an element of high-quality work experience so that students are adequately prepared for the workplace and are equipped with the skills employers demand.”
Institution of Engineering and Technology www.theiet.org