Meeting in Brno: CESAER members discussed the future of European technical education
On 23 and 24 April, Brno University of Technology hosted representatives of European universities at a meeting of the Task Force Learning & Teaching of the prestigious European research network of technical universities CESAER.
On the agenda were questions about the promotion of technical education, the role and governance models of European university alliances, proposals for greater involvement of students in the activities of the association and discussions on industrial doctorates and other aspects of doctoral education.
The rector of BUT, Ladislav Janíček, welcomed the guests from ten leading European universities. He started by addressing the issue of interest in technical and natural sciences in EU countries. The meeting of the Task Force on Teaching and Learning continued with a discussion of more active involvement of students from member universities in the work of the association.
The remainder of the opening day’s programme was devoted to a discussion on roles and governance models for European university alliances. What should future cooperation between alliance partners and alliances look like? How to set up legislative, economic or academic frameworks for this cooperation? As Roberto Zanino, member of the CESAER board of directors, pointed out, this topic will have a significant impact on the relations between the different alliances and their partners in the future.
Sarah Fowkes, Project Manager of the European University Alliance ENHANCE, presented her experience on the topic. .
Roberto Zanino also recalled the document The governance models of the European University Alliances, produced by the European University Association in 2021. The Task Force discussed the possibility of addressing this issue from the specific perspective of technical universities.
The following day, the meeting focused on issues related to the preparation of the workstream on European Doctoral Education in Engineering. It will tackle how to prepare doctoral students for the various roles they will take on beyond academia, as well as the issue of the involvement of industrial partners at all stages of doctoral education. Yvonne Kinnaird, Secretary of the CESAER Task Force Innovation, gave a presentation on the topic. She offered best practice examples of industrial doctorates as vehicles for innovation for the European industry.
On the same day, the Task Force published the CESAER White Paper “Engineer of the Future”, an overview on key trends in European engineering education.
“Brno University of Technology was the perfect host to mark the beginning of a two-year work plan, dedicated to shaping progress in the higher education landscape. We are now looking forward to welcoming our Members to the CESAER Annual Meeting hosted by the University of Strathclyde, on the theme: ‘Innovation Districts: from deeptech and entrepreneurship to inclusive innovation’,” said Sophie Ratcliff, CESAER’s Adviser for Higher Education, summing up the meeting..
Tetiana Zheliaskova, Head of the Educational and Methodological Division of the Department of Organization of the Educational Process represented Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute at the meeting.
On the photo: BUT Rector, Ladislav Janíček, addresses the issue of interest in technical and natural sciences (Author: Václav Koníček).
A short photo report from BUT (Author: Václav Koníček):
Joint photo of the Task Force Learning and Teaching of the CESAER research network of technical universities..
Justyna Szostak, member of the CESAER board of directors, discusses on greater engagement of students from member universities in the association’s proceedings.
Representatives of the CEASER Task Force at the office of the BUT Rector.
Presentation by Chicken Wings, a student team that develops pilotless aircraft
Presentation of the BUT student formula team.
Student space initiative YSpace.
The members of the Task Force got acquainted with BUT’s student associations and their projects.
Roberto Zanino, member of the CESAER board of directors.
Meeting of the Task Force Learning and Teaching of the CESAER research network of technical Universities at BUT.
