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Forum to focus on future engineering needs
What are the best methods of producing 21st century civil engineers to meet the needs of the Sunshine Coast?
The ‘Engineering Education in the 21st Century’ forum, to be hosted by the University of the Sunshine Coast on Friday 13 August, aims to find out.
USC Professor of Engineering Mark Porter said the forum and workshop would focus on modern, innovative methods of educating civil engineers, as the University prepares to produce its first graduates in the degree in 2011.
“Our program is being embedded in the local region, so we are focusing on the needs of construction engineering and environment and water engineering,” Professor Porter said.
Two of Australia’s leading engineering educationalists will lead discussion on the changes occurring in the industry and how this may influence graduate skills.
The keynote speakers are Professor in Chemical Engineering Ian Cameron, of the University of Queensland, and Associate Professor Roger Hadgraft, Director of the Engineering Learning Unit at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Cameron, a Senior Fellow of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), encourages the use of innovative physical and virtual learning spaces, advanced modelling and visualisation technologies to help students engage with engineering theory.
Associate Professor Hadgraft is a past president of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education and has been involved in major curriculum changes.
The forum will be held from 7.30am to 3pm at the ICT Learning Innovation Centre, third floor, Building J.
The breakfast session will discuss possible impacts on engineering programs of a Federal Government plan to form a new quality and standards agency for higher education programs.
Session two will delve into the design of subjects to ensure students gain real-world learning. Session three will include further insights directly from students.
Professor Porter said USC’s new civil engineering program aimed to be state-of-the-art, helping address the region’s skills shortage.
Work is also underway on a new $5 million training facility at the Sippy Downs campus to enhance engineering students’ practical learning.
— Julie Gatehouse