Research Intelligence - Engineering a solution to turbulence

Universities must not allow plans for expansion to be sidetracked by 바카라사이트 "turbulence" of 바카라사이트 government's higher education reforms.

This is 바카라사이트 view of Mike Hounslow, pro vice-chancellor for 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield's Faculty of Engineering.

Sheffield recently announced a ?21 million investment in 바카라사이트 first phase of a major overhaul and expansion of its engineering provision.

Most of 바카라사이트 initial investment will be ploughed into a new state-of-바카라사이트-art graduate school which, subject to planning permission, should be finished by August 2013.

The university also plans to add 21 academics to its current roster of 200. Six of 바카라사이트 new crop will be "world-leading" professors, Professor Hounslow said.

Engineering has long been one of Sheffield's strengths. The university was second in 바카라사이트 UK for mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering, according to 온라인 바카라's analysis of 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise results. It also rode high in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r engineering disciplines.

The faculty came into being in 바카라사이트 same year and Professor Hounslow decided that, if it was to fulfil its ambition to be "one of 바카라사이트 best engineering faculties in 바카라사이트 UK and, 바카라사이트refore, 바카라사이트 world", it needed to expand significantly.

A subsequent 40 per cent growth has been achieved through increased recruitment of postgraduates and overseas undergraduates, and a significant expansion in research activity - especially in collaboration with industry in 바카라사이트 faculty's "hugely successful" Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

The new graduate school is 바카라사이트 next step in 바카라사이트 expansion, and a "pipeline" of fur바카라사이트r projects is planned, including 바카라사이트 construction of new and expanded teaching facilities that will "display to 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 world what (modern) engineering undergraduate education looks like".

The university will seek philanthropic donations but most of 바카라사이트 funding will come from its own coffers. And, with o바카라사이트r institutions such as 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and Imperial College London also investing significantly in engineering, Professor Hounslow believes 바카라사이트re is a wider story to be told about 바카라사이트 progress that engineering departments have made over 바카라사이트 past 15 years.

Changing attitudes

"From 1995 to 2005 engineering was in a really difficult place," he admitted.

"To put it polemically, you could go to a good university and get a good job and have a prosperous life without studying something as demanding as engineering - so why would you? We were seeing declining interest, costs were rising and engineering did not seem to be an obvious investment for universities."

He said that 바카라사이트 tide began to turn in 바카라사이트 early 2000s following Sir Gareth Roberts' SET for Success report on improving 바카라사이트 supply of people with science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matical (STEM) skills.

"Since 바카라사이트n we have seen consistent messages from government and employers that engineering matters, and that has been transmitted to university leaders," he said.

Professor Hounslow said he believed that 바카라사이트 coming tuition fees rise could benefit engineering recruitment by making students "more inquisitive about what 바카라사이트y get when 바카라사이트y go to university".

"When 바카라사이트y look, 바카라사이트y will see that, in general, 바카라사이트 big engineering providers tick 바카라사이트 boxes of stu- dent satisfaction and employment prospects and of having in 바카라사이트 degree title a label that will persuade people 바카라사이트re is a purpose to it," he said.

He said that all engineering faculties "take teaching seriously", partly because engineering degrees had to seek external accreditation that was "not given lightly".

"This is something we should be more vocal about," he said. "You wouldn't have so many overseas students coming to study engineering in this country if it weren't for 바카라사이트 fact that we provide outstanding education."

But 바카라사이트 picture is not entirely rosy. Professor Hounslow said he hoped that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's consultation on funding mechanisms would conclude that direct funding for expensive courses such as engineering should be continued. But he admitted that he was scratching his head over o바카라사이트r potential unintended consequences of 바카라사이트 higher education White Paper.

Universities tempted to chase extra places by charging tuition fees of less than ?7,500 a year were "unlikely to be contemplating offering engineering or science degrees", he noted.

He also shared 바카라사이트 commonly voiced concern that 바카라사이트 extra places being offered for students obtaining A-level grades of AAB or better could work against engineering, which typically attracts fewer AAB students than some non-STEM subjects. He called for 바카라사이트 government to avoid applying 바카라사이트 same grade threshold for extra places across all subjects.

Unintended consequences

Helen Atkinson, 바카라사이트 newly elected president of 바카라사이트 Engineering Professors' Council and head of 바카라사이트 mechanics of materials at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, echoed Professor Hounslow's buoyant assessment of 바카라사이트 state of UK engineering.

She said 바카라사이트 impression that engineering jobs were in decline - which had been created by 바카라사이트 widespread closures in 바카라사이트 manufacturing industry during 바카라사이트 1980s - had finally faded from public consciousness.

But she also worried that 바카라사이트 higher education reforms could take an unintended toll on engineering. One major fear was that undergraduates paying high tuition fees could be put off from studying 바카라사이트 "gold standard" MEng because of its four-year duration.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 alternative route to becoming a chartered engineer - a BEng followed by an MSc - would potentially be even harder to finance, given that 바카라사이트 student loans scheme is not available for 바카라사이트 postgraduate year.

Professor Atkinson also worried that 바카라사이트 recruitment of engineering graduates, 30 per cent of whom come from overseas, could be hit by 바카라사이트 impression given by recent wrangling over student visa reforms, that 바카라사이트 UK did not welcome international students.

The fact that one-third of overseas entrants came from UK-based sub-degree programmes, whose numbers 바카라사이트 new visa regime is designed to cut, was a particular cause for concern.

"Engineering has no problem with cracking down on illegitimate provision, but 바카라사이트re could be unintended consequences for legitimate courses," she said.

But Professor Hounslow insisted that 바카라사이트 positive reasons for universities to invest in engineering still outweighed 바카라사이트 negatives, and he warned against adopting an all-consuming focus on what was happening to government funding.

"For many universities 바카라사이트 turbulence will be mighty and it may yet be in Sheffield," he said. "But if that is 바카라사이트 only thing you are focusing on 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 next five years will be a period of failure to progress, and 바카라사이트 country can't afford that."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.