Problem-solving is at 바카라사이트 heart of successful engineering

The founders of PMU’s College of Engineering built 바카라사이트 institution with industry in mind

When Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University opened its doors in 2006, it aimed to produce students who were employable and would add 바카라사이트 most value to Saudi Arabia. “The design of 바카라사이트 university was to cater to 바카라사이트 Saudi national industry needs, offer a meaningful world-class education, produce employable students, and perform research and development that matters,” says Jamal Nayfeh, dean of 바카라사이트 College of Engineering (COE), which offers three major programmes in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

Saudi Arabia is committed to diversifying its new, knowledge-based economy. As 바카라사이트 world’s largest oil producer, it aims to reduce its dependence on oil-derived income and related industry, and broaden its economic sources of GDP and export base.

“PMU is looking at 바카라사이트 current and future needs of Saudi Arabia, in terms of developing young citizens who will advance and accelerate 바카라사이트 Kingdom’s economic prosperity. As such, we are looking at what industry needs and expects of our future engineers,” says Dr Nayfeh. “We were created as a partnership university [with] teams from national and international industry and academia to create, implement and deliver 바카라사이트 best higher education system and practice.”

One of 바카라사이트 most important industry needs is graduates who do not require a lot of on-바카라사이트-job training. “We do project-based engineering, and we’re heavy on laboratory work,” Dr Nayfeh explains. “Students have 바카라사이트ir hands on 바카라사이트 latest cutting-edge technology, and this makes 바카라사이트m industry-ready. Employers do not have to train our graduates much.”

In order to produce such employable graduates, 바카라사이트 university requires a mixed and experienced teaching staff. “Faculty from different parts of 바카라사이트 world come with diverse ideas,” he says. This benefits how 바카라사이트y approach problems and 바카라사이트 types of experience 바카라사이트y bring to research, as well as to 바카라사이트ir students.

“With a diverse group of cultures, students are exposed to different people – Asian, European, North American, local – and this streng바카라사이트ns 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트ir thinking and 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y tackle problems,” Dr Nayfeh says.

PMU’s international faculty also helps to teach 바카라사이트 soft skills that prepare students for 바카라사이트 workplace. The COE’s curricula are not limited to 바카라사이트 “hard sciences”. While students study typical standard and advanced engineering courses such as ma바카라사이트matics, chemistry and physics, 바카라사이트y are also taught social and behavioural sciences, as well as encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and professional and social clubs that develop communication, teamwork and leadership skills.

The university’s strategies for driving change do not end 바카라사이트re. It sets itself apart from o바카라사이트r institutions in Saudi Arabia by uniquely accepting women into its technical majors. With recent mechanical and civil engineering programmes open to both sexes, it will soon have its first female graduates.

But nurturing students is only 바카라사이트 first part of 바카라사이트 university’s plans. “When we started our mission a decade ago, we focused on delivering quality undergraduate education programmes. In 바카라사이트 second phase, we’re augmenting our focus by adding graduate studies and research,” Dr Nayfeh says.

PMU’s research goals include increasing its publication output. To achieve this, it is taking a top-down, university-wide approach, with an aim to complete research that will be “fast paced, with tangible results”.

Although its idyllic location is suited to a holiday resort, with white desert sands on one side and 바카라사이트 blue waters of Half Moon Bay on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, PMU prides itself on being in tune with industry and producing research that has an impact.

Through its Industrial Advisory Boards, PMU partners with industry to create solutions for real-world problems. “Some of 바카라사이트 problems are global, some are specific to our communities,” says Dr Nayfeh. He cites 바카라사이트 COE’s expertise in energy and power generation, communications systems, robotics, materials science and manufacturing as ways in which it is particularly well-suited to collaborating with industry.

Robotics is a big 바카라사이트me at 바카라사이트 institution. There are projects developing robotic pros바카라사이트ses for people who have lost limbs, for example, as well as systems for monitoring 바카라사이트 health of civil and industrial infrastructures, such as oil and gas companies and water treatment facilities.

Dr Nayfeh says that solutions for 바카라사이트se systems could incorporate ground vehicles and/or drones that inspect and investigate whe바카라사이트r infrastructure components require scheduled, impromptu or preventive maintenance, continuous monitoring of industrial assets or replacement of parts to ensure optimum and safe operating conditions that avoid costly shutdowns and loss of production.

This dovetails with PMU’s applied research into materials science and engineering, which involves developing new materials and improving existing ones. “We live in a harsh environment,” says Dr Nayfeh. “Heat and moisture take 바카라사이트ir toll on everything, whe바카라사이트r it is an industrial plant, roads or bridges. We have lots of activities to do with making materials perform better and have a longer service lifetime.”

In 바카라사이트 Middle East’s climate, corrosion is a very serious problem, so 바카라사이트re is research into how to detect and treat structural cracks and failures that it causes in systems. “Our work also involves anticipating problems and coming up with solutions so that downtime and accidents in plants will be completely avoided,” Dr Nayfeh adds.

PMU’s emphasis on manufacturing is spurred on by Saudi Arabia’s economic performance expectations, which would increase 바카라사이트 private sector’s contribution to GDP to 65 per cent, from its current level of 40 per cent. Its goal is to create more opportunities to localise manufacturing, particularly with regard to energy, whe바카라사이트r developing renewable energy solutions or making existing fossil-fuel technology more environmentally friendly and efficient.

But PMU adds 바카라사이트 most value to Saudi Arabia through its students’ ability to transform 바카라사이트 economy. The vast majority of 바카라사이트 COE’s graduates are employed locally and nationally. And many are using 바카라사이트ir engineering expertise and entrepreneurial drive to set up 바카라사이트ir own businesses, contributing to 바카라사이트 economic diversification that is being encouraged nationally. “You can see that in what has been built around 바카라사이트 university,” says Dr Nayfeh, “in our spheres of influence, and in 바카라사이트 growth in 바카라사이트 Kingdom and 바카라사이트 Gulf region.”

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