What does the EUR-ACE Bachelor and Master label stay for? ENAEE Conference Leuven, Sept. 2013 Dr.-Ing. Martin Molzahn ASIIN Accreditation Commission for Degree Programmes EUR-ACE label: increasing demand Programmes accredited by ASIIN (June 2013) Degree Programmes EUR-ACE label (B+M) 2884 3054 2439 2064 1779 1498 1240 10 68 169 288 564 846 29 105 180 256 348 449 493 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013e Molzahn - ENAEE Conference Leuven 26/09/2013 2 1
EUR-ACE label has been asked by. 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 375 67 51 Universities TU9 Foreign HEI TU9: leading German Institutes of Technology June 2013 Molzahn - ENAEE Conference Leuven 26/09/2013 3 EUR-ACE label per HEI in Germany 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2,8 Universities 7,4 TU9 TU9: leading German Institutes of Technology June 2013 Molzahn - ENAEE Conference Leuven 26/09/2013 4 2
What does the EUR-ACE label stay for? To summarize HEIs are asking increasingly for a EUR-ACE label Leading Institutes of Technology (in Germany) have done so more than the bulk of universities Everything okay? Peers and accreditation bodies sometimes have difficulties, to decide whether a degree programme is really an engineering programme or not FEANI, Professional Card? The EUR-ACE label seems to be not subject-specific enough to become recognized e.g. in the USA (NCEI, Feb. 2013) The message of the EUR-ACE label seems to be not as obvious as it should be 5 What does the EUR-ACE label stay for? Outline: Introduction EUR-ACE Label - ENAEE definitions Engineering Degree Programmes? EUR-ACE Framework Standards Crucial learning outcome: Engineering Design Proposals for EUR-ACE Claims Conclusions 6 3
EUR-ACE label -ENAEE definitions ENAEE-Webpage: EUR-ACE is the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at First Cycle (Bachelor) and Second Cycle (Master) level The EUR-ACE system encompasses all engineering disciplines and profiles, is internationally recognized and facilitates both academic and professional mobility My questions: Is that description sufficient? What is an engineering degree programme? 7 Engineering Degree Programmes (?) Without any doubt: Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering / Information Technology Mechanical / Process Engineering Interdisciplinary programmes: e.g. Mechatronics From case to case: Chemical Engineering sometimes Applied Chemistry Industrial / Management Engineering sometimes Economics With some doubts: Agronomy? Computer Engineering mostly: Informatics Geodesy / Surveying? 8 4
EUR-ACE Framework Standards Six Engineering Programme Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding Engineering Analysis Engineering Design Investigations Engineering Practice Transferable Skills Again my questions: Are those outcomes precise enough? Can they be helpful as standards? What is needed to compete successfully with other engineering accreditation bodies, e.g. in the USA? 9 Crucial learning outcome: Engineering Design To become more precise and subject-specific ENAEE should sharpen the crucial learning outcome Engineering Design: Holistic outcome Systemic outcome Makes use of all knowledge and competencies in the fundamentals, e.g. mathematics, natural sciences, mechanics, thermodynamics, material sciences, design basics, subjectrelated engineering topics. HEIs should be asked to show with subject-specific examples, how they will achieve competences in Engineering Design If impossible to define examples for a discipline, a degree programme can not be looked at as an engineering programme 10 5
Engineering Design subject-specific examples Civil Engineering: Design of buildings, bridges, tunnels, hydrotechnics etc. Electrical Engineering / Information Technology: Design of analogue and digital electric and electronic circuits, devices and products etc. Mechanical Engineering: Design of machinery, equipment etc. Process Engineering: Design of (physical, chemical, biological) production processes, design of process flow diagrams (PFD), design of key apparatus and equipment (e.g. reactors, columns ) etc. Others:??? 11 Further challenge for ENAEE To increase Visibility Professional recognition of EUR-ACE accredited programmes To compete successfully with other accreditation bodies especially in the Anglo-American world ENAEE should formulate concise claims for both labels 12 6
EUR-ACE Claims: proposals The EUR-ACE - Bachelor label confirms, that a degree programme offers a broad and sound education in subjectspecific competencies as Knowledge and Understanding, Engineering Analysis, Engineering Design, Investigations, Engineering Practice, and Transferable Skills suitable as entry into an engineering profession. The EUR-ACE - Master label confirms, that a degree programme offers a deepening and broadening education in subject-specific competencies as Knowledge and Understanding, Engineering Analysis, Engineering Design, Investigations, Engineering Practice and Transferable Skills suitable to fulfil advanced engineering tasks. 13 Conclusions There are two additional challenges for ENAEE To sharpen the EUR-ACE criteria, e.g. by explicitly asking for subject-specific examples for the crucial learning outcome Engineering Design To formulate concise claims for the EUR-ACE labels Thanks a lot for your attention Molzahn- ENAEE Conference Leuven 26/09/2013 14 7