WASTE FOR LIFE - Project

Students will be involved in international projects introduced by WASTE FOR LIFE, an international not-for profit organization, which connects engineers, designers, architects, artists, students and local community groups to create solutions to environmental problems. They use scientific knowledge and technology to benefit from resources that are commonly considered harmful or without value. The goals are to reduce the damaging environmental impact of non-recycled plastic waste products and similar to offer and promote self-sufficiency and economic security solutions for populations that are most at risk. Currently WFL has two programs, one in Lesotho, Africa and one in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Students are working on WFL projects in Argentina, USA, Canada, Italy and Australia. The projects can be within a discipline or they can involve interdisciplinary teams where ever it is possible. Students are linked into international network in order to enhance their awareness of local contexts and of other disciplinary ways of thinking.

This project will try to to develop better coolaboration between University and Industry. Students will visit engineering companies and learn what engineers do in their daily work and what is that what expects them when they finish university. They will try to find out are they well prepared and does their education respond to industry need.

DEVELOPING GENERIC SKILLS IN ENGINEERING STUDENTS

INDUSTRY and UNIVERISTY

The issue of engineering theory and the practice of that theory has been an on-going challenge for many generations of engineering educators. History shows that there have been significant movements in the balance between theory and practice. Recent criticisms by industry and commerce have focused on the lack of "practical/generic" skills of engineering graduates especially of those from Eastern Europe . Students too have voiced their concerns about the apparent lack of integration.

Universities around the world are trying to solve this problem by introducing more of project based and problem based teaching philosophy where students learn actively by DOING rather than just listening passively.  This course is one example of this attempt.

Engineering education is very “hot” topic at Universities around the world at the moment. Many educators are involved in big research on what engineers really do today and how well we teach students and prepare them for local Industry and the global market. The findings shows that most engineering schools provide excellent content knowledge but do not teach students how to communicate in oral, written and visual way, how to work in teams, how to work with people, they lack managerial skills and other so called “soft skills” which take most of an engineer’s time in his daily routine.

Students are paying more and more for their studies and are very interested what they will be taught and how. They want to take part in creating curriculum and courses. They want to have choices in creating their professional profile.

In the first part of this course we will analyze the current educational system in Serbia and Australia. In second part survey will be done on what engineers do in Serbian engineering companies and what engineers from Serbia and other Middle Eastern countries are doing in Australia. In the last stage results will be analyzed and actions will be proposed. The results will be presented on the Conference.

The course teaches on the fundamental pronciples of soil mechanics through the solutions of carefully selected and arranged solved problems.