Gaining skills to solve real world problems
Monday, November 22, 2010
Imagine passing a huge glass wall as you walk down Burwood Road every day.
Behind it is a spectacular "Smart structures" laboratory, unique in Australia, and built in collaboration with other universities, which tests the strength of steel and concrete in civil engineering.
This ability to see into the workings of an engineering faculty is an essential part of Swinburne University's new Advanced Technology Centre (ATC).
"The public passing by can see both testing and teaching facilities through the glass walls" says Professor John Beynon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences at Swinburne.
"We expect it will excite the interest of the public in technology, and especially of children when they are thinking of their future." he says. "But a lot of the building will generate excitement among our students as well, to think what technology can do and particularly what the implications of what it can do for the good of society."
Professor Beynon says that many students now come into engineering knowing that engineers will be in the best position to solve the issues we face in sustainability.
This is a very common theme among existing and future engineers. But can they do it?
"You bet they can," he says. "They have enormous breadth of skills - problem-solving, design, methodology, analysis, as well as the specific knowledge of their
individually trained areas.
"Mechanical and electrical engineers have direct input into sustainability; civil engineers are
recycling all sorts of old tyres, bricks and other building materials into building roads and bridges.
"This new centre has a five-star green rating partly because of the significant amount of recycled material we used from the old building." There is no doubt that the built environment influences people's attitudes. Students entering the ATC for the first time next year will find a place that feels right for engineers.
And importantly, there is no cut off which debars first years from research labs.
We wanted to have very mixed teaching and research areas, labs and final year projects, where younger students could observe and be inspired" explains Professor Beynon.
"Early year students quickly develop their interests, find out what captivates them, see what a favourite lecturer does beyond the classroom."
The ATC will be used by Swinburne's TAFE students (Associate Degree in Engineering, which gives a guaranteed place in the degree), by undergraduates, research and industry. Swinburne has a very large intake of engineering students each year but with no common core first year. They have to have already decided on the branch they wish to pursue.
VCE students should by now have attended open days and information sessions, read websites and looked up Engineering Australia.
Engineering at Swinburne is described at www.swinburne.edu.au/engineering/study-areas/engineering/.
However, the best way to find out what you think of the courses is to go there. See the amazing final year designs at the expo on November 30 with your science coordinator.
Look at the ATC on your way out. You could be there next year.