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Network International Conference “Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education: Global Trends and Management Concepts – SYNERGY”

Results of the Network International Conference
“Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education: Global Trends and Management Concepts – SYNERGY” May 24 – July 13, 2016


Information on the Network Conference SYNERGY – 2016


Network Conference has been initiated by the Association for Engineering Education of Russia and Kazan National Research Technological University

Organizers:

Conference sponsor: PJSC Gazprom

Conference programm

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Dates Venue City
24 May 2016 Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” Saint Petersburg
30-31 May 2016 Gubkin Russian State Oil and Gas University (Gubkin) Moscow
01 July 2016 D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan State Technical Ust-Kamenogorsk
(The Republic of Kazakhstan )
04 July 2016 Kazan National Research Technological University (KNRTU) Kazan
08 July 2016 National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) Tomsk
11-13 July 2016
Final sessions
Irkutsk National Research Technical University Irkutsk (Lake Baikal)
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The Conference united experts in the field of engineering education and interdisciplinary projects, representatives of leading Russian and foreign universities, representatives of government, Russian and international companies, associations of engineering societies.

More than 300 people from Russian and foreign universities (USA, Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Republic of Kazakhstan, Peoples Republic of China) participated in the Conference.

There were 6 network sessions held within the Conference together with an expert seminar, webinars, video-conferences and round tables aimed at considering best practices in organization and management of training specialists ready to work in interdisciplinary teams and projects and at determining ways for assuring synergy effect when exploiting global interdisciplinary projects.

The Proceedings of the Conference were published in the 20th issue of the “Engineering Education” journal dedicated to the statements and contributions of the Network International Conference “Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education: Global Trends and Management Concepts – SYNERGY”.


Final sessions of the SYNERGY – 2016 Conference


On July 11-13, 2016, at the premises of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University the final sessions of the Network International Conference “Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education: Global Trends and Management Concepts – SYNERGY” took place.

The final sessions of the Conference served as a floor for discussions on the key issues of organization and management of training specialists ready to work in interdisciplinary teams and projects and for development of overall Conference recommendations on assuring synergy effect when executing global interdisciplinary projects.

On behalf of the Conference organizers the following representatives welcomed all the participants at the Conference: prof. Alexander D. Afanasiev, Acting Rector of Irkutsk National Research Technical University; prof. Yury P. Pokholkov, President of the Association for Engineering Education of Russia, Head of Department of Management and Technology in Higher Professional Education of National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University; prof. Vasiliy G. Ivanov, First Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of Kazan National Research Technological University; prof. Viktor S. Sheinbaum, Director of Institute of Human Resource Development in Fuel and Energy field, Rectorate Council of Gubkin Russian State Oil and Gas University; prof. Jose Carlos Quadrado, Vice-President of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Immediate Past President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) and prof. Ladislav L. Musílek, Professor of Czech Technical University in Prague, Member of the SEFI Administrative Council.

The Conference opened up with the results of network sessions held in 5 cities from May to July, 2016. Representatives of the network co-organizing universities spoke of the participants, progress and core results of the network sessions. Some of the speeches were delivered in a video format.

Plenary sessions started with the “Global trends and policy-making in organization of interdisciplinary scientific and educational projects and teams”, where prof. Yury P. Pokholkov, AEER President, Prof. Evgenyi N. Kuznetsov, Innovation Expert of the Worldbank Washington Division, and prof. Jose Carlos Quadrado, Vice-President of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Immediate Past President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) took the floor to discuss the current need and conditions for training specialists ready to work in an interdisciplinary environment.

The second plenary session “Cooperation of industrial companies and universities for interdisciplinary projects development” was just as important for responding the global challenges of interdisciplinary development of engineering education. Session moderator, prof. Alexander D. Afanasiev, Acting Rector of Irkutsk National Research Technical University, made the opening speech and shared the INRTU good practice and ways for development in terms of university collaboration with business community. The other speakers: Prof. Phillip Sanger (USA), Prof. Ladislav Musílek (Czech Republic), Prof. Viktor S. Sheinbaum and Prof. Rifat G. Khabibullin, had emphasized the importance of close cooperation between university and industry with an aim to identify up-to-date real problems of the market that could serve as the basis for training specialists capable of responding to global challenges.

The second day of the Conference provided participants an opportunity for active interaction in the framework of individual and team work within the expert training seminar “Managing university environment for interdisciplinary projects implementation: conditions, grants, consortium partnerships” moderated by prof. Yury P. Pokholkov, AEER President, prof. Jose Carlos Quadrado, Vice-President of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Immediate Past President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) and Kseniya K. Tolkacheva, AEER International Projects Manager. Participants acting in the role of experts evaluated the current state of interdisciplinary environment at Russian and foreign universities. Specific attributes for assessing the state of interdisciplinary environment at universities have been proposed as a result of the team work. It was followed by an open discussion that identified the key obstacles on the way for resolving the problem. Expert seminar resulted in practical recommendations how to create and develop interdisciplinary environment at universities.

Plenary sessions “Students and teachers in interdisciplinary projects and teams” and “Interdisciplinary projects in the field of resource efficiency and Sustainable Development (including projects on Lake Baikal preservation)” were also held during the second conference day. Representatives of such Russian universities as KNRTU, TPU, Lobachevsky University, as well as the professor of Debrecen University, Hungary, delivered their speeches on topical issues of the organization of students’ and teachers’ involvement in interdisciplinary projects. Colleagues from INRTU, TPU and UPC (Spain) shared their essential experience of organizing interdisciplinary projects aimed at solving critical issues in the field of ecology, sustainable development and engineering ethics.

Last day of the Conference was dedicated to the development of Conference recommendations. Roundtable discussion joined representatives of Russian HEIs top management, faculty and students of Russian and foreign universities and, of course, industry representatives, namely Oleg I. Tkhoruk, Advisor of Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee, JSC Gazprom, and Andrey I. Frolkov, Head of Interaction with Educational Institutions Department, JSC Gazprom. The discussion resulted in determination of key development areas for HEI and industry collaboration to train specialists ready to work in interdisciplinary teams and projects, identification of the means for management process improvement of interdisciplinary training and specification of the stakeholders to whom the recommendations have to be addressed.


Conference organizers express gratitude to all the keynote speakers, partners and participants for their contribution and participation in the event.
We look forward to our future fruitful cooperation in development of engineering education and quality assurance!






Address of Yuri P. Pokholkov