"Think globally, act locally.” This well-known maxim, authored by the French-born American microbiologist René Dubos, usually comes to mind when I think about engineering education chal-

lenges.

In the last decade, I have had the opportunity to interact, with several engineering educators from all over the world and I’ve discovered that we all share similar challenges when dealing with educating future engi-neers: What is the best way to promote the study of tech-nological majors among high school students? To best teach mathematics and phys-ics? How can we avoid the high percentage of abandon-ment in the very first year of universities’ studies? Last, but not least, how can we finance the relatively and increasingly high cost of engineering education? These are dilemmas that we all face regardless of our position; faculties, deans, chancellors and also govern-mental authorities are very worried about these issues. It is a fact that our modern world, with its paraphernalia of technological products and services, requires more and more engineers; it is not an exaggeration to state that the continuity of the world, as we know it nowadays, depends on the answer of the

previously listed questions.

But the answers may not be the same in different regions or countries; as a matter of fact, the accreditation criteria varies from country to country and from region to region. The European Framework Standards are different from ABET accreditation criteria and both of them have practi-cally nothing in common with, for example, the Argen-tinean standards for engineer-

ing undergraduate studies.

The different perspectives about engineering education involve not only accreditation issues but some other chal-lenges, one example being financing. Here in Argentina for example, public universi-ties are funded by federal gov-ernment and absolutely free for students. On the other hand in countries like our neighbor Chile, tuition fees are equivalent to 22.7% of

GDP per capita.

When we think about peda-gogy, again, there are very

different approaches.

By: Uriel R. Cukierman, WEEF 2012 Buenos Aires, Co-Chair, Dean, College of En-gineering, Buenos Aires, Ar-gentina

(Continues in Page 3)

Volume 2, Issue 3

Global challenges, local solutions

July, 2013

I N T E R N A T I O N A L F E D E R A T I O N O F E N G I N E E R I N G E D U C A T I O N S O C I E T I E S

The Global Bulletin

of Engineering Education

Members of the IFEES and GEDC community gathered in Atlanta at the Der Biergarten Restaurant for an informal dinner and an official break-fast meeting. The evening session was moderated by Stephanie Farrell, IFEES Ex-ecutive Committee Member and Wayne Davis, GEDC member. During the June 23rd dinner, ACOFI president Javier Páez, gave a brief presentation on the upcoming World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) 2013 in Carta-gena, Colombia, on Septem-

ber 23-27, 2013.

The official breakfast meeting on Tuesday was moderated by Jennifer DeBoer and Jaime Bonilla. The former provided an overview of IIDEA’s cur-rent and upcoming activities and workshops. Professor Yacob Astatke gave an in-formative presentation on his recent visit to Lagos, where he gave a presentation together with Duncan Fraser, entitled “Curriculum Development in Engineering Education: What, Why and How? However their main purpose was to help lo-cal African colleagues better organize the 5th, African Re-gional Conference on Engi-neering Education, which will take place on September 9-12,

2013.

IFEES GEDC meetings in Atlanta

student learning experience but also in increasing their em-ployability, which is seen demonstrated by the doubling of placement offers. The initia-tives attracted Industries to the campus, creating over 350 engineering jobs in the city, enabling the College to play a generative role in regional eco-nomic and social development. This further led to the estab-lishment of the Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship (CTE) to build an entrepre-neurial ecosystem on campus, leading to successful student start-ups which have won ac-colades at national level like Tata NEN Award, Best Inno-vators Award from Department of Science & Technology and Confederation of Indian Indus-

tries.

The College has established the Centre for Engineering Education Research (CEER) with the objectives of leading and sustaining these initiatives. The experience gained in this process is shared with the com-munity in the form of organiz-ing workshops on Outcome Based Education. So far, more than 500 faculty members of Engineering Institutions in the state of Karnataka are trained

by the center.

P a g e 2 T h e G l o b a l B u l l e t i n

o f E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c a t i o n

“ The college adopted

outcome based

education framework

for curriculum design

and introduced best

global practices in

curriculum design,

pedagogy and

assessment to achieve

ABET 3a-3k outcomes.

The emphasis was laid

on active and

experiential learning

practices, embedding

engineering design and

social innovations early

on, aligning

assessment practices

with outcomes,

introducing research

experience at

undergraduate

curriculum and focus

on entrepreneurship.”

The Transformation of BVB College

of Engineering & Technology, Hubli, India By: Krishna Vedula, Immediate IFEES past President

Established in the year 1947, BVB College of Engineering & Technology ( BVBCET) is one of the oldest Engineering Colleges in the state of Karna-taka in South India. Since its inception, BVBCET has func-tioned as an affiliated College with its responsibility limited to only academic delivery, as design of the curriculum and assessment was done by the affiliating University. Having attained autonomous status in 2007, the college received an opportunity to emerge as a center of excellence in engi-neering education; at the same time, the college faced several challenges, like designing cur-riculum relevant to the profes-sional practice in the global-ized world, building a student-centric experiential learning ecosystem, introducing re-search, innovation and entre-preneurship in learning experi-

ences.

The College undertook com-prehensive reforms to address the above challenges with the support of IUCEE and US experts, starting with the IU-CEE Faculty Leadership Insti-tutes in 2008. The college adopted outcome-based educa-tion framework for curriculum design and introduced best global practices in curriculum

design, pedagogy and assess-ment to achieve ABET 3a-3k outcomes. The emphasis was laid on active and experiential learning practices, embedding engineering design and social innovations early on, aligning assessment practices with out-comes, introducing research experience at undergraduate curriculum and focus on entre-

preneurship.

Several initiatives undertaken by the College are being pio-neered in the Indian engineer-ing education context. These include a social innovation course to promote a culture of innovation and research in un-dergraduate students. The course, the first of its kind in India, has created a lot of ex-citement in students who want to pursue research as their ca-reer and also has led to sub-stantial increase in publication

by undergraduate students.

Another course, “Measure of Outcomes Attained” has been particularly emphasized. Direct and indirect means are used to obtain feedback for continuous improvement of student learn-ing experience. Several courses attempt to embed attainment of

professional outcomes.

The whole reforms process has not only resulted in enhanced

BVB College of Engineering and

Technology, Hubli Campus

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

This will also be an occasion to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of SEFI. KU Leuven, Faculty of En-gineering, are organizing the Con-ference and Celebration, from 16-20 September 2013, in Leuven

(Belgium).

As part of the conference, the SEFI Working Groups will organ-ize special open workshops on Educational Technologies, on Gender and Diversity: 40 years gender and technology, on Contin-uing Engineering Education, on Sustainability in Engineering Edu-cation, on Ethics, on Physics and Engineering Education, and on Curriculum Development (with a special session on the MOOCS), A special plenary, “Industry meets Education” will be organized on 19th September. Confirmed invit-ed keynote speakers include: Mike Ashby (Cambridge University), Caroline Baillie (The University of Western Australia), Susan M Bray (NY, USA), Erik Duval (KU Leuven, BE), Carl Mitcham (Colorado School of Mines, USA), Peter Sloep (TU Delft, NL), Jon Stolk (Olin College, USA), Phil Wankat (Purdue, USA). These speakers will give challenging lectures on sustainability, social justice in engineering education, MOOCs, motivation, engineering

in context.

In conjunction with its Confer-ence, SEFI is particularly pleased to welcome the 2013 Annual Con-ference of another IFEES member, European Network for the Accred-itation of Engineering Education (ENAEE) and to co-organize the First European Engineering Deans Council (EEDC) workshop, in cooperation with 4ING, on “the different doctorates in Engineering

Education in Europe.”

Likewise in celebration of the 40th anniversary, SEFI has launched a competition for the best PhD the-

sis on engineering education. Seven female candidates have been ac-cepted. The aim of the competition is to stimulate and reward initia-tives that lead to improvement in Engineering Education. The Prize will be given at the SEFI Awards Dinner, and the SEFI Leonardo da Vinci Medal will be presented dur-

ing the Conference Gala Dinner.

Furthermore, SEFI, the University of Aalto and the Universidad Poly-tecnica de Valencia have just pub-lished a new book, The Knowledge Triangle, Re-Inventing the Future. This publication reveals what is happening behind the scenes in the EU, as well as national Through policy descriptions and strategy statements, this publication reveals what is happening behind the scenes on the EU, as well as nation-al and institutional levels, through policy descriptions and strategy statements. The many practical cases presented manifest the con-crete efforts applied to materializ-ing the Knowledge Triangle, creat-ing more synergy between re-search, education and innovation. The recent research findings open the curtain to what innovation means, how it could be fostered, and why it is imperative in advanc-ing the sustainable Knowledge So-

ciety.

In a series of projects such as EU-GENE, workshops and confer-ences, all focusing on the triple play of research, education and innovation, the authors were able to share their common understandings and to develop and create advanced new concepts. This book brings together their lessons learned in an interesting compilation of articles, reflecting the authors’ consolidated knowledge together with some

brand new insights.

More detailed information can be

found on the www.sefi.be.

P a g e 3

The European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) is preparing its Annual Conference

2013 whose theme is “Engineering Education Fast Forward 1973 > 2013 >>“. By Francoise Come,

SEFI Secretary General, Brussels, Belgium

(Continues from page 1)

You, dear reader, may think that this is not true because pedagogical theories are universal, but as soon as we analyze how those theories are implemented in differ-ent countries, we will find that there are diverse perspectives and approaches. In the so-called “first world”, and especially in the US, MOOCs are proposed, by not an insignificant number of professors and university authorities, as a solution for the growing demand of high level education. However, in less developed countries, access to decent Internet connections and to personal computing devices is nothing

more than a wish.

We may continue looking for different situations about various problems, but it is not the object of this article to conclude that there is no way to solve these global challenges. Remembering Dubos’ maxim, it is clear that we need local solutions for them. There are no universal recipes,

there are no magical solutions.

We certainly need to collaborate to learn from our colleagues all over the world, to replicate those solutions that are useful for our local actualities and, surely, to learn from those who have failed, in order not to repeat the same errors. Global confer-ences, like those organized by IFEES, GEDC, SPEED and other prestigious en-gineering education organizations, are great opportunities to interact and net-work with colleagues from all over the world and to present and discuss our very diverse and particular ideas and solutions. From the perspective of the leaders of those organizations, it is very relevant to find ways to facilitate the participation of more and diverse colleagues from all over the world in these meetings, and to assure that their participation will be meaningful for their roles in engineering education

institutions.

IIDEA is the leadership training branch of IFEES focused on estab-lishing a global network of engi-neering faculty development pro-grams to disseminate learning about the transformation of engi-neering education worldwide. IIDEA aims to provide a clearing house of high caliber and world class engineering faculty leadership training workshops, courses, and seminars, helping to broker the offering of these programs to engi-neering education associations, institutions and other engineering education stakeholders around the world. IIDEA is a joint initiative of IFEES (International Federation of Engineering Education Societies) and SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education), whose leadership recognized the need to create a central place where engi-neering education institutions could search for capacity building oppor-tunities. Since its creation in 2011, IIDEA has been hosted by IFEES and SEFI’s Head Offices, located in Milwaukee (USA) and in Brus-

sels (Belgium).

IIDEA’s founding co-directors were Lueny Morell, (former IFEES President) and Anette Kolmos (SEFI Past President). The role of the co-directors is to lead the or-ganization and keep the contents of training options revised and updat-ed, ensure the evaluation outcomes of the entire Institute’s activities and participants’ learning experi-ences, promote IIDEA and broad-cast its outcomes around the world. In 2012, Prof. Claudio Borri (University of Florence, former SEFI and IFEES President) re-placed Anette Kolmos while Jen-nifer DeBoer succeeded Lueny

Morell.

P a g e 4

Announcement: Nomination of a new IIDEA Co-Director

Françoise Côme (SEFI)

T h e G l o b a l B u l l e t i n

o f E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c a t i o n

At the beginning of June 2013, Prof. Erik de Graaff from the University of Aalborg, has been nominated to suc-ceed Prof. Borri, as IIDEA Co-

Director.

The biography of Prof. de Graaff is available on http://www.sefi.be/iidea/?

page_id=455.

From now on, Jennifer DeBoer and Prof. de Graaff will join forces, knowledge and expertise to enhance the position of IIDEA and of engineer-

ing education worldwide.

IIDEA’s founding organizations, namely SEFI and IFEES, as well as all IIDEA’s partners hereby congratulate Prof. de Graaff for his nomination and express their gratitude to Prof. Borri for his dedication and good work over the last years, and congratulate him for being appointed as the Dean of Engi-

neering at the University of Florence.

Prof. Erik de Graaff, University of Aalborg, new IIDEA

Co-Director and IFEES Vice President for Europe.

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

On July 13-14, IIDEA collaborated with colleagues at the Tsinghua University and the Center for Engi-neering Education, for the third

annual workshop series there.

This year’s workshop series was titled: “Engineering Education Connections: Teaching Centers, Industry Partnership, and Engi-neering Education Accreditation,” and brought together perspectives from international, regional, and local leaders including corporate partners. Today’s engineering educators are faced with many challenges; they must implement the most up-to-date teaching prac-tices, they must prepare engineers to meet the requirements of indus-try; and they must adhere to the standards of degree accreditation bodies. Preparing engineers appro-priately demands that universities connect meaningfully with leaders in teaching quality, industry, and

accreditation.

This IIDEA workshop addressed capacity building in three dimen-

sions:

1) Developing teaching centers at

engineering universities,

2) Strengthening connections

with industry partners, and

3) Building an accreditation sys-tem that is appropriate to the

local needs in China.

By providing multiple perspectives from around the world from ex-perts in teaching, industry univer-sity connections, and accreditation, local leaders in China can deter-mine the best way forward for their

own environment.

P a g e 5

IIDEA workshop on 13-14 July

2013 in Tsinghua University

(with HP and Mathworks support)

Prof. Yu Shouwen, giving

a presentation during

IIDEA Workshop,

Tsinghua University,

July, 2013

IIDEA and Tsinghua University Colleges

before the workshop commencement. P. R. China

The National Taiwan Normal Uni-versity was the host venue for the 5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Engi-neering & Technology Education (APCETE), held by the Chinese Tai-pei Association of Taiwan Engineer-ing Education and Management (CTATEEM) on 29 October—2 No-vember 2012. The conference went smoothly and successfully, with many scholars from different coun-tries enjoying more than 32 hours of networking, 3 keynote speeches, and 38 presentations. The conference itself began on the morning of 30 October 2012 at 08:30 sharp, with a welcome address by conference chairman Chao-Hsiang Yang. Partici-pants were welcomed warmly. The first speaker of the conference was José Carlos Quadrado, whose presen-tation opened the session, covering a sustainable future with engineering education. He hails from Portugal and serves as the current president of IFEES (International Federation of Engineering Education Societies). It was his first visit to Taiwan since becoming president. The second speaker was Charles B. Fledderman-nan from the U.S.A., editor of IEEE Transactions on Education, who gave his presentation entitled “Getting Published in an Engineering Educa-tion Journal”. The final speaker, Marc J. de Vries, from Holland, and the editor of International Journal of Technology and Design Education, presented passionately on “Teaching Basic Concepts in Engineering: What Philosophy of Technology and Ex-perts Tell Us.” The conference is held biannually, and the next will be held in 2014 by Australian Society of

Engineering Education.

Report by:

Jose Carlos Quadrado,

IFEES President

Conference participants were encour-aged to consider in particular the topic of new curriculum and research devel-opment to attain sustainability of Engi-neering Education in Taiwan and East

Asian Nations.

The Taiwanese curriculum in Engi-neering Education had changed tre-mendously after 1997, following their huge economic crisis. Taiwanese Engineering Education is focused on satisfying the exporting potential of their engineering innovation and prod-ucts. In addition, they are equipped with a structure in which to export massive education is highly inclusive, as well as using social education para-digm as a tool to establish social bond-age, while looking for a massive spread of higher education and attract-ing US and EU audiences and their trends in engineering research.

Continues on page 7

P a g e 6

5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Engineering &

Technology Education (APCETE) Press Release

T h e G l o b a l B u l l e t i n

o f E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c a t i o n

“Curriculum in

Engineering

Education had

tremendously

changed after 1997

until the huge crises

they had in late

1990s. Taiwanese

Engineering

Education model is

focused on

satisfying the

exporting potential

of their engineering

innovation and

products.”

Participants in APCETE Conference in Taiwan.

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

(Continues from page 6)

Presently the People’s Repub-lic of China is Taiwan’s largest partner in Engineering Educa-tion, which means that Taiwan possesses the same Engineer-ing Education Development values as PR China, by in-creasing engineering education with the full support of western culture. Particularly engineer-ing development in Taiwan is focused on creating consumer electronics and derivatives and internationally recognized high tech products, which requires a constant monitoring of global trends of such products. This is why Taiwanese engineering networks are highly focused on Research and Devel-opment. They are currently one of the major electronic parts supplier and have two major engi-neering companies which are promoting this research and Engineering Educa-tion, including

Huawei and ZTE.

IFEES Partners aim to build bridges with regional partners, existing organizations that pro-mote engineering education, accreditation, and other related issues. Regarding MOOC’s, the are aware but are following PR China, and are not actively involved in this new trend, but are being infected by the west-ern world. In my presentation, I elaborated on the sustainable future with engineering educa-tion and had the opportunity to discuss a myriad of topics with the former minister of Educa-tion of Taiwan. The Former minister was one of the key-note speakers in the opening session of the conference, which was followed by a presentation and later an open discussion. Taiwanese engi-neers and engineering educa-

tors are very much aware of the challenges of humanity and there-fore, they want to be the supplier

of these solutions.

The 2nd topic of the event was the improvement of technology education. Conference organizers want Taiwanese colleagues to employ all necessary technology in order to maintain high stand-ards in research and development. The conference was attended by visitors from US, Europe, Nether-lands, Singapore, China and Ja-pan. Taiwan was eager to gather information from all these coun-tries in order to analyze future trends in engineering education

research and development.

There was another interesting session, trying to use the inter- regional connection approach to all the ideas and information

available.

Taiwanese and European research in engineering and innovation are very different one from another. Research in Taiwan is almost financed by private large compa-nies, and mostly focused in creat-ing exporting products, with a greater degree of incorporating engineering education. They are looking to further grow on all the international rankings. Taiwan is following the way of major re-search and development trends. Teaching is very structured in Taiwan; educators are more guid-ed in their actions and do not en-courage independent decision—

making. In terms of mobili-ty, their system their system is very structured and rigid. But at the same time, some one who does not hold an engineering degree, can be invited to pursue a Ph.D. in Engineering. This is not com-mon in Europe and the US. Taiwan has largely attracted many mid—career profes-sionals who want to pursue a

doctorate in Engineering.

The Taiwanese Engineering community is very dependent on their potential of exports. Their interest in Chinese mar-kets is growing, however, the US remains the main support-er of the Taiwanese econo-my. Taiwanese Engineering teams have become worried from the recent departure of two major foreign companies who have decided to close their operations in Taiwan, resulting in decreased pro-

duction on the island.

The Association itself is per-haps very unique to the IFEES Structure. We man-aged to incorporate a mix of individuals, including univer-sities, engineering schools and other institutions as well

as government officials.

It was great to receive feed-back that comes from differ-ent groups and government structures, focusing on pro-moting interconnections with other societies, in various

parts of the world.

This I believe, is what they expect from our Federation, to support joint projects be-

tween its members.

P a g e 7

quiz results lets the instructor spend class time focusing on areas the students found most problematic. “We can’t continue to just lecture students,” Peercy argues. “We can’t continue to try to teach them using the meth-ods of the Middle Ages. That’s highly inefficient and ineffec-

tive.”

Peercy takes naturally to new systems. After earning a physics Ph.D., he joined Bell Labs—America’s “idea factory” - fol-lowed by 27 years at Sandia Na-tional Laboratories, where he rose to oversee microelectronics, photonics, and semi conductor development. He arrived at Wis-consin in 1999 after four years as president of SEMI/Sematech, the nonprofit semiconductor indus-tries suppliers consortium that helped US companies achieve semiconductor dominance. Two years later, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineer-ing in part for “visionary leader-ship in creating and managing outstanding laboratories in mate-rials research.” As dean, Peercy instituted a tutoring program for foundational math and science

classes to boost retention and spurred a redesign of the first year curriculum. Wis-consin’s Introduction to Society’s Engi-neering Grand Challenges, unveiled in 2008, plunges students immediately into

real world problem solving.

Today, the College of Engineering is lead-ing the university’s blended—learning ef-forts. The impact on students persistence and grades has been so pronounced that the strategic plan calls for flipping 75 percent

of core courses over the next several years.

Peercy says this approach cuts study time because students receive instant feedback, and it greatly reduces the hours faculty spend preparing lectures. It also works: student scores jumped 15 percent, and fail-ure rates dropped from 25 or 30 percent to nearly nil. Peercy points to Carnegie Mellon University research that shows the inverted classroom approach accelerates learning to the point where a semester’s worth of material can be covered in half the time, with better results and retention of

information than in conventional classes.

Peercy admits that such hybrid approaches “go against every tradition” within academ-ia. While the pace of acceptance has accel-erated, he says, “It is still bottom—up when it should be more top down.” Still, from a handful of courses five years ago, nearly all of Wisconsin’s first—and sec-ond—year engineering courses are now blended, as are half of the third year cours-es. Peercy says the investment in software needed for blended courses is a one time expense that in many cases should last for

ten years.

While he won’t call himself a proselytizer for IT– infused classrooms, Peercy notes that he is chairing this October’s Global Engineering Deans Council Meeting in Chicago. Its theme? Digital Education and

Transformed Faculty Roles.

Source: Prism Magazine, American Socie-

ty of Engineering Education.

P a g e 8

Join the Revolution

Wisconsin’s just—retired dean would put the first two years of engineering online

By: Thomas K. Grose

T h e G l o b a l B u l l e t i n

o f E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c a t i o n

America’s public universities are facing a financial crisis as state governments continue to chop funding, prompting tuition and fees to soar. The troubling upshot is that students will just opt out, frets Paul Peercy. And that could prove disastrous for a country whose economic future depends on having more, not fewer, col-lege graduates. Peercy, who re-tired in March after 13 years as dean of the University of Wiscon-sin, Madison’s college of Engi-neering, believes that America’s public universities need to be-come more productive by harness-ing information technology in

radical new ways.

Digital Solutions, he says, could drastically cut the amount of time and money engineering under-graduates spend earning their de-gree, enabling schools to graduate more well-prepared students. Peercy envisions making the first two years of basic engineering courses available online so that students could complete them at a low cost, and as early as high school. Only upper level under-graduate courses would be offered on campus. This time saving ap-proach would ensure that engi-neering students not only receive the necessary foundation in sci-ence and math but also learn the IT skills they will apply in today’s interdisciplinary, multi cultural

workplace.

Once on campus, students would continue to take courses that make greater use of digital technology. Peercy is a fan of what’s often called the inverted, or blended, classroom. In this approach, stu-dents watch a lecture online and then take a quiz before attending

class.

A computerized breakdown of

Paul Peercy, Former Dean of

Engineering, UW-Madison

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

Prof. Wayne Davis, Dean, College of Engineering, University of Tennessee—Knoxville, and Prof. Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University, moderating the even-

ing session.

P a g e 9

(Continues from Page 1)

Professor Stephanie Farrell gave a presentation on QUEECA, SEFI/IFEES Collaboration updates, as well as other global initiatives under-taken by Rowan University. Linda Krute, IACEE Vice President for Membership and Kim Scalzo, Direc-tor, SUNY Center for Professional Development, State University of New York and IACEE First Vice President, gave a presentation on the upcoming IACEE Conference in 2014. Lynn Brown was also one of the speakers at this meeting. Michael Murphy of Dublin Institute of Tech-nology wrapped up the meeting with a presentation of SEFI and the Europe-

an Engineering Deans Council.

* * * *

Members of IFEES GEDC Community gathered for Dinner at

Der Biergarten Restaurant, June 23rd, 2013.

IFEES Leadership welcomes the com-

munity of Engineering Without Bor-

ders, which as recently become an

observing member of our organiza-

tion. IFEES looks forward to work

with Engineering Without Borders

and continue to coordinate existing or

future Engineering Education pro-

jects, workshops and regional—global

events.

At its core, the EWB-USA model is rooted

in practical engineering solutions. Howev-

er, in order to be successful, program de-

signers must consider a wide range of

inputs from the socio-cultural dimensions

of the community to local project owner-

ship and other requirements for long-term

project viability. EWB-USA programs are

full partnerships with a host community

and one or more local non-governmental

organizations (NGOs). EWB-USA mem-

bers train local community members and

local NGOs to successfully monitor and

maintain the projects.

For more information please visit:

http://www.ewb-usa.org/about-ewb-

usa/our-story

P a g e 1 0

From left to right: Professor Funso Falade, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Duncan Fraser, IFEES Vice President for Africa, University of

Cape Town, Vice Chancellor Bello of UNILAG, Prof. Ogunye, President of Nigerian Academy of Engineering Deans, Prof. yacob Astatke,

Morgan State University, Prof. Waleisiro (LOC) and Prof. Ikponmuosa (LOC).

T h e G l o b a l B u l l e t i n

o f E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c a t i o n

Professors Duncan Fraser and Yacob Astatke with Nigerian Colleagues.

Jennifer DeBoer , Prof. Yu Shouwen, and Tsinghua Uni-

versity leaders. P.R. China.

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

P a g e 1 1

All Charged Up: Engineers Create

A Battery Made Of Wood By Joe Palca

July 17, 2013

age can play a very important role as a low-cost solution,"

he says.

Right now the battery is just a prototype. Hu and his col-leagues will need to tweak the materials before they have something commercially via-

ble.

There was something else in-teresting about the new battery: One of the authors on the paper describing it in Nano Letters was an undergraduate. What's up with that? How does a young college student wind up co-authoring a paper in a major

scientific journal?

Hu says Nicholas Weadock was an engineering major who expressed an interest in work-ing in the lab. "In the very be-ginning he was helping stu-dents, my Ph.D. students actu-ally, correct some English grammar," says Hu. A lot of Dr. Hu's doctoral students are from outside the U.S. "During the process ... he asked a lot of interesting, very insightful questions, not only about the language, but about the science

behind it."

Weadock says he had original-ly wanted to work on wind power, but became interested in energy storage technology and wanted to show Hu that he could be a contributor to the

lab.

"I came to the group meetings, I made suggestions, and I was ambitious enough to show him that I can do my own project,"

he says.

Weadock is off to the California Institute of Technology in the fall for graduate school, where he plans to continue work on energy storage. Hu says the positive experience with Weadock has con-vinced him to recruit more undergraduates to

his lab.

Reprinted from NPR

Source:

http://www.npr.org/2013/07/17/200782520/all-charged-up-engineers-create-a-battery-made-of-

wood

The big idea behind Joe's Big Idea is to report on interesting inventions and inventors. When I saw the headline "An Environmentally Friendly Bat-tery Made From Wood," on a press release recently, I figured it fit the bill, so went to investi-

gate.

The battery is being developed at the Energy Research Center at the University of Maryland in College Park. I really wasn't sure what a wood battery would look like. I knew you could make a battery out of a potato and wires, so I figured maybe they were doing some-thing similar with a block of

wood.

Wrong. The "wood" is actually microscopic wood fibers that are fashioned into thin sheets. The sheets are then coated with carbon nanotubes and packed

into small metal discs.

The wood batteries use sodium ions, rather than the lithium ions that are found in the bat-teries of cellphones and lap-tops. In this case, the charged particles move around in the wood fibers, creating an elec-tric current. It turns out wood is a good medium for sodium

ions to move around in.

Now, wood is comparatively cheap. So is sodium. Liangbing Hu, head of the battery project, says he's hoping the new bat-teries can be scaled up so they'll be useful for storing the vast amounts of energy gener-ated by solar arrays or wind

farms.

"I think this wood-based stor-

IFEES/IUCEE 2014 Conference in Hubli, India SPEED and IUCEE, the two big engineering or-ganizations have collab-orated to enhance and empower engineering education in India. Two workshops have been conducted in July 2013 and three more have been planned in August across different parts of India. Participants from the workshop have de-veloped action plans which are being imple-mented in the IUCEE consortium colleges. Student chapters have been formed in continua-tion to these workshops so that leaders from SPEED can keep in con-stant touch with the par-ticipants and guide them through their action plans after the work-shop. National Indian Student Forum, derived from the historic Global Student Forum is being planned alongside the International Conference for Transforming Engi-neering Education on 14th-16th January 2014 to be at Hubli, India.

* * * *

Jose Carlos Quadrado

IFEES President (2012-2014)

Stephanie Farrell

IFEES Executive Committee Member

Hans J. Hoyer

IFEES Secretary General

Peter M. Tase

International Program Assistant

Stephanie Cheng

Consultant

International Federation of Engineering

Education Societies

Marquette University

College of Engineering

1515 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, USA, 53233

IFEES leadership, members and colleagues, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 17th, 2012.

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www.ifees.net