Implementation of multi-campus engineering education through modules of different research expertises

In Flanders (Belgium), the 1-year Master programme in Biochemical Engineering Technology is organized at 7 geographically dispersed campuses that are associated to three different universities, i.e. KU Leuven, Ghent University, and Antwerp University. However, to sustain all Master programmes, it is clear that a unique education and research profile at each campus is crucial. In addition, institutes of higher education are subject to intense changes: with decreasing government fundings they have to educate more students, in individual flexible programs, and with an increasing variety of backgrounds [1]. It is clear that a rationalization is required in which the use of human resources and infrastructure is optimized. This can be accomplished by establishing “Higher education consortia”, which can be defined as “multi-point groupings of higher education institutions which have a limited amount of members and where membership is restricted to particular institutions” [2]. In these so-called “Higher education consortia” there is an increased cooperation among the campuses, for instance by multi-campus education in which there is an increased exchange of lecturers and increased student mobility. In this paper we describe the development of a multi-campus programme for the Master of science in Engineering Technology: Biochemical Engineering and Master of science in bioengineering technology: food industry engineering, in a higher education consortium, consisting of 4 campuses associated to KU Leuven. The multi-campus programme consists of specialized and research-driven learning modules on one campus that are also available for students of other campuses. In addition, the driving forces, obstacles, and preconditions to establish such a multi-campus programme, the development process, and the implementation of the multi-campus programme, as well as the future perspectives are discussed.

ISBN:978-2-87352-004-5

Jaar van publicatie:2013

Toegankelijkheid:Open