Workshop 1 Relevance

Workshop 1 - Relevance

Education & Standardisation

2

Question?

Does knowledge of Standardisation among students provides value to businesses? Or should students know something about standards as they get to work at companies?

• Not a lot of students know what “standardisation” means, more awareness is needed!

• “Standardisation” is unknown with young employees

• There is a clear need in the industry to bring the knowledge with young employees at a certain level. The industry organises own courses around standardisation in certain domains.

• The education for a civil engineer is very theoretical, technical but doesn’t refer a lot to practical things, like standards.

• If PhD will teach at Master level in the future, there is a risk that curricula will become more theoretical, with less contact with “reality”.

• Standards are very broad. (catalog of > 30.000 standards in Belgium)

• Why is there so little knowledge about “ standardisation”? Teachers and professors are willing to put this on their program, but there is not enough information coming from the industry and NBN.

Session 1

4

• Only a limited amount of construction companies have employees (students) with knowledge about standardisation.

• Time is limited for teachers and professors and the preparation time for courses can be long. Professors need access to standards but these are protected and not freely accessible.

• Sometimes standards are put on the agenda, but more ad-hoc and in function of the subject, but also in a general context.

• To address standardisation in detail in not useful, but students should better understand the benefits and the process of standardisation, with links to practical cases.

• Not only engineers should be educated about standards.

•Master Security/Prevention (ManaMa) already exists. There standardisation is partially included in the programme.

• Some colleges and universities already teach about Quality Systems.

Session 1

5

• Knowledge about standards should be endorsed/cultivated by management in companies.

• Societal impact of standardisation should also been considerd in education about standardisation

• Europe = lack of drive in education about standardisation

• Knowledge about IP (intellectual property) is overrated in innovation centers to the detriment of standardisation. Standards and IPR should be treated at the same level. PhD level is aware of IPR in relation to R&D, less about the use of standards to distribute know-how.

• “durf ondernemen” -> Is standardisation a part of this project ?

• Students should not be experts in standardisation, but should at least know that standards exist and how to get to standards.

• Limitations: lack of room in the education programme, what are priorities ? “opleidingscommissie” within faculty decide on the programme. Advise form external advisory groups from industry, alumni, ...

Session 2

6

• Content about education = f(target audience).• Legal & Business impact & issues (management level)• Technical : standards and standardisation process (technical level)

• Principles of standardisation are at least as important than detailed courses on specific standards.

• Who must drive education about standardisation?

• If we do not act, we will loose technology advantage and have to follow worldwide standards, and not create standards.

• A free subject is easier to change than a fixed one. Standardisation should be made attractive.

Session 2

7

• Industry has a need for students with a basic knowledge of standards and depending on the subject of education have a more detailed approach to standardisation. Make a difference between “Awareness” vs “Expertise”

• Influencing decision makers “Onderwijsraad”/ “commission de visitation” might be key.

• Students are clients.

• Is need for knowledge about standardisation at companies expressed in recruitment adds from those companies ?

• Employees can have training at company level or at university , depending on the business need.

• Education – should be focused on the management aspects of standards (also related to law, IP)

• Depending on the course – some standards should be included in more detail.

Session 3

8

• Non-availability of standards for students and professors = obstacle. Copying part of a standard should be possible.

• Develop/make available education material on standardisation (PPT,e-learning, case studies) + make people available to provide courses.

• Contact person in each college/ university.

• Influence by means of visitatiecommissie/ organisme d’acreditation.

• Create awareness at decision level in education landscape.

• PhD trainings – include standardisation in the curriculum to get a PhD

• Professors in general do not have much contact with the industry and as such with standardisation. Academic professors are not interested/have no incentive with regard to standardisation. More important is to produce papers.

• Include standardisation in TFE/thesis programmes

• Incentive at TFE/thesis: price for best thesis wrt standardisation.

Session 3