Conestoga news

November 27, 2008 1:10 PM

European University Partnership for IAMT Program

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Students in Conestoga's Integrated Advanced Manufacturing Technologies program will have an opportunity to study and learn at some of the leading universities in Europe as part of a new international collaborative program.

Conestoga has played a leading role in working with two Canadian schools (the University of Waterloo and SAIT Polytechnic) and three European universities to set up a faculty collaboration and student exchange under the Transatlantic Exchange Partnership (TEP) program. The genesis of the program lies with former Conestoga Dean of Engineering Technology, Tony Martinek, who wanted to give Canadian students the opportunity to broaden their educational experience by learning overseas.

The collaborative element involves development of curriculum and project-based learning experiences in the mechanical, manufacturing and mechatronics field. The partnership, which lasts until September 2011, is funded equally by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and the European Union.

The participating European universities are the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbeliard (France), the University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology (Germany) and the Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic).

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During the TEP project, a total of 42 senior-level students will have the opportunity to participate in exchange activities involving academic studies and paid, co-op education work terms. A total of seven Conestoga students from the Integrated Advanced Manufacturing Technologies degree program can take part in European work/study experiences, each of which lasts approximately seven months. Also, a total of seven students from the European universities will have work/study experiences at Conestoga, seven more will have their term at the University of Waterloo, and another seven will be students at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.

Other points of interest:

  • All instruction will be in English
  • Travel and living expenses for the exchange students will be funded by the TEP project.
  • Participating students will also be able to use funds earned from their co-op employment to defray living expenses or to pursue other interests, such as travel while in Europe.
  • Tuition for the overseas study period will be payable to Conestoga at the same rate that applies for the Integrated Advanced Manufacturing Technologies program.
  • The Technical University of Liberec is a public university in Liberec, Czech Republic. Its roots lie in the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, which was founded in 1953. The Institute received full university status and took its current name in 1995. There are currently more than 8,000 students enrolled in six faculties and one institute: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Textile Engineering, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies, and Institute of Health Studies.
  • The University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology is the oldest university of technology in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a member of TU 9, an incorporated society of the most renowned and largest German Institutes of Technology. Today it has about 13,000 students, making it the third largest university in Lower Saxony. Research projects include micro air vehicles, hybrid engines and digital video broadcasting.
  • The University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM) is a university of engineering located in Belfort and Montbeliard, France. The UTBM is part of the network of the three universities of technology. Inspired by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, these three universities (UTBM, University of Technology of Compiegne and University of Technology of Troyes) are a French mixture between American universities and schools of engineering. Their teaching model is a mix between the North American model and the French traditions: course choice, separation of the courses, work directed activities and practical work experiences.

For more information call Conestoga professor Dr. Karen Cain, who is leader of this project. 519.748.5220 ext. 2244 or kcain@conestogac.on.ca .