GUEST C OMMENTARY
© Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Hanno Ihme-Schramm Department of Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Change – Also in Engineering Education The shift in drive technology towards the electrified powertrain will also trigger a corresponding change in the required qualifica tion profile of the drive engineer. Colleges and universities must respond and adapt their degree courses accordingly. Besides the classic fundamentals of design, testing, application, functional development and calculation, students now also need a thorough grounding in the fields of simulation, electronics and digitaliza tion, all of which require inculcation with a practical focus. The very complex topics of powertrain and increasing digita lization also mean students require method-oriented training to be able to understand and deal with powertrain relationships efficiently. However, using newly learned methods frequently meets industry opposition. Why is that? Change to established systems generally involves people having to venture outside their tried and tested comfort zones which often leads to non-accep tance and fear of new things. I have experienced this personally. Since 2001 I have been working on model-based engine applications, where it was assumed that the applications engineers would quickly adopt them. In fact, quite the opposite occurred. Only in recent years have model-based engine applications been adopted in some departments. Young people represent a great opportunity for integrating new methods in the industry, given their openness to change.
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I gained this insight with model-based engine applications over a decade of teaching at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Terms like statistics and methods kicking off a lec ture series do not automatically generate great enthusiasm among masters students. Even so, 50 % of students ultimately want to use the methods in their industry masters papers. Close engagement with the subject and practical work in the engine application lab is behind the change of heart among students. They are also given time for this – 16 weeks. The lecture series is attractively designed as part of interactive dialog with students. Then, however, they are often confronted with the sobering reality in an industry where modern, unfa miliar methods are rejected, although they could be used very effectively there. Future drive engineering students should be trained in sub jects including “The human factor” and “Change processes in daily work” to ensure methods newly learned from their degree course can be better implemented in industry. Other sectors and academic disciplines such as industrial psychology, which deals with human beings, offer interesting approaches and aids for the same. This is why I have collaborated with an industrial psychologist to add the “The human factor” topic to my lecture program. Perhaps this approach is something the automotive industry could learn from.
