Chemical Engineering Program Structure at Chemical Engineering Program Structure at ICT PragueICT Prague

Frantisek StepanekFrantisek Stepanek

www.vscht.cz

Prague Czech Republic

www.vscht.cz

www.vscht.cz

• 1803 Emperor Francis II. founded the Chemistry Department of the Royal

Czech Polytechnical Institute in Prague• 1806 First courses in the Departments of Mathematics and Chemistry• Chemistry Department provided instruction in general and practical

chemistry with a focus on the major industries: glass, iron and textile

• 1920 transformation into the

School of Chemical Technology,

one of the seven faculties of the

Czech Technical University

• 1952 independent Institute of

Chemical Technology, Prague

History

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Notable Alumni

Professor Otto Wichterle (1913-1998)• macromolecular chemist• the inventor of soft hydro-gel contact lenses or polyamide thread Silon (Nylon)

Professor Vlado Prelog (1906-1998) • organic chemist• awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1975 as professor at the ETH Zürich (contribution to the stereochemistry of organic molecules and their reactions)

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Organisational Structure

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RECTOR

Central Library Central Labs. Computer Centre

Faculty of Chemical

Technology

Faculty of Environmental

Technology

Faculty of Food and Biochemical

Technology

Faculty of Chemical

Engineering

Academic Departments

External Relations Studies Research Facilities and

Building

Vice-Rectors

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Sources of Financial Income

Targeted subsidy for R&D from Ministry of

Education 4%

Targeted subsidy for R&D from other

providers12%

Structural fonds1%

International projects 3%

Contractual projects R&D 8%

Other resources2%

Subsidy of education from Ministry of

Education 46 %

Subsidy for research and development from Ministry of Education

24%

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Faculty members

Professors 59

Assoc. Professors 96

Assistants 215

Scientists 148

Students and Academic Staff

Bc. & MSc. students 3184

International students 373

Bc. & MSc. graduates (2007/8) 798

PhD students 877

PhD graduates (2007/08) 102

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Organisation of Studies

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“Bologna scheme” – applied at Czech universities since 2004/5

Bachelor degree, 3 yearsBachelor degree, 3 years

Master degree, Master degree, 2 years2 years

PhD PhD degree, degree, 4 years4 years

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Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Master’s degree programs:

1. Process Engineering and Informatics (= Chemical Engineering)

2. Technical Physical and Analytical Chemistry

3. Economics and Management in the Process Industries

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Study Plan - Overview

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Years 1-3 (Bc level)

Common Fundamental Subjects:e.g. organic chemistry, mathematics, physics, etc.Electives: - advanced versions of fundamental courses

(aimed at students continuing to MSc) - more practically oriented technical electives

(aimed at students intending to stop at Bc) - business electivesBc Project: - also called “mini diploma thesis”

Study Plan - Year 1 of Bachelor’s program

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Course NameHours per week

Credits

General & Inorganic Chemistry 3/2/0 8

Mathematics I 3/3/0 9

Toxicology & Ecology 2/0/0 3

Computing 0/3/0 3

Mass Balance Calculations 0/2/0 2

Business Economics 2/1/0 4

Organic chemistry I 3/2/0 7

Physics I 3/2/0 7

Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory I 0/0/4 3

* Mathematics II 3/3/0 8

* Algorithmisation and Programming 0/2/0 2

* Fundamentals of Law 2/0/0 3

* Introduction to Chemical Technologies 2/1/0 4

* Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering 2/1/0 4

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Study Plan - Year 2 of Bachelor’s program

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Course NameHours per week

Credits

Physical Chemistry I 3/2/0 7

Biochemistry I 3/0/0 5

Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 0/0/4 3

Physics Laboratory 0/0/3 2

Chemical Informatics 0/2/0 2

* Information and Database Systems 2/2/0 5

* Numerical Analysis 3/2/0 7

* Physics II 2/2/0 5

* Microeconomics 2/0/0 2

Chemical Engineering I 2/3/0 6

Analytical Chemistry I 2/1/0 4

Applied Statistics 1/2/0 4

Physical Chemistry Laboratory I 0/0/4 3

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Study Plan - Year 2 of Bachelor’s program…continued

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* Physical Chemistry II 3/2/0 7

* Engineering Thermodynamics 1/2/0 4

* Accounting 2/2/0 5

* Fundamentals of Electronics 2/2/0 5

* Advanced Engineering Mathematics 3/2/0 7

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Study Plan - Year 3 of Bachelor’s program

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Course NameHours per week

Credits

Chemical Engineering Laboratory 0/0/3 2

Analytical Chemistry Laboratory I 0/0/6 4

Chemical Engineering Project 0/1/0 1

* Chemical Engineering II 2/3/0 6

* Analytical Chemistry II 2/1/0 4

* Physical Chemistry Laboratory II 0/0/3 2

* Biological Process Engineering 2/1/0 4

* Fundamentals of Marketing 2/2/0 7

Bc Project 0/0/8 10

Enterprise Process Control 2/1/0 4

Sensors and Measurement Technology 2/0/0 3

Sensors and Measurement Laboratory 0/0/2 1

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Study Plan - Year 3 of Bachelor’s program…continued

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* Analytical Chemistry Laboratory II 0/0/4 3

* Fundamentals of Mathematical Optimisation 2/2/0 5

* Differential Equations 2/2/0 5

* Physical Chemistry III 2/1/0 4

* Chemical Industry and the Environment 2/1/0 4

* Human Resources Management 2/1/0 4

* Fundamentals of Logistics 3/2/0 7

* Technical Writing and Presentation 2/1/0 3

* Complex Functions and Functional Transformations 2/2/0 4

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Study Plan - Overview

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Years 4-5 (MSc level)

Common subjects specific to Chem Eng:e.g. reaction engineering, heat transfer, separation processes, safety, etc.

Electives: - mainly technical electives - allowing students to specialise

MSc project (“diploma work”): - individual project, formal conclusion of studies

Study Plan - Year 4 (Year 1 of MSc level)

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Course NameHours per week

Credits

Chemical Engineering III 2/2/0 5

Process Systems Engineering 2/2/0 5

Fluid Mechanics 2/1/0 4

Process Dynamics 2/2/0 5

Semestral Project 0/3/0 3

* Engineering Thermodynamics 2/2/0 5

* Process Modelling and Simulation 2/2/0 5

* Process Optimisation 2/2/0 5

* Chemical and Biochemical Microsystems 2/0/0 3

Diffusion Separation Processes 2/1/0 4

Heat Transfer 2/1/0 4

Fundamentals of Bioengineering 2/1/0 4

Semestral Project 0/4/0 4

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Study Plan - Year 4 (Year 1 of MSc level)…continued

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* Product Engineering and Design 2/1/0 4

* Advanced Mathematical Methods 2/1/0 4

* Process Design 2/1/0 4

* Chemical Technologies 2/1/0 4

* Chemical Process Equipment 2/1/0 4

* Local Balances and Transfer Phenomena 2/2/0 5

* Nonlinear Dynamic Systems 2/2/0 5

* Sensors and Sensor Systems 2/0/2 4

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Study Plan - Year 5 (Year 2 of MSc level)

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Course NameHours per week

Credits

Safety Engineering 2/1/0 4

Reactor and Bioreactor Engineering 3/1/0 6

Pre-Diploma Laboratory 0/0/8 5

Process Design Project 0/4/0 4

Industrial Placement 0/0/0 2

* Information and Database Systems 2/2/0 5

* Multiphase Mass Transfer 2/2/0 5

* Advanced Computer Programming 2/2/0 4

* Bio-separation Processes 2/1/0 4

Diploma Project 0/0/30 30

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Experience with Bologna-style structure

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1) Students like the flexibility offered by early electives

2) In engineering disciplines, the vast majority of students continue for a full 5-year MSc (finishing at Bc level is regarded as a “drop out” by both employers and students)

3) In spite of this, many students tend to choose the “easy” practical electives in years 1-3 and then can miss the deeper understanding provided by the “advanced versions” of common fundamental courses

4) The Bc project is a welcome element in the curriculum which greatly enhances the quality of the subsequent MSc project in year 5

Comparison with the UK system(based on experience at Imperial College London)

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• Much more chemistry at ICT, including lab work Studies are completed by an individual research project Design project is present but has a less prominent role Electives are present in the curriculum from Year 1 Supervised tutorials form part of most courses in all 5 years and contribute significantly to the students’ assessment Starting from the Bc project in year 3, MSc students tend to be closely integrated into the supervisor’s research group through semestral projects and pre-diploma laboratory

Conclusions and Recommendations(my personal views)

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• Give students choice Keep the underlying science fundamentals strong Include project-based work early on Integrate students into on-going research and industrial consultancy projects Don’t assume ‘typical’ career paths or specific industry sectors for graduates, they end up everywhere

Thank You!