educating integrating engineers and integrating educated phds...materials processing analysis...

– TWO NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAMMES AT LUND UNIVERSITY MARTIN MAGNUSSON

Educating Integrating Engineers and Integrating Educated PhDs

Nanoscience education should produce highly educated generalists with a strong basis in nanoscience and technology

renaissance (nano)engineer

The challenge…

"…necessitate a departure from more traditional education and training schemes." From ”Nanosciences and nanotechnologies: An action plan for Europe 2005-2009"

Meeting the challenge since 2003…

A: a sequential vertical progression from basic to specialized courses in a particular discipline, e.g. Engineering physics, mechanical engineering,…

Bas

ic

cour

ses

Spec

iali-

satio

n

A

Finding a strategy…

B: a Master’s degree in Nanoscience

Specialisation

Bas

ic

cour

ses

B

• Better motivation to study the traditional fields and skills.• Synergistic view of the potential applications.• Real interdisciplinarity can be achieved combining the breadth of nanoscience with the depth of each discipline involved.

MAIN ADVANTAGES:

• Freshmen are taught the unifying concepts of matter and biological systems.• Gives opportunity to apply these concepts from one field to another.

Basic inter-disciplinarity

Spec

ialis

atio

n

C

C: a way of introducing the students to the essence and interdisciplinarity of nanoscience from the very first day…

The inverted-T-strategy

”European attitudes to nanotechnology”, 2005

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:• Concerted courses• Specialisations• Delivery of our

(renaissance) nano engineers to industry

Possible disadvantages…

• This education may create a workforce with broad but insufficient knowledge and skills

• Industry may not (realize they) want this type of workforce

Our interdisciplinary strategy

1. Plan for concerted courses

Physics Chemistry Cell biology Physiology

Materials Processing

Analysis

Mathematics & statistics

Nano engineering

Years 1-3



2. Plan for communication




3. Let the students fly!


The Integrating Engineer



3. Let the students fly!

Calculus in one variable 15 cp

Linear algebra 6 cp Calculus in sev.

var. 6 cpApplied maths 7,5 cp Mathemat. statistics 7,5 cp

Basic Physics 12 cp

Basic Chemistry 12,5 cp

Nanointro symp. 7 cp

Programming 7,5 cp

Quant. phen. & nanotech. 9 cp

Cell biology 7,5 cp

Human physiology 7,5 cp

Basic electronics 7,5 cp

Func. materials 7,5 cp

Electronic materials 7,5 cp

Autom. control 7,5 cp

Sensors 7,5 cp

Process.& dev. tech. 7,5 cp

Nanosustain-ability 7,5 cp

Nanoengineering proj. 15 cp

Nanoscale analysis 7,5 cp

YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3

YE

AR

4 + 5

Specialization courses 90 cp

Nanobiomedicine


Nanomaterials


Nanoelectronics


Nanophysics

Masters project Nanobiomedicine

30 cp

Masters project Nanomaterials

30cp

Masters project Nanoelectronics

30 cp

Masters project Nanophysics

30 cp

Master of Science in Engineering nanoscience

Concerted courses 1

“Wet science” track

Concerted courses 2

“Engineering” track




Basic Physics 12 cp



Programming 7,5 cp


Cell biology 7,5 cp






YE

AR

4 + 5


Nanobiomedicine


Nanomaterials


Nanoelectronics


Nanophysics


30 cp


30cp


30 cp


30 cp



Sensors 7,5 cp





Project Nano-engineer, year 3

• Learn about development of commercial products and processes

• At this stage they’ve learnt a lot about nano• Study articles/patents and pick an idea for a product

• From research• From companies• Own idea

• Investigate in the lab if you could make it• Write a patent / business plan / market analysis…

• Students have started companies and got employment directly based on course




Basic Physics 12 cp



Programming 7,5 cp


Cell biology 7,5 cp






YE

AR

4 + 5


Nanobiomedicine


Nanomaterials


Nanoelectronics


Nanophysics


30 cp


30cp


30 cp


30 cp



Sensors 7,5 cp





Integrating PhDs

=

Background

• Funding for 12 PhD students who must perform a “secondment” of 4–8 month duration in a company or institute outside academia

• Placements are under planning with confirmed/expected partners

• Students and their advisors are taking an active role in identifying opportunities

• Project management and PhD student salaries during secondments are paid for by EU

• Limited duration of 4 years / 12 students

An EU FP7 Marie-Curie Innovative Doctoral Program2014 - 20183.2 M€, 12 PhD students at LU

Aims for this project

• To build a long-term, self-sustained placement program that will allow us to offer industry internship opportunities to all those who are interested out of NanoLund’s ≈ 100 PhD students

• Placement hosts need to pay student salary and contribute to admin/management cost

• Target: about 1/3 of NanoLund PhD students to perform a placement during their 5-year education. This means 5–8 placements per year

• Initial aim: achieve 3–5 placements during the next 6–12 months

Why are we doing this?

• Offer PhD candidates valuable work experience outside academia



• Increased job market for PhDs



• Increased job market for PhDs.• Increase collaboration and

networking. Longterm collaborations with industry for NanoLund


Current status

• Done:• Developed financial and legal model• Collected CVs of interested PhD students (resumé workshop)• Interviewed industry and institutes to find suitable projects

• Now:• (Iterative) match-making• First few placements under negotiation• Integration of industry placement in study plan (reserach

planning, course choices)• Outlook:

• When successful, expand program to MSc students

educating integrating engineers and integrating educated phds...materials processing analysis...

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