Engineering and Computing students benefit from international fieldtrips and placements

The Faculty of Engineering and Computing has been highly successful this year in organising seven international field trips and supporting approximately 131 students to gain an invaluable international placement in locations such as China, Spain, Lithuania, France and Germany.

One particular notable example was a recent visit to Baden-Wurttembert, Germany in April 2012, in which 12 students visited 4 Hochschule Universities of Applied Sciences: Ulm, Karlsruhe, Ravenburg-Weingarten, Heilbronn and Konsanz. Additionally students undertook industrial guided tours of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Mercedes-Benz Rastatt Plant, Z F Friedrichshafen: Research & Development Facilities and Robert Bosch Development Centre Abstatt.

In addition to the international experience for the students Dr Ramzy Abdel-Gayed (supervisor of the field trip) took opportunities to discuss with the German University professors collaboration prospects in joint research and PhD supervision activities across the Faculty. Positive interest was shown amongst the professors and Mike Bludell, the Associate Dean for Enterprise, has had communication with Professor Klaus-Dieter Leimbach of Heilbronn University.

As a result of this highly successful visit, eight of the twelve students have applied for the Faculty of Engineering and Computing one year study abroad option at one of the universities visited, thus contributing to a significant increase overall in the number of students seeking study abroad this year.