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Helping students become the 'next big thing' in engineering
January 16, 2012 --- A new educational support scheme for mechanical engineering students - Engineering Insight - has been launched with sponsorship help from PC World Business and McGraw Hill Publishing.
Engineering Insight is designed to engage with mechanical engineering students at renowned iMechE-accredited institutions, by setting real-world design challenges based on actual products and applications.
More than 200 students at Aston and Brunel universities will take part in the inaugural scheme in 2012, with projects, guidelines and support provided by UK engineering firm Midland-ACS. Students will be formed into teams of four, and asked to come up with new product design concepts for specific flow control applications.
To encourage problem solving within a team working environment Engineering Insight has set up an award for innovation, which will be judged by engineers at Midland-ACS. The projects for each university are based on detailed design criteria set out by the engineering department of Midland-ACS. As an incentive, members of the team at each university that create the best design solution will each receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, courtesy of PC World Business. Spot prizes for each university will also be provided, to reward outstanding individual contributions as noted by the university course tutors. Additionally, every participating student receives the book Engineering Formulas by Kurt Geick, courtesy of McGraw Hill Publishing.
"Our aim is to help give students the best possible start to their working careers, as well as have a little fun during the process," says scheme organiser Andy Sealey. "At the end of the project, every participant will be in a position to show prospective employers some real-world design experience in addition to their academic achievements."
The design challenges complement the participating universities' existing degree course structures, which will remain the same. Engineering Insight projects will simply replace the theoretical design examples normally used. Each university will work on separate challenges, to avoid inter-university competition.
Engineering Insight hopes to extend the scheme to more institutions across the UK during 2012.
More information: http://www.engineeringinsight.co.uk/
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: THE ORGANISER, SPONSORS AND PARTCIPANTS
Midland-ACS has over 50 years' experience in producing high-quality stainless steel control valves and actuator control systems primarily for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries - from individual valves and solenoids to engineered application solutions. It is a business of the Flow Control Division of Xylem (formerly ITT). http://www.xylemflowcontrol.com/midland-acs
The PC World Business is a division of Dixons Retail Ltd - Europe's largest specialist electrical retailer and services company. Dixons Retail operates in 26 countries, with over 1,200 stores in 13 countries, across Europe employing over 38,000 people. The company is the number-one market leader in the UK and Ireland, Nordic countries, Greece and the Czech Republic. http://www.pcworldbusiness.co.uk/; http://www.dixonsretail.com
McGraw-Hill addresses virtually every aspect of the education market from pre-K through professional learning. Using traditional materials, online learning and multimedia tools, it empowers the growth of teachers, professionals and students of all ages. It is also a leading provider of reference and trade publishing for the medical, business, engineering and other professions. http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk
Aston University was founded in 1895 and became a University in 1966. Aston is a research-led University known for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to industry, government and commerce. The University is currently ranked 5th in the UK and 1st outside London for graduate employability. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is home to over 65,000 students. http://www1.aston.ac.uk
Brunel University is a world-class university based in Uxbridge, West London. Over 40 years old, its mission has always been to combine academic rigour with the practical, entrepreneurial and imaginative approach pioneered by its namesake, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. http://www.brunel.ac.uk/
For more information please contact Andy Sealey: t. +44 (0)1902 305678; Andrew.Sealey@Xyleminc.com
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