1. Maritime Engineering Education (at DTU)
What are the challenges? Assoc. prof. Ulrik Dam Nielsen
ATV Seminar, Danish Maritime Days, 9th October 2015

2. Content Introduction: DTU – Technical University of Denmark
General engineering education(s) at DTU
Background
Conclusions from ATV Survey
What happened at DTU
Challenges in maritime engineering education

3. Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
9,000 students
5,000 employees (2,500 scientific staff)
1,100 PhD students
B.Sc., B.Eng. and M.Sc. programmes, see next slide(s)
19 departments (aqua, chemical, chemistry, civil, compute, electrical, energy, environment, food, photonics, management, mechanical, nanotech, physics, space, systems biology, transport, veterinarian, wind)

4. Engineering educations at DTU
“Study programmes at DTU are research-based, analytical and innovative.”
B.Eng.: Innovative, practice- and business-oriented—those are the keywords for DTU's B.Eng. programmes.
M.Sc.: Taught exclusively in English, DTU’s M.Sc. programmes cover most modern engineering fields and are research-based technological programmes at elite level—aimed at qualifying the graduate for a knowledge-intensive position in the industry or the business sector, and in society in general.
Why: ”Learning to think creatively, analytically and globally—and taught by professors and lecturers at the forefront of their fields...” DTU offers the graduate the base to become a leader in a chosen profession.

5. Engineering educations at DTU
Bachelor of Science, B.Sc. (16 programmes)
Bachelor of Engineering, B.Eng. (17 programmes)
Master of Science, M.Sc. (28 programmes)
PhD (1,100 Ph.D. students)
Durations and combinations:
B.Sc. (3 years)
M.Sc. (2 years)
B.Eng. (3½ years)
B.Sc. + M.Sc. = Master’s degree in engineering
B.Eng. + M.Sc. = Master’s degree in engineering
Relevant in this forum is also Nordic Master in Maritime Engineering = Master’s degree in engineering

6. ATV Survey from 2011: “The future maritime engineering. education”
Carried out by working group formed by industry and university partners (shipowner, engine manufacturer, consultancy, class, authority, and 2 universities)
13 interviews with industry.
Workshop with 60 participants from industry
Report with recommendations to university
and industry

7. Conclusions and recommendations from survey
It was found that
Industry is lacking engineers –> showstopper for economic growth
Need for a combination of ”classic” and ”new” competences
Multidisciplinary and practical approach
Value chain between research, education and industry.
Constant adjustment of course content at the universities in cooperation with industry.
University research should result in development, innovations, demonstration and research based teaching.
Graduates should have a T-shaped competence profile... if possible like a multi-tool

8. What happened at DTU... DTU Mech. Eng.
New study tracks for B.Eng., B.Sc. and M.Sc. students were defined
Created two new courses: Economic and Environmental Performance of Ships and Maritime Engineering at Sea
Arranged study trips to attract more students
Increased industry engagement through projects and guest lecturers
Introduced new software (NAPA) used by the industry in ship design
New PhD positions
About 3 times as many students at MSc level
DTU Transport
DTU
Aqua
DTU Mech. Eng.
DTU Electro
DTU Management Engineering

9. Challenges in maritime education (1)
General challenges in maritime engineering education:
It is no easy task to educate candidates that fulfil all criteria as wished for by The Blue Denmark;
Not (only) “classical” naval architects in shipbuilding anymore, but candidates should be specialists in (technical) ship operations! Consequently;
Requirements to staff (many disciplines to be taught)
Requirements to students (many disciplines to be understood)
In public, politically – and at DTU! – industry organisations and maritime companies must stress the importance of the maritime education (and research).
Contributions and continued engagement by industry in education (as well as research)
Some students and part of public still have a misconception of Danish maritime industry as a dying thing – industry must actively show it is still going strong
What about Arctic(?)

10. Challenges in maritime education (2)
More specific challenges in maritime engineering education as experienced by staff at DTU Mechanical Engineering:
It is no easy task to educate candidates that fulfil all criteria as wished for by The Blue Denmark;
Not (only) “classical” naval architects in shipbuilding anymore, but candidates should be specialists in (technical) ship operations! Consequently;
Requirements to staff (many disciplines to be taught)
Requirements to students (many disciplines to be understood)
Education of students “across” departments because of students’ different background; e.g., “mechanical + electrical = maritime”
New employees to take over at FVM (DTU Mechanical Engineering)
Essential to maintain (or increase) the number of maritime staff as the older generation retires

11. Challenges in maritime education (3)
In this forum...

12. Challenges in maritime education (1)
General challenges in maritime engineering education:
It is no easy task to educate candidates that fulfil all criteria as wished for by The Blue Denmark;
Not (only) “classical” naval architects in shipbuilding anymore, but candidates should be specialists in (technical) ship operations! Consequently;
Requirements to staff (many disciplines to be taught)
Requirements to students (many disciplines to be understood)
In public, politically – and at DTU! – industry organisations and maritime companies must stress the importance of the maritime education (and research).
Contributions and continued engagement by industry in education (as well as research)
Some students and part of public still have a misconception of Danish maritime industry as a dying thing – industry must actively show it is still going strong
What about Arctic(?)
In public, politically – and at DTU! – industry organisations and maritime companies must stress the importance of the maritime education (and research).

13. Appendix

14. Maritime study tracks
Study track in maritime engineering under the Mechanical Engineering B.Sc. programme "Produktion og Konstruktion".
A study track in maritime technology under the M.Sc. programme "Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics". 
A study line in maritime technology under the BEng Program Mechanical Engineering.
The study tracks (in Danish) are available online.