Technical Universities

This Open Access book analyses the past, present and future of the technical university as a single faculty independent institution. The point of departure is a view of changing academic realities, through which the identity as a technical university is challenged and reconstituted. More specifically, the book connects the development of technical universities to changes in the structure and dimensioning of national higher education systems, to changes in the disciplinary basis of academic research and to changes in the governance of higher education institutions. Introduced in the age of industrialization, polytechnical schools rose to prominence in many national settings during the second half of the 19th century. Over time, new technologies have been developed and incorporated into the repertoire, and waves of academisation have swept over the former polytechnics, transforming them into technical universities. Their traditions and brands, however, prevail. Several technical universities are included among the most prestigious academic institutions of their nations and the training of engineers and engineering research still enjoys a high level of prestige and national priority, e.g. in the context of innovation and industrial policy. But the world keeps changing, and the higher education sector with it. Will technical universities have an equally attractive position within university systems in the decades to come? .--

Analysing past and ongoing trends that have shaped the landscape of universities worldwide, this book explores the possible paths for the future of universities along three main dimensions characterizing key strategic choices: knowledge creation and dissemination, relationships within society and governance mechanisms. By sharing reflections and offering directions on the changing role of technical universities, especially in Europe, this book considers the change and disruption that are causing universities to reconsider their role. This book: provides an up-to-date picture of the role of technical universities in the European context critically discusses the strengths and weaknesses of technical universities identifies emerging challenges that will shape their evolution going forward provides insight into how current models can be adapted and adopted for future use Impinging on extensive transdisciplinary research, this book highlights the need of the technical university within society and its role not only to improve skills, but education in the most articulated sense, to train future citizens and professionals. The book is a must-read for all those interested in the future of technical universities.

Going to college used to be a passport to future success, but that’s no longer the case. For some students, it’s still a good choice that leads to a successful career after graduation, but for many their degrees are worthless pieces of paper. Choose the wrong program and graduation is more likely to lead to disillusionment and debt than to a steady paycheck. Yet parents, guidance counsellors, and politicians still push higher education as if it’s the only option for building a secure future. In this book, Ken S. Coates and Bill Morrison set out to explore the many educational opportunities and career paths open to high-school students and those in their twenties. This book is designed to help Americans in their teens and twenties decide whether to pursue a degree, enrol for skills training, or investigate one of the many other options that are available.

Going to college used to be a passport to future success, but that's no longer the case. For some students, it's still a good choice that leads to a successful career after graduation, but for many their degrees are worthless pieces of paper. Choose the wrong program and graduation is more likely to lead to disillusionment and debt than a steady paycheque. Yet parents, guidance counselors, and politicians still push higher education as if it's the only option for building a secure future. In this book, Ken S. Coates and Bill Morrison set out to explore the many educational opportunities and career paths open to Canadian high-school students and those in their twenties. This book is designed to help young adults decide whether to pursue a degree, enrol for skills training, or investigate one of the many other options that are available. In this special excerpt, we take the crucial action of pondering the right future for you, including such steps as 1. The Crossroads: Making Choices That Matter, 2. Know Yourself, 3. The College Option, 4. The Community College Option, and 5. Technical Universities and Technical Institutes. This book will help you consider all the options in a clear, rational way.

This book offers a dynamic perspective on regional entrepreneurship, knowledge, innovation and economic growth, with a particular focus on the role that history and culture play. The authors provide comprehensive empirical analyses offering unique insights into the spatial patterns of long-term differences of regional self-employment, new business formation, cultures of entrepreneurship, innovation activities, and development. Policy implications from the analyses and a discussion of important avenues for future research complete this unique book combining history, culture, and entrepreneurship. This is a superb book with an original, historical take on entrepreneurship and regional development. It is a landmark study on Germany showing that regional levels of entrepreneurship are persistent and resilient, despite many disruptive shocks. Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and Stavanger University, Norway This book presents the distilled wisdom of two leading authorities on the link between entrepreneurship and economic prosperity at a regional level. Although its prime empirical focus is on Germany there are clear lessons for scholars and policy-makers in all high-income countries. David J Storey, University of Sussex, UK

Principles of Engineering Mechanics is written keeping in mind the requirements of the Students of Degree, Diploma and A.M.I.E. (I) classes. The objective of this book is to present the subject matter in a most concise, compact, to-the-point and lucid manner. All along the approach to the subject matter, every care has been taken to arrange matter from simpler to harder, known to unknown with full details and illustrations. A large number of worked examples, mostly examination questions of Indian as well as foreign universities and professional examining bodies, have been given and graded in a systematic manner and logical sequence, to assist the students to understand the text of the subject. At the end of each chapter, a few exercises have been added, for the students, to solve them independently. Answers to these problems have been provided.

“A Textbook of Engineering Mechanics” is a must-buy for all students of engineering as it is a lucidly written textbook on the subject with crisp conceptual explanations aided with simple to understand examples. Important concepts such as Moments and their applications, Inertia, Motion (Laws, Harmony and Connected Bodies), Kinetics of Motion of Rotation as well as Work, Power and Energy are explained with ease for the learner to really grasp the subject in its entirety. A book which has seen, foreseen and incorporated changes in the subject for 50 years, it continues to be one of the most sought after texts by the students.

Pre-university engineering education has become the topic of increasing interest in technology education circles. It can provide content for the E in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, which is in the interest of technology educators at different educational levels as it builds the bridge between them and the science and mathematics educators. In this book goals for pre-university engineering education are explored as well as existing practices from a variety of countries. The coming years will show if pre-university engineering education will catch on. The trend towards STEM integrated education that today can be seen in many countries will certainly create a further need and stimulus for that to happen. Hopefully this book can contribute to such a development of both formal and informal K-12 engineering education. Not only for preparing the next generation of engineers, but also for the technological literacy of future citizens.