Training engineers for the chemical industry

Abstract

A picture is drawn showing the position of the chemical industry in the UK. This leads to a consideration of the relationship between the economic situation and the requirements for a considerable expansion in technological education. As an example of a trend in modern industrial development, the increasing importance of instrumentation and computer control is discussed in some detail, this latter field being the author's particular specialization. The position of the universities in this educational programme is discussed and a particular approach to the integration of industrial and academic training, as practised in the department of chemical engineering, Proposed University of Bradford, is described in some detail. The problems of specialized training are considered. It is concluded that under‐graduate engineering courses should give a broad general background, and that specialization should be catered for by postgraduate courses. This leads to a discussion about the desirability of carefully planned interaction between post‐graduate teaching and research.

Citation

Beck, M.S. (1966), "Training engineers for the chemical industry", Education + Training, Vol. 8 No. 8, pp. 354-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb059987