Demography, Education, Training, Employment

18 Oct Ways to Kindle the Interest in Technology

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2009
“Ways to Kindle the Interest in Technology” is based on the core assumption that there are phases and times in the socialization process of children and adolescents, which are significant for the child’s (technological) socialization. Whether young people start to get interested in technology depends on various factors, which are describable as constellations of conditions. The study aims at the collection and description of such constellations. With the potential times for intervention in mind, an investigation is made of how technology-relevant capabilities and attitudes change during socialization; focusing on the fact that women are underrepresented in the sector of technology, a special spotlight is put on the gender specifics.
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18 Oct Strategy of Promoting Interest in Young People for Science and Engineering

National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
2009
Germany is threatened by a dearth of professionals skilled in MINT occupations. This can have far-reaching consequences for the innovative capacity of science and industry. Therefore it is the declared goal of acatech, the German Academy of Science and Engineering, to promote interest in science and engineering and to increase the number of graduates in all MINT fields. acatech's proposed strategy for promoting interest in science and engineering focuses primarily on graduates in technical fields, since the lack of professionals in this area is particularly pronounced and engineers play a key role in sustaining and increasing Germany's economic power.
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18 Oct Inspiring Women Engineers

Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2009
This report highlights the need for diversity in the engineering profession in order to take full advantage of the potential talent available.  It outlines the work of the Royal Academy of Engineering in promoting diversity in both education and the engineering profession and summarises the Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) campaign.  The report also provides case studies of several UKERC ‘Women Engineers of Outstanding Achievement’ and case studies of various women participating in Academy schemes.
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18 Oct Future Education Switzerland

Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW)
2009
In the future, over two thirds of a class should gain a qualification for tertiary education. At the same time the development of interpersonal skills need to be supported. Education should not just provide the knowledge to perform professional duties; it should also provide a deeper understanding in order to deal appropriately with the world and society. This is what the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences are proposing in their under the lead of SATW established white paper “Zukunft Bildung Schweiz” (Future Education Switzerland). It defines the requirements on the Swiss education system in 2030 using a scenario to describe the future understanding of education in Switzerland. Based on this it makes recommendations on the Swiss education strategy and describes its implementation in a roadmap.
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18 Oct Common Visions for the Universities of the Future

Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV)
2009
How will the Danish universities be prepared to meet the challenges they are facing due to globalization? How do we develop universities that strengthen Denmark as a knowledge nation? What role should universities play in society? With increasing international competition we need strong universities that share a common goal. ATV recommends that universities take more responsibility, discuss additional funding models and have a better dialogue with industry.
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18 Oct Slovenia: an Innovative Society without Engineers?

Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS)
2010
How to reach the aim of Slovenia being an innovative society, developing new value, basing on sustainable development, fostering national and intellectual property? Science and industry shell enable this with accelerated technological development. Science and technological development are the conditions for employment of population, competitiveness, export and positive state budget. In this collection there are articles of speakers at the conference “Slovenia: an Innovative Society without Engineers?”, organised by the Slovenian Academy of Engineering.
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18 Oct Technology Highway: Consensus for an Innovative Slovenia

Engineering Academy of Slovenia (IAS)
2010
Slovenian Academy of Engineering has in 2008 analysed the development of high education in Slovenia and in 2009 published proposals of measures for the next period. Technological development must be of high importance and it must be a national consensus to build the future on innovativeness and creating of new. This new project was named “Technology Highway” by the Slovenian academy of Engineering. Above of this Slovenian Academy of Engineering has published a document “Technology Highway: agreement of building a road from knowledge to development through new long-term national programs for science and development and high education”.
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18 Oct Engineering Research in Irish Economic Development

Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE)
2010
The paper highlights the importance of Engineering Research to the future success of the Irish economy. The paper recommends that the overriding criterion for the Government’s research funding should be the impact of the research on the economy, in the short to medium term. The paper also addresses the need for greater collaboration between universities, research institutes and institutes of technology, through the establishment of Engineering Research Platforms in selected topics of national importance. It emphasises the need for much closer involvement of industry with the Schoolsof Engineering.
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18 Oct Engineering graduates for industry

Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2010
This report was commissioned in 2008 by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills – now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to identify how to increase the number of employable engineering graduates with the skills industry needs. Against a background where the UK competitive advantage will depend increasingly on raising the level of our science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, there was recognition that UK business and industry would be disadvantaged if not provided with an adequate supply of well-educated and motivated engineering graduates. Since then, the banking crisis, the global downturn, the need for transition to low carbon economies and competition from emergent new technologies have created an even more urgent imperative to address this.  This report reviews current approaches to engineering higher education and provides a detailed review of a range of relevant motivational techniques universities use to meet the needs of business and industry.
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18 Oct Science in School – a new beginning Visions for the technical and scientific education in School Danish

Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV)
2010
Like in most western societies the Danish students in general are more interested in social sciences and in the arts than in technology and science. However, Denmark - like the rest of Europe - needs more scientists. To achieve that goal ATV has set up a vision for improving science education in compulsory school. The main tools are: Better education of science teachers, more science lessons in the early school years and integrated science education in compulsory school.
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