EBEC as an Alternative Approach for Complementary Education David Pinto1,5, Rita Faria2,5, Tamara Kovacevic3,5, Teodora Pavlovic3,5, Aleksandra Guliaeva4,5 1 Faculty
of Sciences and Technology of New University of Lisbon (david.joao.sousa.pinto@BEST.eu.org) 2 Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto 3 Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy of University of Belgrade 4 Bauman Moscow State Technical University 5 Board of European Students of Technology
Abstract. EBEC (European BEST Engineering Competitions) is a collaborative activity organized by BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) to provide complementary education to students. Being considered the biggest engineering competition in Europe, it consists of three rounds - local, national/regional (NRR) and the European final - where participants are presented with a challenge: A survey was delivered to the participants from the 15 NRR of EBEC, with 241 European higher education students answering. The obtained results revealed that the students are developing their teamwork, problem solving, selfmanagement, creativity and presentation skills. These skills are proved to be essential for the students’ future careers and professional lives, showing EBEC as a key activity to get one step closer from university to industry. Keywords: Collaborative learning, BEST, soft skills, complementary education
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Context
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Engineering education and the engineer role
The term “engineering studies” It has been described both as “an art of application”, responding to the need of people by applying the principles which were put forward by the scientific facts [1], and as a broad field, to train engineers to function effectively in a multidisciplinary environment [2]. But what exactly is the role of an engineer? Engineers have been described as professionals which are involved in the application, operation, design, development and management of projects and processes [1]. Their role in a job will be affected by their technical skills, but the actual engineer must also be equipped with several non-technical skills to face new challenges, as they are indicated to a variety of roles that include management, leaders in business, industry and society [2]. In this way, engineering education is important to develop intellectual properties, but even more important if engineers, as “moral agents of change” [3], are to contribute to a greater society, bringing economic benefits to the ones that are part of it. Thus, adfa, p. 1, 2011. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011