CAMPUS NEWS
POST UNIVERSITY CENTRE KU LEUVEN: PARTNER IN LIFELONG LEARNING “Our centre may not be a part of the Faculty of Engineering Technology, but that does not prevent us from offering a comprehensive service that seamlessly complements the expertise on the campuses,” said Jorie Soltic, Manager of the Post University Centre of KU Leuven. Together with Benedicte Seynhaeve, Céline Platteau and Stefaan Gruytaert, she forms the Science, Engineering and Technology team of the centre. ”
T
he Post University Centre can boost on a rich history and dynamism,” says Benedicte. “Founded in 1976 as a local Centre for Advanced Education for Professionals, it has grown into an umbrella institution for continuing education for the KU Leuven campuses in Bruges, Ghent and Kortrijk. The offerings originally tailored only to the Faculty of Medicine expanded to eight major fields of study, together accounting for more than 130 courses and 10,000 students per year. Our training programmes range from workshops, lectures and master classes to full-year courses and blended courses.” Bridge “The Post University Centre unites the best of both worlds,” Céline continues. “We build a bridge between the academic-scientific world on the one hand and professional practice on the other. As many societal challenges inherently demand an interdisciplinary approach, we also serve as the bridge between various disciplines and provide a rich and ‘multiperspective’ range of courses.” “Most of the lecturers are affiliated to the university. They share their knowledge and know-how to meet the needs and requirements of professionals. The courses are also designed in such a way that they can be combined with a job. To this end, we have an extensive set of learning formats and technologies at our disposal.” In translating theory into practice, the advisory groups within the Post University Centre play an essential role. They consist of academics and industry representatives and act as a think tank. They not only detect the educational needs of professionals but are also closely involved in the organisation of the courses.
12
“In the Science, Engineering and Technology domain alone, no fewer than 12 advisory groups are active in addition to an umbrella steering committee,” says Stefaan. “The number of advisory groups and their composition is a dynamic factor. They may disappear or be created depending on the need. For example, a specific advisory group focused on Artificial Intelligence was recently established because of the high demand for education in that field.” Points of interest Just how well the Post University Centre’s course offerings dovetail with the research expertise of the Faculty of Engineering Technology is evident on the Ghent and Bruges campuses. For all the research foci that both campuses share, Jorie can easily place a related postgraduate programme. The research on ‘Sustainable Constructions’ finds its translation in the Postgraduate Programme People and Environmentally Friendly Construction. Completely in line with ‘Materials4Ever’ is the postgraduate programme Sustainable Polymers in a Circular Economy. A similar link can be found between ‘Sustainable Logistics’ and the postgraduate programme Smart Logistics and between ‘Mechatronics for Industry’ and the postgraduate programme Smart Operations and Maintenance in Industry. But there is more. “We also have smaller, more specific modules or study days on offer that relate to these or related research foci,” says Jorie. “Take, for example, the ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ series that ties into the ‘Wireless and Secure Systems’ research area.”
