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What is the TABE.NET project all about?
The
overall goal of TABE.NET is to advance internationalization of
Biosystems Engineering (BSEN) curricula and develop a global awareness
within the discipline. Activities include identifying core
threads of the discipline, creating a database of multinational
examples that will globalize core BSEN courses, and developing several
innovative courses. Student (24 students will have the opportunity for funded
travel scholarships each way across the Atlantic) and staff/faculty
mobility experiences will enhance the global perspectives and will
create a cohort of students aware of, and able to work in, a global
employment market. Students will study abroad for a minimum
of
one semester and maximum of one academic year. The
participating
institutions are Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(VT) and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and University College Dublin
(UCD), Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Universidad Politecnica
de Madrid (UPM), and University of Bari (UniBar).
Project Objectives
- To define the common threads within the
discipline of Biosystems Engineering;
- To
globalize core Biosystems Engineering courses by creating a database of
multinational examples that can be drawn upon by instructors around the
world;
- To develop innovative courses to advance the
continuing
development of Biosystems Engineering programs in the US and EU (and
globally);
- To design student and staff/faculty mobility
experiences that enhance the global perspectives of both; and
- To create a cohort of students aware of, and
able to work in, a global employment market.
These
objectives can be summarized under the following headings:
1) Student Exchange
Students
will travel from their home continent across the Atlantic to satisfy
the mobility component of the project:
- They will apply to the
consortium as soon as possible once they are registered for, or think
they will register for a recognized BSEN programme within one of the
partner institutions.
- The consortium will accept applications
at any time, however consideration of who receives scholarship money in
any 12 month period (January to December) will be based on 3 principles:
- balance
of mobility between institutions (each EU partner to host 3 students
from each US partner, and each US partner to host 3 EU students from each EU
partner
- academic merit: if there are more applicants
than
support funds, all applicants will be eligible to travel but only the
best will be supported by a scholarship payment from the consortium
- preference will be given to those who wish to
visit a host for one academic year.
- Each
student will agree to a programme of study at the host institution that is
approved by both the host representative, but more importantly is
approved as a suitable course of study by the home institution. It is
recognized that there will not be an exact equivalence of modules / courses
therefore some adaptation will be required.
- Each student will be required to be in the host
institution for a minimum of 1 semester (4 months).
- Each student will be required to complete a formal
written report on completing their study abroad
- Applications
have to be sufficiently in advance of planned travel date to permit
suitable language and cultural preparation. Language supports in the
form of on-line conversation activities will be developed as necessary.
2) Curriculum development
Non-student
exchange activity will focus on developing the concept of BSEN
including:
- Defining
common thread for BSEN modules / courses.
- Developing a series of 3 modules that can be recognized by all
partners and used in their curriculum if so wished. These will be: (i)
a design project; (ii) an innovation and entrepreneurship module; and
(iii) a module provisionally titled: What is Biosystems Engineering?
- Developing
and populating a database of teaching examples. These will be available
to the partner institutions (in the first place) for faculty / staff to
use to internationalize teaching of modules
- Faculty / Staff
exchanges will focus on
curriculum development activities, but can also address research and other collaboration. Each exchange must be accompanied by
a written report.
These two main
activities, student / staff echange and curriculum development, will give rise to the agreed project outcomes:
- Common threads of BSEN;
- A globally accessible database of multinational
examples that are relevant to core BSEN courses;
- Collaborative online (web-based) design project
course for students at partner institutions who are not traveling;
- Online (web based) innovation and
entrepreneurship course with multinational examples;
- Online (web based) interactive course – What is
Biosystems Engineering?
- Project
reports detailing staff/faculty and student experiences from engaging
with the program. These will provide the substantive basis of the
dissemination of the program.
| Current
activity: |
Call for student mobility applicants for the
academic year 2011/12 is now open. Deadline for applicaitons 1st February 2011. Contact your local representative if interested. |
| Last
updated: |
19-01-2011 |
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Partners
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