INTEC   05402
INSTITUTO DE DESARROLLO TECNOLOGICO PARA LA INDUSTRIA QUIMICA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
A fresh start in materials education and current challenges for materials science and technology education in South America
Autor/es:
IGNACIO RINTOUL
Lugar:
Cambridge
Reunión:
Simposio; 4th International Materials Education Symposium - University of Cambridge; 2012
Resumen:
INVITED FOR ORAL PRESENTATION   A fresh start in materials education and current challenges for materials science and technology education in South America.   Ignacio Rintoul   Chair of Metallurgy. Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe - Argentina   The undergraduate materials engineering is a relatively new discipline in Argentina. This work summarizes the experience of formation of educators in materials science coming from other areas of science and engineering and the creation of the undergraduate courses of materials engineering at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. The pros and the cons of the integration of different knowledge cultures and schools traditions, the formation of a new interdisciplinary way of thinking and the insertion of the materials science and engineering in a context with almost no precedent references in the subject will be exposed. The results of the introduction of materials science directly related to the regional needs of the Argentinean Littoral in secondary schools, postgrade courses, industry and government as diffusion strategy for the increment of candidates for materials engineering will be presented. Despite no external professors where hired with the exception of the author of this paper and been the only professor formed as materials science engineer the results appears to be satisfactory. The creation of the undergraduated courses in materials science and engineering served as umbrella for the development of a new environment for teaching, student education and the association between different research groups at the university. As result, the quality of research and teaching, the found rising and the generation of job offers in industry, academia and government for graduated students were significantly increased. A brief description of several activities and strategies with negative results is also included and discussed.