Engineering: Connecting Cosmos & Consciousness - Groep T

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Flemish companies angling for Chinese talent The first Flemish- Chinese job fair at GROUP T Prof. Guido Vercammen, Member of the Board of Directors of GROUP T. It is common knowledge that China is well on its way to becoming the world’s largest economy in the next ten years. The Flemish business world is anticipating this development and is busily looking for Chinese students at our universities and university colleges. The largest group is at GROUP T – International University College in Leuven. Little wonder the Flemish-Chinese Chamber of Commerce organized its first job fair on the GROUP T campus in Leuven. On Thursday 31 March, 16 reputable companies came to offer Chinese students projects, master’s theses and jobs. The event certainly received a great deal of media attention. GROUP T - LEUVEN ENGINEERING COLLEGE 6 Mr. Wang Luxin, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy Education Section. Ms. Gwenn Sonck, Executive Director Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Gao Weimen, Chairman of the Association of Chinese Professionals in Belgium. jg. 20, nr. 3, 16 augustus 2011 Amongst the participants were big names like Agfa-Gevaert, Ahlers, Atlas Copco, Bekaert, IMEC, Tessenderlo Group, Punch Powertrain, and so on. Companies that are all active in China and need young Chinese employees who are familiar with the Western culture and the Western business world. At 13:00 Prof. Guido Vercammen, member of the Board of Directors of GROUP T, welcomed the guests, the entrepreneurs and the students in the Auditorium. Guido Vercammen opened by saying “GROUP T positions itself as a truly international university college. And it was China that opened the doors of the world to us. The Chinese students still make up the largest and fastest growing group of our international population. One of the reasons why we started inviting Chinese students in 1994 is that they could be invaluable for Flemish companies that are active on the Chinese market. We also notice that our Flemish students become better engineers when they are able to work alongside Chinese students. Our international character works to everyone’s benefit.” Next, Mr. Wang Luxin, Counselor of the Chinese Embassy Section in Belgium took the floor. He welcomed the first Flemish-Chinese Job Fair as an important initiative to bring Chinese students and the Flemish business world closer together. “Both parties need each other. Moreover, they rely on each other to be able to anticipate the fast economic and technological developments in the East and the West,” according to Wang Luxin. Business platform The Flemish-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) was introduced by Ms. Gwenn Sonck, Executive Director. “The FCCC is an action platform initiated by the business community for the promotion of economic trade and scientific relations with China,” explained Gwenn Sonck. “With a clear European perspective, FCCC aims to bring Flemish and Chinese partners in contact with each other through information and interaction, and by supporting projects in cooperation with government and other public authorities. FCCC assists Flemish companies in doing business with China and supports Chinese companies wishing to invest in Flanders. It organizes China conferences, workshops, networking lunches and meetings with high-ranking Chinese delegations. FCCC also organizes missions to China and disseminates business advice from Chinese experts.” Finally, Dr. Gao Weimen, President of the Association of Chinese Professionals in Belgium, concluded the introduction. He impressed upon the Chinese students what an opportunity it was to study here. He also called on them to learn the language to grow even more acquainted with the culture. Company profiles Between 2 pm and 4 pm, the companies were able to introduce themselves to more than 120 Chinese students and had successful discussions on the possibilities in future company projects, internships, longer-term tracks or future job opportunities. The students were able to look into the company profiles and offers beforehand while the companies were also given a chance to consult the students’ resumes in advance. This allowed both parties to arrange meetings and plan the fair optimally. The job fair was concluded with a networking drink. PARTICIPANTS 2011 Agfa-Gevaert Ahlers Atlas Copco Airpower Avalon Automatic Bekaert Betafence Eoluz GROUP T – Leuven Engineering College Hudson Imec NOVA Relocation Orotex Belgium POM Limburg Punch Powertrain Tessenderlo Group Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce Y.P. 03183_INGENIEURS_Interview_3_20.indd 6 11/07/11 17:02
Prof. Mohan Kumar from the Manipal Center for Information Science (India). Prof. Charaporn Sudhamasapa, Associate Professor of Sukhotai Thammathirat Open University (Thailand). Guest lecturer in the spotlight Professors from India and Thailand teach at GROUP T GROUP T – Leuven Engineering College receives guests from abroad regularly. Guest lecturers are commonly invited in the framework of the cooperation programs entered into with various foreign universities. As such, Professors Mohan Kumar J. from Manipal University (India) and Cheraporn Sudhamasapa from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (Thailand) were staying at GROUP T as a guest lecturer over the past few months. Of course, we also like to host foreign students who are on a European study trip and offer them a study program that is adapted to meet their specific needs. Prof. Mohan Kumar’s lectureship is a first result of the intensive contacts a GROUP T delegation led by President and Chief executive Prof. Johan De Graeve established with Manipal University. This university was established in 1953 and with its 20,000 students, it is considered one of the most important institutes of higher education in India. Manipal principally offers programs in the medical and technological sectors, which includes engineering. It is, of course, mainly at that level that possibilities of cooperation between Manipal University and GROUP T present itself. Network technology Prof. Mohan Kumar is affiliated with the Manipal Centre for Information Science (MCIS), one of the 20 institutes that form part of this university. The MCIS was established in 1998 and specialized in, among other areas, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), Embedded Systems and Software Development for the Medical Sector. “This link to the medical sector is not a coincidence,” says Prof. Mohan. “Manipal University was founded by Dr. Tonse Madhava Anantha Pai who had taken up the plan to bring health-care and a number of other essential services closer to the population of India’s West Coast. He started his project with the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine, adding the Engineering program four years later.” This university is special not only because of its size and the vision of its founder, but also because the choice of location is exceptional to say the least. Prof. Mohan: “Manipal University was built on a plateau in the middle of the wilderness. Where before there was an inaccessible jungle, there is now a complete university campus with all possible facilities.” Prof. Mohan’s specialty is wireless network technology and he gave guest lectures on that topic from late April to early July 2011 to the master’s students at GROUP T. “I find it important to share my knowledge with colleagues and students, also outside India. I want to stimulate the international exchange, in particular. That is why I make use of this opportunity to explore the possible cooperation between GROUP T and my university.” When it comes to international student exchange he is no novice. He actively participates in IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience), a global not-for-profit organization that on the one hand provides access to relevant technical experiences for students of higher education and, on the other hand, offers companies qualified and motivated interns. This cooperation with companies is also high on the list of the Manipal Centre for Information Science. The center anticipates industry demand and this way establishes the link between students and their future labor market. Although there are differences between Manipal University and GROUP T, he mainly looks for a common base of cooperation in the likenesses, that is, a practiceoriented program and the presence of a significant number of foreign students. European culture Recently, Manipal University, with the impulse and the support of the European Union, saw the addition of an institute for European Studies (Manipal Centre for European Studies - MCES). Its purpose is to develop and strengthen the relations between India and Europe by gathering mutual knowledge. A group of professors and students from this center’s MA in European Studies and Management visited GROUP T on 20 June 2011 and such in the framework of a study trip that led them through several countries of the European Union. Prof. Neeta Imamdar, head of the Centre stated: “We want to impart a thorough knowledge of Europe and of the European culture to our students so that after their studies, they can bridge the gap between Europe and India within the business world. The long study trip we are now on is an important part of the program. What they learned about Europe from their syllabus is now checked against reality.” At GROUP T, the students, after a tour of Campus Vesalius, attended a presentation by Director General Prof. Patrick De Ryck. Following on this presentation, the participants exchanged ideas on the cooperation potential between GROUP T and MCES. The center has already established structural cooperation with the University of Bremen and would like to extend its network in Europe. Subsequently, Mr. Louis Delcart, Director Internationalization and Innovation at VOKA, provided a much appreciated exposition on the Belgian and European economy and the importance played by small- and medium-sized companies in this economy. The afternoon was reserved for European culture with a guided tour of the permanent exhibit of Museum M and a discussion on the role companies and governments (among which also the EU) play in stimulating the creation of contemporary art. Management game Prof. Cheraporn Sudhamasapa is Associate Professor at the School of Management Science of the Sukhotai Thammathirat Open University of Thailand. She stayed at GROUP T from 26 April until 26 May 2011 in the framework of the cooperation agreement between GROUP T and STOU, an agreement that focuses on the exchange of students and lecturers. She was mainly interested in the International Postgraduate Program in Entreprising and the ‘Management Game’ that is part of the program. STOU is an ‘open university’, comparable to the Open University in the European context, and offers distance learning. The students work through the course material individually and at their own pace. A number of contact moments are provided however and every student, before graduating, must participate in a seminar. Prof. Cheraporn: “As of fall, I would like to integrate the Management Game that was introduced to me at GROUP T into the mandatory seminar.” Two GROUP T lecturers will assist her in this locally and in this way take a new step in the exchange of lecturers. Jan Jaspers GROUP T - LEUVEN ENGINEERING COLLEGE 7 jg. 20, nr. 3, 16 augustus 2011 03183_INGENIEURS_Interview_3_20.indd 7 11/07/11 17:02
Page 1 and 2: interview verschijnt driemaandelijk
Page 3 and 4: Prof. Dr. Ingrid Ilsbroux, the new
Page 5: The GROUP T delegation at Dire-Dawa
Page 9 and 10: Ondernemersdag 2011 GROEP T campus
Page 11 and 12: perceives more In Suzhou (the Venic
Page 13 and 14: Dr. ir. Pauwel Goethals, winnaar va
Page 15 and 16: Wetenschapscommunicatie bij GROEP T

Engineering: Connecting Cosmos & Consciousness - Groep T

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?