Collaboration with the Catholic University of Lille

Stuart Ashenden

Director of Academic Planning, Medway

Background• Initial approach – were we interested in

collaborating with them over the delivery of a foundation year in engineering?

• First meeting – Spring 2008 – Description of education systems– Description of our year 0– Description of their foundation year...very different!

Engineering Education in France• School leaving Baccalaureate after 12 years of

education• Two years of general engineering education –

‘Classes préparatoires’ in preparatory schools• Three years of specialist education at university or

university affiliated schools• Comparison to UK – in duration no different from the

4 year MEng following a foundation year

The Lille Consortium

• The Catholic University of Lille• The ‘Institut Polytechnicum de

Lille’ - IPL

The Lille Consortium• The ‘Institut Polytechnicum de Lille’ - IPL

comprises of a number of preparatory schools including:– HEI Hautes Etudes d'Ingénieur – ISEN Institut Supérior de l’Electronique et du

Numérique– ISA Institut Supérieur d‘Agriculture de Lille

The proposal

• For the University of Greenwich to deliver an equivalent of the second year of the ‘classes préparatoires’ at Medway

Rationale

• An aspiration of all Engineering graduates to be fluent in English

• A desire to expose students to the British student centred style of learning

Specification• To deliver a year that met all of the knowledge

and progression requirements in Mechanical, Electrical / Electronic Engineering but also to Food Technology, Biotechnology, etc

• To study in English• To study wherever possible with the other

engineering students• To include cultural / language studies

The mapping exercise• For 2 of the 3 partners, ISEN and HEI, the curriculum

multi-staged – i.e. Consisted of both level 4 and level 5 courses

• For ISA, (food / biotech), the programme is much closer to the general first year, level 4, in School of Science

• For HEI and ISEN the students could be taught with other engineering students for 50% of the time

• For ISA 90% common teaching could be achieved

Agreement and delivery

• For both Science and Engineering a good and workable curriculum match could be achieved

• To ‘capture’ the programme of study it was decided to gain approval for a ‘Certificate of Higher Education in Engineering, Lille’

• This would provide students with the opportunity to ‘graduate’ and attend the graduation ceremony in July

• More importantly, it is QAA compliant having a programme specification and a defined set of programme learning outcomes

• An MoU was signed in October 2009

Agreement and delivery (2)• Remarkably the programme was designed and

approved for a September 2009 intake• Acknowledge a considerable amount of work by

Malcolm Butler (HoD) to match the programme and to make the timetable work

• The good fortune in recruiting a fluent French speaker at about the time the programme was initiated – now the link tutor

• For the first year recruitment was restricted to the engineering focused programmes

The Engineering Programme• Mathematics (Lille)• Mechanical Principles (Lille)• Electrical Principles (Lille)• Fluid Mechanics• Analogue Electronics• Control and Instrumentation• Computing and Programming for Engineers• Language, Culture and Society (Lille)

Language, culture and society• Introduction and Rationale

This course aims to provide an introduction to British culture and society for international students whilst also being a vehicle for the further development of language skills

• Indicative Content

Introduction to British Culture, including Food / Class / Sport / Music / Nationality and Identity / local and regional history. Introduction to society in Britain, governance and representation, Britain in Europe.

Study skills and independent learning, literacy skills, referencing/avoiding plagiarism, and giving an effective presentation. Language and academic writing; knowledge of and ability to use English vocabulary (words and phrases, idioms, slang, register) and, in particular, on applying all of this, where appropriate, to the very specific demands of Academic English.

Practicalities (1)

• Student Selectiono Agreement on numbers of students to progress to UKo Presentation to students in January / Februaryo Students selected by their schoolso Students complete a ‘slimline’ application form – really a

registration formo In May undertake 10 minute interviews of all applicants to

assess language and motivationo Decisions after interview involving both the consortia

schools and UoG

Practicalities (2)

• Operational Detailso Travel time by Eurotunnel / car under 3 hours door to dooro Current fee is only marginally higher than the fee in Franceo Students can return home easily for the weekendo Some of the curriculum will not fit into the Certificate – bridging is

provided by Lille staff

Progress

• The first cohort commenced in September 2009• Initial teething problems

– Induction– Level– Style of learning

• Graduation in July 2010 • Second cohort started in September 2010 (including

1 science student) • Presentation made to the prospective 2011 cohort in January 2011

The year of 2009/10

What next...?• How well did it work?

• Potential threats

• Further opportunities• MEng• MSc projects • UoG staff teaching in France• Research

• ESEO Angers