Content

This course focuses on the primary knowledge areas and essential competencies required for successful engineers to live and work in today’s global marketplace. The course will examine individual and cultural differences and how they impact communication and team dynamics. These topics are central to international and multicultural engineering teams. Students that complete the course will be able to understand sources of conflict that can arise in multicultural teams and effectively use the tools and resources learned in class to manage individual and team motivation and minimize or effectively deal with conflict, while harvesting the benefits of diversity as they work on a real world virtual team project, producing effective solutions to challenging engineering problems.

Course material

• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010) Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind, 3rd Edition. McGraw Hill. ISBN-13: 9780071664189
• ‘Introduction to Conflict and Teams’, booklet by Thomas and Thomas (2007). 

Language of instruction: more information

This course is taught in English, together with instructors and students from Penn State University.

Format: more information

Blended learning - Flipped classroom - Group assignment - Presentation - Project work

A mix of different formats is used. This will be explained in the first lecture, and supported by the learning environment kindly offered by Penn State University.

Explanation

The evaluation is based on different assignments students have to submit during the course, i.e. journal entries, quizzes, individual assignments, individual news presentations, individual discussion leads, individual participation in class discussions, and team project work. Details are given in the learning environment of Penn State University. 

Information about retaking exams

All (individual and team) assignments are to be reconsidered: the student has to make an appointment with the course instructor on each aspect of the evaluation.

Content

The strategy part of the course gives an introduction and overview about strategy. The required concepts and analytical tools will be explained for evaluating a given company situation. Finally the methodology of designing and executing strategy will be explained.

The leadership part of the course gives an introduction and overview about leadership. Emphasis is given in developing new perspectives and strategies in bringing health, creativity and energy that suit contemporary organizations and technologies. Topics include:  Development of leaders (knowing, doing and being), leadership in a globalizing world, leading for innovation.

The HRM part of the course starts with the strategic role of Human Resource Management. On top of that, the most important components of HRM will be explained: recruitment & placement, training & development, appraising & managing performance, compensation & benefits.

Course material

Class notes.
Slides of professors will be available on Toledo.

Language of instruction: more information

Lectures are presented in English.

Format: more information

Lectures by presentations.

Content

The seminars on strategy, leadership and HRM focus on the mentioned topics by inviting company leaders to give guest lectures and through assignments on leadership role play game/researching a given strategy and leadership role of a particular organization.

A company visit and guest lecture about HRM will also be foreseen.

Course material

Slides of guest speakers will be available on Toledo.

Language of instruction: more information

Lectures are presented in English.

Format: more information

- Company visits, guest lectures.
- Exercises (cases), role plays based on the theory.

Explanation

First exam period:
- Written examination, closed book, no calculator/translator.
- 80% of the points for this course are based on the exam.
- 20% of the points are based on assignments and permanent evaluation during the semester.

Third exam period:
- Identical to the evaluation of the first exam period. Yet 20% of the points, based on assignments and permanent evaluation, will be automatically transferred.

When needed, additional information on the evaluation activities is provided during the lessons and/or made available on the Toledo pages of the course.

Information about retaking exams

Identical to the evaluation of the first exam period. Yet 20% of the points, based on assignments and permanent evaluation, will be automatically transferred.

Content

As an engineer, you bring innovation into a technological business context through an innovative business internship.

The engineer is given a specific assignment with the aim of introducing an innovation for the company.

The engineer deals with incremental or radical innovation in the company, which may include:

• Developing new products, services and processes ('product design and development')
• Exploring the potential of a technology new to the company
• Developing a technology new to the company in a 'case study'
• Devising new applications for an existing product
• Prototyping and/or testing a technology new to the company

In addition, there is a focus on business-related skills such as project management or preparing and validating a complete business plan/case (including business form, market and feasibility study, risk management, cost-benefit analysis, ...).

It also focuses on following personal professional skills and attitudes such as:

• Entrepreneurial spirit (intra- and/or entrepreneurship)
• Ideation & creativity
• Lifelong learning & self-reflection
• Communicating within the company and with external stakeholders
• Developing and managing external relationships (e.g. with suppliers, customers, etc.)

The innovation internships take place not only in large companies, but also in SMEs and start-ups.

. Visit www.innovationentrepreneurship.be for more information.

Course material

The study material is available on Toledo.

Format: more information

Visit www.innovationentrepreneurship.be for more information about the options.

Explanation

Students receive an integral mark. All students are assessed on four categories of learning outcomes, namely:

1. Entrepreneurial skills
2. Innovation achievement
3. Personal development
4. Communication and co-operation

The evaluation weights of the categories depend on the content of the innovation project. This is determined before the start of the project in consultation with coach, mentor and student. It is the student's responsibility to find a suitable internship position, taking into account the criteria of an innovation project, and the opinion of the coach and the coordinator of the programme.

At the end of the project, an evaluation by a jury (of which the coach and mentor are members) takes place. During the final evaluation, the student is evaluated on the basis of a portfolio of (self-selected) objectives and a presentation.

Information about retaking exams

A re-examination of (certain parts of) the innovation project is only possible after written permission of the coach, the mentor and the head of the programme.

Content

As an engineer, you bring innovation into a technological business context through an innovative business internship.

The engineer is given a specific assignment with the aim of introducing an innovation for the company.

The engineer deals with incremental or radical innovation in the company, which may include:

• Developing new products, services and processes ('product design and development')
• Exploring the potential of a technology new to the company
• Developing a technology new to the company in a 'case study'
• Devising new applications for an existing product
• Prototyping and/or testing a technology new to the company

In addition, there is a focus on business-related skills such as project management or preparing and validating a complete business plan/case (including business form, market and feasibility study, risk management, cost-benefit analysis, ...).

It also focuses on following personal professional skills and attitudes such as:

• Entrepreneurial spirit (intra- and/or entrepreneurship)
• Ideation & creativity
• Lifelong learning & self-reflection
• Communicating within the company and with external stakeholders
• Developing and managing external relationships (e.g. with suppliers, customers, etc.)

The innovation internships take place not only in large companies, but also in SMEs and start-ups.

. Visit www.innovationentrepreneurship.be for more information.

Course material

The study material is available on Toledo.

Format: more information

Visit www.innovationentrepreneurship.be for more information about the options.

Explanation

Students receive an integral mark. All students are assessed on four categories of learning outcomes, namely:

1. Entrepreneurial skills
2. Innovation achievement
3. Personal development
4. Communication and co-operation

The evaluation weights of the categories depend on the content of the innovation project. This is determined before the start of the project in consultation with coach, mentor and student. It is the student's responsibility to find a suitable internship position, taking into account the criteria of an innovation project, and the opinion of the coach and the coordinator of the programme.

At the end of the project, an evaluation by a jury (of which the coach and mentor are members) takes place. During the final evaluation, the student is evaluated on the basis of a portfolio of (self-selected) objectives and a presentation.

Information about retaking exams

A re-examination of (certain parts of) the innovation project is only possible after written permission of the coach, the mentor and the head of the programme.

Content

Topics that are covered are: product design, go-to-market-strategy, intellectual property, accounting and taxation, contract law, networking and sales, project management…

See: https://technovationhub.be/students/tha/ 

Course material

Students can find the necessary study material on Toledo.

Format: more information

Workshops led by entrepreneurs and professionals from the industry.

Explanation

Attendance at the selected workshops is compulsory. The workshops will be permanently evaluated on attendance, cooperation, presentations, assignments, etc. During the first lesson of each workshop series, more information about the evaluation method will be given.

Information about retaking exams