University of Bremen: The production engineering department drives digitalization forward
The department of production engineering – mechanical engineering and process engineering of the university is driving forward its digitization. He receives welcome support: the university forum for digitization has now selected the department for targeted advice from experts.
The digitization of study content, but also the organization of studies, has increased significantly in speed due to the corona pandemic. Online formats for teaching were set up and perfected within a very short time – but the better is the enemy of the good, and there is still something to be optimized. The Department of Production Engineering – Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering (FB 4) will now do this with the help of proven experts. An application to the Higher Education Forum for Digitization (HFD) of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) was successful: the University of Bremen with FB 4 and the Technical University of Berlin have now been selected from numerous applicants by a jury to receive special funding.
“The peer-to-peer advice from the Hochschulforum Digitization is an extremely welcome support for us. Thanks to the external moderation, we can design our path towards efficient digital solutions suitable for everyday use in an even more targeted manner,” says Dean of Studies Professor Dr.-Ing. Maren Petersen on the positive decision in favor of her department.
Since 2021, the Hochschulforum Digitization has been offering a new advisory program with the “Peer-to-Peer Departmental Advice” with a subject that changes every year. In the first round, two economics departments benefited, now it is mechanical engineering.
Intensive one-year accompanying process for digitization
For the university department of production technology, an intensive, one-year accompanying process for the digitization of studies and teaching will start in the summer. In particular, the further development of the strategic concepts and the translation into appropriate measures are discussed. The special challenges of the department should be approached in a structured way, without losing sight of university-wide goals.
The process is based on the proven concept of peer-to-peer strategy consulting, which is being offered for the sixth time this year. The heart of the advisory program is the involvement of “peers”, i.e. selected experts from the German university landscape. They now also advise specialist departments on an equal footing. There are also exchange formats between the participating departments. The process concludes with transfer offers for the entire subject.
The Department of Production Engineering – Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering at the University of Bremen is involved in research and development with holistic and sustainable solutions for the energy, production and mobility of tomorrow. There are a total of nine courses with 1,900 students in the department. Teaching and research is done on future-oriented technologies of material production and processing, material modification and component production as well as on environmentally friendly and resource-saving processes.
The university forum for digitization, founded in 2014, is a joint initiative of the Stifterverband, the CHE Center for University Development and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK). It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).