Over a quarter of a century, the Estonian Centre for Engineering Pedagogy has helped establish an understanding that engineering education is, at its heart, much more than passing on knowledge. The question is no longer how many formulae or technologies learners know. What matters is how they think, which problems they can solve and what impact their work has on society.
Education
Estonia has a shortage of engineers, and the problem will become even more acute in the coming years. Universities can train more engineers, but increasing admissions alone is not enough. To turn today’s students into capable engineers in the labour market, universities and businesses need to work more closely as one team.
Despite her young age, TalTech alumna Marie-Mädli Kivimäe has built an impressive engineering career in the international automotive industry. Her willingness to keep stepping outside her comfort zone has helped her move forward.
Estonia’s maritime sector will increasingly need people with IT, data, legal and other specialist skills alongside seafarers. Yet it is still widely seen as a traditional industry centred on ships and sailing. Participants at WISTA Estonia’s annual seminar concluded that universities, businesses, the state and local authorities must work more closely together to bridge this gap.
Liisi Särglep did not dream of becoming an engineer as a child. Her first plan was to study medicine, but when she was not admitted to the University of Tartu on her first attempt, her next choice took her to Tallinn University of Technology to study product development and production engineering.
Universities can give young people sound IT knowledge, but that may not be enough to find work. A collaboration between ESTDEV and TalTech examined experiences in Estonia, Kenya, Nigeria and Armenia to identify what helps IT graduates enter their profession. Success depends on more than the curriculum: practical experience, initiative, entrepreneurial skills and connections with employers are at least as important.
This year’s Young Engineer Award of the President of the Republic’s Cultural Foundation has been bestowed upon Karolina Kudelina-Zhang, an energy researcher at TalTech’s Virumaa College, and Annika Kaalep, Senior Biomedical Engineer and Head of Department at the North Estonia Medical Centre.
How can TalTech be shaped over the next decade into a driving force that cultivates engineers, generates technologies, and connects science with entrepreneurship? This question was tackled during the TalTech development strategy discussion “TalTech 2035 – Estonia’s Growth Platform of the Future?” by Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship Erik Puura, Tehnopol CEO Agnes Roos, Head of the Innovation and Technology Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Sigrid Rajalo, and TalTech Council member and CFO of the tech company Helmes, Madis Margus.
International researchers bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to Estonian science. But can our research and working environment offer enough support to attract talent to Estonia – and, just as importantly, to make them stay?
Andri Haran, the CEO of The Federation of Estonian Engineering sees great potential in the future of smart industry but acknowledges that the progress towards digitalization and automation in Estonian industry is uneven.