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.
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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.
TalTech alumnus and DeltaE Inseneribüroo owner Marti Arak has turned energy efficiency into a successful business. He says that technical solutions alone are not enough to achieve energy savings: skilled engineers, practical experience and the ability to see the bigger picture are also essential.
August Komendant, from the Estonian village of Nurmsi, became one of the twentieth century’s most influential structural engineers and architect Louis Kahn’s closest collaborator. His work extended from the grandstand at Kadriorg Stadium to Philadelphia and Fort Worth, where he helped create some of Kahn’s best-known buildings.
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.
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.
When Anna Dementjeva looks back on her childhood, she doesn’t remember a single moment that pushed her toward engineering – she remembers many. She was the child who constantly asked why, who found comfort in logic, and who treated geometry problems as small creative puzzles waiting to be solved.
Priit Raid, a TalTech alumnus and the founder and CEO of Hoob OÜ, a company providing automation solutions, believes that automation and robotics do not leave people without jobs but rather allow them to focus on more valuable tasks. He established his company specifically to help the industry stay competitive through the automation of production processes.
Young people don’t choose a career in a vacuum – they are influenced by teachers, role models, and societal attitudes. To inspire more of them, especially girls, to pursue engineering and ICT, these fields need to be visible and familiar well before the moment of decision.