The college of engineering shares the vision of the university, of a society where citizens are competent, have nobility of character and nurture a sense of community. In line with this, our college aims to develop technically competent engineers who are socially responsible and who are life-long learners, who continuously learn in order to remain effective in serving the needs of their profession and the society. To achieve this we launch a mission to provide timely, relevant and transformative academic programs that are responsive to the needs of the local, national and global communities. We wish to engage all our students, faculty, and staff in research and community extension services that have impact on the socio-economic development of the region.
The recently completed WATER-PLUS project, which was jointly financed by the Dutch government through the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC), has strengthened our research capability in water and environment and has enabled us to offer an M.S. Civil Engineering that focuses on water and environment. We can now effectively address the research and manpower demands for water, sanitation, and environmental engineering in the Visayas and Mindanao region.
Now, our civil engineering is in the process of becoming a member of the Philippine National Capacity Network (PhilCapNet), which is an organization that promotes the Integrated Water Resource Management intended to address the threat of water scarcity in the country. The PhilCapNet is a member of the InternationalCapNet, a project initiated by UNDP in partnership with Buitenlandse Zaken, UNESCO-IHE, Global Water Partnership, and UNOPS.
Our continued partnership with Dellt University of Technology has enabled us to offer an M.S. in Chemical Engineering which focuses on biochemical engineering. Research projects in biodegradable plastic and bio-diesel are two recent collaborative projects with TUDelf which are expected to have impact on the socio-economic development of our country.
Our EE/ECE and Computer engineering departments have aligned their curricular programs and research undertakings with the government’s thrust in microelectronics and semiconductors. The new PCB laboratory in the computer engineering department, which can handle 8-layer boards, is a great support to our research activities in the area of microelectronics and semiconductors. The government’s Board of Investment (BOI) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have lauded this development, as the laboratory can also serve the needs of the local microelectronics and semiconductor industry.
This coming academic year, our graduate students can attend advanced engineering courses in foreign universities, through lectures delivered to us in real time via satellite. This is made possible through our new facilities in the computer engineering department. The college is a member of the School on the Internet-Asia (SOI-Asia), a consortium of 15 universities situated in 11 countries across Asia.
The new Ergonomics Laboratory in industrial engineering will effectively support the instructions and research activities in this area. This laboratory will have strong impact on our home grown industries such as furniture manufacturing, electronics assembly, garment and fashion accessory factories. The laboratory fills the need of lack of anthropometric data and standards for Filipino workers. The laboratory will also support these industries through research on the design of workplace for operators’ comfort and efficiency.
The college is ever expanding and forming new international collaborations. Last year we signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. This involves faculty exchange and research collaboration in all disciplines. This year, we are busy in the initial stage of another significant collaboration that unites our faculty and those of the participating universities in France to work on collaborative development projects on curriculum, research capacity building, and extension services in the fields of computer, electrical, electronics and communications engineering.
Our most recent initiative will involve the mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering departments. Over the past few weeks, Initial meetings aimed towards putting up a collaborative research project with the Alternative Non-conventional Energy Center (ANEC) in line with energy and clean air problem were made. Hopefully, the collaboration will lead to the establishment of a technical center in the college for energy and clean air assessment. During the past two years we have made bold efforts to enhance the research culture of the college. This was done by organizing and hosting three international conferences: the International Engineering Research Conference (IERC) of 2005 and 2006, and the Cebu Workshop on Plasma and EHD for Environmental Protection held last December as part of the 4th Asia Pacific Symposium on Plasma and EHD Applications.
Finally, as we continue to strive for excellence across the college, we are also grateful to our friends, our collaborators, here and abroad, and to our alumni who support these goals.
Sincerely,
Nicanor Buenconsejo Jr
Dean
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