Abstract

Universities in countries in transition are facing evolving demands regarding the knowledge and skills of their graduates. The Geodetic Department, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, has addressed these new demands in the context of a structural Phare-Tempus Joint European Project (S-JEP). The paper presents an overview of the recent project called "Improved education on environment and infrastructure", which provided the frame for an updating of the existing ordinary university study programs at the Department.

1 Introduction to the Phare-Tempus project S-JEP 11001-96

The Phare-Tempus structural joint European project (S-JEP 11001-96) "Improved education on environment and infrastructure" was set up as a response to Slovenian priorities, which were set by the Slovene Ministry of Education and Sport. The project lasted for three academic years and was concluded by the end of August 1999.

The aim of this comprehensive project was to contribute to the expressed national priorities and to support the Trans-European cooperation scheme for higher education between Central and Eastern Europe and the European Union. The project involved faculties teaching geodetic surveying from five EU countries: Austria (Technical University Vienna), Denmark (Aalborg University), Finland (Helsinki University of Technology), the Netherlands (Delft University of Technology), and Sweden (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm), as well as the Geodetic Department, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The project objective was to restructure the existing ordinary engineering degree courses and their content, including the development and delivery of such courses at the Geodetic Department. Project activities included thorough identification of educational needs, preparation of syllables and delivery of revised courses by the Department. The purchase and installation of supporting teaching equipment (computers, software, literature etc.) was also included. Project outcomes were discussed among the European colleagues with a view towards establishing courses of European scope.

2 Geodetic Department at the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering

Geodetic Department is a partly autonomous academic unit within the frame of Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana. In Slovenia, the Geodetic Department is the only provider of higher education in the field of surveying, etc. The Department performs two ordinary graduate study programs on surveying:

1. University study of geodesy (4,5 years or all together 3600 study hours),
2. High Technical study of geodesy (3,5 years or all together 2250 study hours).

Additionally the Department carries out post graduate courses, individual doctoral studies and occasionally also diverse study programs graduates (continuing professional education). The demand for geodetic engineers in the professional society has been very high during the last decade. The number of students at the Department is permanently increasing.

3 Outline of the Slovene circumstances

The tasks of geodetic engineers in Slovenia have changed considerably during the last decade. Geodetic engineers today deal with administrative tasks, staff policy management, teamwork and business organization, with marketing of products and services, public relations etc. They are occupied with management of projects, continuous professional and legislative education, dealing with standards and quality assurance, with the implementation of newly developed technologies etc. Consequently, the suitable knowledge profile for geodetic engineers should reflect these proportions:

The recent ordinal educational programs and courses at the Geodetic Department only partly corresponded to the above account of professional needs. The graduates acquired good technical knowledge (surveying, with/and acquisition, processing and presentation of spatial data). However, the offered study courses and their extent in the fields of legal theory, professional regulations and sector legislation, valuation of real estates, business management and public administration were not sufficient.

4 Provenance of the Tempus project

The firsthand results of the Tempus S-JEProject, which spanned over three consecutive academic years, are a complete redesign of the mentioned two undergraduate study programs (university and high technical degree) at the Geodetic Department. We can assume that the resulting syllables are better structured, modernized and therefore now comparable to the adequate study programs at the similar European faculties.

The project activities started with thorough analysis of general social and professional geodetic problem domain, which led the project team to the recognition of needs and expectations related to the academic education of surveying engineers. During the next year the restructuring of the ordina-ry academic surveying programs were drafted, and later on also feasible proposals were elaborated. The emphases have been on the development of renewed study programs that anticipated the pre-vailing European trends and experiences in the surveying field.

5 The project outcomes

Taking into account the potentials and specific circumstances at the Department, the establishment of new courses and significant modification of the existing ones took place in the following fields:

Introduction of the subjects of law, public administration, and business economy caused the decrea-se of hours within some existing subjects of the University and High technical study programs. It is important to stress that available hours for lessons and exercises has been redistributed, causing al-so the decrease of the total number of subjects. Many subjects have also been modified and harmo-nized with the related ones in order to established proper continuity on both study programs. The list of all the modifications and changes is too exhaustive to present it in this setting. The table abo-ve shows new subjects that were introduced in at both the University and the High technical study program of surveying.

6 Conclusions

The Tempus project was eventually considered by the Department as an unique opportunity for the ge-neral development of Geodetic Department Crucial for the success of this Tempus project are the fo-llowing factors:

After few years, when the new study programs are fully operational, and later on also first graduates will appear, the need for new evaluation and refreshment of curricula can be well anticipated. We can therefore conclude that the Tempus project not only accommodated the Slovenian study programs in Geodesy to the present needs of the society, but in addition also established appropriate awareness of its continuity.

7 References

Stubkjær, Erik (1997) Report concerning TEMPUS-Phare project S-JEP 11001-96 on Identification of Educational Needs of the Slovene Society regarding the University Education in Geodetic Engineering. 9 p, 8 annexes.

Stubkjær, E., A. U. Frank, K. Leväinen, H. Mattsson & J. A. Zevenbergen (1997) Recommendations for the Slovene Geodetic Curriculum, prepared by the international group, based on the Educational Needs Assessment (Seminar), June 9 -13, 1997. Tempus-Phare project S-JEP 11001-96. 12 p.

Web page of Geodetic Department and the Phare-Tempus project: http://gragent.fgg.uni-lj.si/ogeo/

CONTACT AUTHOR DATA:

Rados SUMRADA

Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
Jamova 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Phone: +386-61-176-86-50
Fax: +386-61-125-07-04
E-MAIL: RSumrada@Fgg.Uni-Lj.Si

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