The name of a project is CABRIOLET, which is an acronym from official name “Model-Oriented ApproaCh And Intelligent Knowledge-Based System for Evolvable Academia-IndustRy CooperatIOn in ELEctronic and CompuTer Engineering”.
The project is financed by the TEMPUS programme, which encourages higher education institutions in the EU Member States and partner countries to engage in structured cooperation through the establishment of “consortia”.
TEMPUS CABRIOLET project (Project reference number – 544497-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-UK-TEMPUS-JPHES) addresses the business and society demand on high qualified Electronic and Computer Engineering (E and C & E ) specialists by introducing an integrated approach for smooth and productive cooperation between academia and industry. The approach covers all stages and processes of cooperation life cycle in the domain of E & C engineering for commercial and critical applications (FPGA designs, embedded systems and networks-on-chip, intellectual sensors and sensor networks, smart grids, data centers, etc).
Project goals and objectives:
The goal of the project is to address society demand for high qualified specialists in electronic and computer engineering by introducing integrated model-oriented approach for smooth and effective evolvable cooperation and communication between academia and industry by 2016:
- to introduce a model-oriented approach for effective academia-industry cooperation in electronic and computer engineering by 2016;
- to develop an intelligent knowledge-based system for supporting the model-oriented approach by 2016;
- to develop cloud-based web-portal as a communication mechanism between involved parties by 2016;
- to arrange intensive capacity building measures based on 3 training blocks by 2016.
The application fits within the development strategy of UA universities namely “State program on economy activation till 2014” and “Concept of the scientific and innovation politics in the system of higher education of Ukraine for 2012-2016”.
The project is aimed at:
- design and a nation-wide sustainable introduction of a model-oriented approach based on the implementation of general life cycle model of evolvable academia-to-business cooperation (EA2BC) and 3 customized models serving different types of academia-to-business cooperation;
- the introduction of an intelligent knowledge-based system (IKBS) for analysis, processing and generating of assessment results and recommendations for involved academic departments and companies.
Description of models:
General EA2BC life cycle model describes integrated process of academia to business cooperation in the area of E & C Engineering, including assessment and self-assessment, search, selecting and fitting of partners considering updating of interests, the evolution of E & C technologies, developing of partners and means of mutual collaboration.
Three customized models may be presented as follow:
Type A model: a university department is functioning as a learning unit for its students jointly with E & C. The departmental core role is aligning curriculum in line with actual needs of industrial employers; industrial counterpart assist in clarifying requirements for observed technologies, performs practical and optional classes for departmental students.
Type B model: a university department is functioning as a “Type A+” centre for development of technologies and innovations. The departmental strategy is facilitating the research links “Professor <-> PhD student <-> Master student” while chosen industrial counterpart requests for R&D activities.
Type C model: a university department is functioning as a “Type A+” entrepreneurship center for spin-offs and start-ups. Departments provide the infrastructure for student potential companies, stimulates establishing start-ups and spin-offs; involved industry acts as a coach and business advisor for newly established entities.
Each model (A, B, C) is specified by the following parameters: {Goal; Scenario; Outcome}, where:
Goal – defines the mid term goal which needs to be reached by the department in 3-5 years term.
Scenario – represents the algorithm to be implemented at the department to reach the specified Goal.
Outcomes – are the set of S.M.A.R.T results which need to be produced while implementing the scenario.
Implementation of this approach for Ukrainian departments will lead to the development of the set of protocols and standards (“White Book”) with specification of all possible Goals, Scenarios, Outcomes grouped by listed-above models; Practical Guide and IKBS on how to implement the described approach for different types of departments and different kinds of preferable ways for their cooperation with industrial partners. Besides, cloud-based communication Web-portal will be designed as an interface for IKBS and fine tuning of White Book-listed models.
The project content and methodology:
Specifically, the project will implement the following set of strategic WPs & corresponding activities:
WP1: Model-oriented approach. Includes the measures aimed at development the set of integrated models, techniques and tools used for assessment and self-assessment of involved academic departments, searching and selecting of partners for cooperation in the area of Electronics & Computing Engineering, definition of optimal forms of integration.
WP2: Implementation of Intelligent knowledge-based system (IKBS). Described the measures for piloting on IKBS on the basis of self-checking (internal) and expert assessment (external) techniques of the available academic and research potential of the target departments.
WP3: Cloud-based communication web-portal (CBC Web). Describe the activities aimed фе planning, development, verification and piloting of the web platform. CBC Web will be designed as an interface for IKBS and tuning the White Book-listed model to the actual demand of the industrial customer and potential of the involved academic department.
To achieve that CBC Web will implement 3 functions:
- To Connect (best-suited pairs from registered academic and industrial stakeholders’ sets using the White Book models, recommendation from Practical Guide and assessment results);
- To Start (what joint activities, training, projects may be chosen);
- To Develop (measures how to extend the initial cooperation and consider factors of JCT
WP 4: Capacity building measures. A vital component of the project methodology is a strong institutional and individual capacity building within the Ukrainian partner universities, where contents, timing and location for the implementation of the WPl – WP3 are designed to achieve the most effective outcomes.
WP5: Dissemination & Public awareness. Includes the specific measures aimed at broad dissemination of main WPs outcomes.
WP6: Sustainability actions. The institutional incorporation and official recognition of the model-oriented approach is envisaged here. Alternative funding strategies will be investigated, including feasibility, study on providing fee-based services for industrial partners.
WP7: Quality Control. A set of internal and external quality control and monitoring measures will be implemented to guarantee timely and on-budget completion of the work plan as well as high quality of outputs. An Evaluation board will be set-up comprising 3- EU (UNEW, KTH, INERCIADIGITAL) institutions and 3 UA (KhAI, CSTU, ChNU) universities, 1 from APITU, 1 MESU representatives.
WP8: Project Management. Working methodology adopted for effective coordination and management procedures: project Steering Committee, tasks allocation, coordination meetings, responsibilities for project coordinator (UNEW) and local management teams.
Target groups:
Academia: Master and doctoral students of E & C engineering specialties at different Ukrainian technical universities – no less than 800 persons;
Business: Industrial partner organizations, regional and national R&D companies, professional associations in the area of E&C engineering – 150 persons a year;
Society: NGOs, recruiting agencies, individuals – 50 persons a year.