Tampere University of Technology: Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering
Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering is a newly structured department operating from 1st January 2013.
Research fields in the Department are Advanced Electronics Systems, Electronic and Biomaterials and Manufacturing, and Communication and Positioning Circuits and Systems. The department has a modern, forward-looking research agenda that is both scientifically ambitious and industrially relevant and well aligned with the general research strategy of the University. The research agenda combines elements of science and technology in innovative ways and is open to new initiatives. The department maintains close ties with industry and the broader society.
The education activities at the Department cover both B.Sc. and M.Sc. level degrees, as well as the doctoral degree which requires clear contributions to the scientific understanding in the research areas of the department. B.Sc. level studies are intended for Finnish students only, whereas M.Sc. and doctoral studies are offered also for international students.
The amount of teaching staff at the Department is around 25, and in practice, the majority of the researchers also participate in teaching.
The courses consist of a variety of teaching methods – not only lectures, but also exercises, seminars, laboratory work and web-based teaching.
The education at the department is distinctive for its’ multidisciplinary and international approach. Biomedical engineering extends to almost every field of engineering by offering education to several degree programs beyond faculty borders. It combines engineering seamlessly to science by applying the methods of physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology among others.
English as the language of instruction, the international master’s degree program hosted by the department and the development of international e-Learning are tokens of the department’s international approach.
1. Read and translate the text above.
2. Prepare a short summary of the texts.
3. Speak about modern tech education in Finland.
II. Russian universities and “QS World University Rankings”
Russia’s top universities have very competitive entry requirements, and special entry exams are held each year. Students must apply for studies according to the standard competitive system. Higher education is provided by public and non-public (non-State) accredited higher education institutions.
Most of Russia’s universities are located in large cities. Moscow State University, which was founded in 1755 and has about 28,000 students and 8,000 teachers, enjoys the highest reputation. The Russian People’s Friendship University in Moscow has about 6,500 students and 1,500 tutors, and St. Petersburg State University has about 21,000 students and 2,100 tutors.
Many Russian universities also offer distance education and provide courses for specific professional needs. However, such systems are usually less developed than in the US and other Western European countries.
There are a lot of systems of rating universities in the world. The criteria of choosing the best university are different. For example, every year the English consulting company QS Quacquarelli Symonds is released their own rating of universities and the criteria are the achievements in scientific researches, the academic reputation of the university, the amount of the students and the tutors, and the amount of the foreign students.
According to the site of “QS World University Rankings”[12], the rating is based on 6 indicators made up the methodology:
· Academic reputation (40%),
· Employer reputation (10%),
· Faculty/student ratio (20%),
· The citation per faculty (scientific papers, Scorpus) (20%),
· International students (5%),
· International faculty (5%).
In 2016 the top 10 of the universities over the world is: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, University College London, Imperial College London, Eth Zurich, University of Chicago.
Moscow State University is on the 108th, Saint-Petersburg State University is on the 257th.
1. Read and translate the text above.
2. True or false:
1. Russia’s top universities do not have any entry requirements.
2. Special entry exams are not held every year.
3. Higher education is provided only by non-public accredited higher education institutions.
4. Most of Russia’s universities are located in large cities. Give some examples.
5. The system of distance education in Russia is more developed than in the US and other Western European countries.
3. Find in the text the situations in which the following word combinations are used: Russia’s top universities; the academic year; highest reputation; distance education; specific professional needs.
4. Find in the text the words or phrases which mean the same as:
Требования, проводить экзамен, привлекательность, качество, учебный год, иметь самую высокую репутацию, дистанционное вступительные экзамены, образование согласно стандарту, учреждение высшего образования, летние каникулы, курсы для определенных профессиональных потребностей, менее развитый.
5. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases in English: top universities; competitive entry requirements; highest reputation; distance education; public higher education institutions, rating, ranking, academic reputation, citation.
6. Make up situations using the English equivalents of the words (ex.4).
7. Read the information on the sites[13] and make the report about one of the technical universities.