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MQP in China - doing projects and beyond

MQP in China - doing projects and beyond. Yiming (Kevin) Rong Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA, USA September 2007. Outline. WPI Introduction MQP in China Program What we have done What we are doing Project introduction (separate file)

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MQP in China - doing projects and beyond

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  1. MQP in China- doing projects and beyond Yiming (Kevin) Rong Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA, USA September 2007

  2. Outline • WPI Introduction • MQP in China Program • What we have done • What we are doing • Project introduction (separate file) • Pictures from students (separate file)

  3. Introduction • WPI • A small private engineering school • 2,800 undergraduates, 1,000 graduates, 210 professors • 70% Engineering, ME - 30% of Engineering • Ranked 48 in 1998, 51 in 1990, 2000, and 57 in 2001, …, 53 in 2005, 64 in 2006, 62 in 2007 • Project based education • Sufficiency, IQP, and MQP • Term system • Industrial support • Global education • Project centers world wide

  4. Background • Vision • Global economics • Manufacturing outsourcing • R&D globalization and collaboration • Engineers with multi-culture backgrounds • Working at different locations • Working with people with different cultural background • Working in a way to define and solve problems in different conditions

  5. Background (cont.) • Engineering education at WPI • Project based education • Project centers and junior projects: IQP • Expansion to senior projects: MQP • Directly define/solve technical problems in engineering disciplines • Potential hires by companies doing global business • Leadership in global operation • To compare/evaluate the difference of higher education systems

  6. Background (cont.) • Engineering education at HUST • Top engineering university in China • Taking lead in education reform in ME • National committee director and general secretary • Design creativity programs for selected students • Plan to combine ME related majors into a more general ME • Strong intention to enhance the communication with foreign universities at all levels, but emphasized a lot in undergraduate level.

  7. Background (cont.) • Mission • To provide WPI and HUST students an opportunity of experiencing global economics, engineering, research, and education, as well as different culture, through • Working/living in multi-cultural environment • Teaming up with Chinese/USA colleagues • Working with companies doing global business • Meaningful projects • Learn to respect and seek options

  8. Background (cont.) • Implementation • Planned four years ago • Visits from/to HUST and WPI • Agreement on exchange senior project • Students exchange at their own cost • Collaboration on project sponsoring and advising • Starting from manufacturing engineering and now involve ME and IE • Delayed due to SARS and the WAR

  9. Implementation in 2005 • Started summer 2005 • 4 WPI students working with 5 HUST students in 2 groups for 7 weeks • Students stayed on campus and immersed into Chinese culture with activities beyond technical projects • Projects were designed by HUST professors • 3 other groups with HUST students designed their own projects • Co-advised with HUST/WPI professors • Plant tour to learn about Chinese industry • Reports and finishing up after the 7 weeks • WPI students learned a lot about China outside the project (a lot of pictures) • Excellent arrangement, logistically/economically

  10. Implementation in 2005 (cont.) • Continuation • March-May 2006, 6 HUST students were invited to study at WPI • 2 students did not get visa • 2 projects are sponsored by Saint Gobain and New Age Technologies • No WPI students working with them • Visited a class • “Feel” about US Higher education system • Logistical support (lodging and transportation)

  11. MQP in China, 2006 • MQP in China was continued • NSF funding support • For travel and lodging expense of students and professors, plus one planning trip • Projects have been well designed/selected • 8 WPI senior and 1 BS/MS students were selected • Working together with 12 HUST students • Sponsors of five projects • HUST Tonji Hospital (2) • Saint Gobain Shanghai Operation • American Industrial Partners at Wuxi • Paper Clips Factory in Zhejiang • Implementation • Well supported by HUST and WPI

  12. WPI-HUST Project Center • WPI-HUST Senior Project Center of Mechanical Engineering • Co-directors from WPI and HUST • Involvement of other professors • Industry support • Meaningful projects from industry • In China and at Worcester • Education innovation projects • USA NSF • China ??

  13. WPI-HUST Center Operation • Exchange programs • Ten WPI students to HUST • Currently in summer, E-term • Senior/graduating projects • Five real world projects • Best project award • Ten HUST students to WPI • Currently in March – May, D-term • Possible mix with WPI students • Industry projects • Co-advisor at HUST

  14. MQP in China - 2007 • HUST students at WPI • Seven HUST WPI students at WPI • From March 5 to May 10, 2007 • Three projects • Sponsored by Amphenol TCS, and Saint Gobain • Working with WPI students and graduate students • Sitting-in a class • WPI students at HUST • Fifteen WPI students went to HUST • From June 12 to August 3 • Working with 22 HUST students • Seven projects • One additional project – 9 HUST students

  15. Projects in summer 2007 Develop a design process for slide lock mechanism using graphical, analytical, and computer-based synthesis tools, Sponsored by CIS Wuxi, China Value stream map for lean manufacturing implementation, Sponsored by CIS Wuxi, China Production report system improvement, Sponsored by Saint Gobain Shanghai Operations, China Lean manufacturing implementation for high volume Connector and Backplane Production , Sponsored by Amphenol TCS Changzhou, China Humanoid robot development, Sponsored by Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China Weldingfixturewith active position adaptingfunctions, Sponsored by HuazhongUniversity of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China Walking robot development, Sponsored by Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

  16. Final Presentation • Hosted on July 31, 2007 at HUST • by Co-directors: Professors L. Gao and Y.Rong • Participants besides the students • Teck Lim and Jun Xiao, Project sponsor: CIS Wuxi • Professors Young Kim and Gyu Man Kim from Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea • Professor Lucy King, Kettering University, MI, USA Dr. Francis King, Ford Motor, Dearborn, MI, USA • Professors ZhikunHou and Amy Zeng, WPI • Professors, Lab engineers, and students at HUST

  17. MQP in China – typical schedule • PQP - From March 12 to May 1 • Communication with project partners, sponsors, and advisors • Technical background preparation • Problem definition • Project planning • June 10, WPI students arriving at Shanghai • Visiting companies at Shanghai, Wuxi, and Changzhou • Arriving HUST on June 14 • Project meetings • Project lectures • Weekly presentation and discussion • Final presentations at HUST and in Shanghai • Project hint • Early communication • Multiple “bosses” • Design justification • Project and non-project activities

  18. Education effectiveness assessment • How to measure the success of the center/projects • How to measure student ability enhancement • How to measure project quality • How to target on students batch / market need • How to measure the impact on education • Assessment procedure • At the end of projects • Follow up • Could be education research projects

  19. Learned by WPI students • Chinese culture • Economic development • Working/living environment • HUST/Tsinghua campus/higher education • People and communication • Sight seeing (Beijing, Wuhan, Wudang Mountain) • Food (a lot of beer) • Team up with HUST students/professors • Taste culture – much beyond the projects • Technical skill/learning style of HUST students • Confidence

  20. WPI students said Doing a project in China was an unbelievable learning experience, not just on the school front, but also on the cultural front. I learned a lot about the design process and how you need to change things depending on what equipment you have to manufacture the parts. …… Overall, it was a wonderful and eye-opening experience that I would recommend to anyone who gets the opportunity to go. I only wish we had time to have seen more of the country, but I can always go back. The best part was working with students from another culture and learning from them about their country. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of what China is really like and to see how they view our own country. I gained an entirely new perspective of Chinese life, culture, and ideas that I never would have expected. My only regret about the trip was that we couldn’t stay longer.

  21. Learned by HUST students • Exploration of new ways of thinking • Team work and leadership role • The process to start and conduct a project • Design justification is as important as the design itself. • The way to work with US students, particularly the way of communication, understanding, and coordination. • “Feel” about the life of US students

  22. HUST students said • My biggest gain in this project is to know a good procedure of doing a project • How to start, how to discuss with people, how to come up with initial idea of a new design, and how to present the idea/results of the project • Particularly, I learned how to represent myself • My idea, the work we have done, the results and conclusion of the project, and more importantly, the person I am. • I am impressed by the WPI students on • Their intention to take the leadership; • Their confidence on what they are doing; • Their quick way to implement the ideas we may have; • Their curiosity on finding new things they do not know, not necessary to be project related.

  23. Benefit for sponsoring a project • Study the problem from a different view angle and fresh idea • Introduce a scientific way for problem solving – build-up a company culture • Systematic study of problem • Based on survey of existing technologies • Comparison of alternatives • Direct impact • Recruiting • ??

  24. Particularly for MQP in China - 2006 • CIS, Wuxi • Students helped the company to establish a standard materials test procedure • Used by company to successfully reject the raw materials from a vender – avoid quality accident • St. Gobain, Shanghai • Established a scientific procedure to analyze and design production flow and layout • Both sponsor projects for 2007

  25. MQP in China - 2007 • CIS, Wuxi (two projects) • St. Gobain, Shanghai • Amphenol TCS, Changzhou • Future potential sponsors in 2008 • All three above • Kaystone, Wuxi • Al Barry’s new company in Wuxi • More ??

  26. Assessment and dissemination • Student satisfaction • More and more popular at WPI • More popular at HUST • School satisfaction • Support from WPI • HUST ?? • Parent satisfaction • Company satisfaction • More companies involved • Interests from other schools • At China, In Korea • Others • Potential to expand • Need devotion and support • Assessment procedure establishment

  27. The end • Thanks • Question ?

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