Quanser Café: Conversations with Academic Leaders

In this podcast series, Paul Gilbert, Chief Executive Officer of Quanser, sits down with academic leaders - chairs, deans, senior administrators - from the engineering education and research community around the globe. Paul explores the challenges they face, and the strategies and solutions his guests bring to their respected institutions. About Quanser: For the past thirty years, Quanser has transformed the way educators teach the theory, application, and implementation of controls, robotics, and mechatronics.

Episode 1: Dean Ishwar Puri, McMaster University, Canada

In our debut episode, Dean Puri discusses a range of topics including what engineering means to him, as well as the challenges and success strategies of rolling out McMaster's new first year program: The Pivot.

04-09
29:26

Episode 2: Uriel Cukierman, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Argentina

In this episode Mr. Cukierman discusses modernization of engineering education, the need to train professors on engineering pedagogy, proper use of technology in the class room, and much more.

04-13
33:54

Episode 3: Prof. Natacha DePaola, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA

As a role model for women in STEM, in this episode Prof. DePaola talks about her early inspirations and challenges of getting into STEM and biomedical engineering, as well as her educational initiatives that apply ongoing learning and technical knowledge to solve problems of local and global impact.

04-14
35:52

Episode 4: Dean Robert Bishop, University of South Florida, USA

In this episode, Paul chats with legendary control theory expert and textbook author, Professor Robert Bishop, about engineering education, and a few NASA-related stories, including how he got to meet and work with Buzz Aldrin.

04-21
34:45

Episode 5: Vice Dean John Mitchell, University College London

In this episode, Prof. John Mitchell discusses the importance of learning practical applications and how he helped introduce the Integrated Engineering Program, a methodology that combines innovative teaching methods and an industry-oriented curriculum.

04-27
32:23

Episode 6: Dean Janusz Kozinski, Lakehead University, Canada

In this episode Dean Janusz Kozinski talks about the positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, and how it has accelerated educational change by expanding the learning continuum. He also discusses the need for integrated engineering programs and why he does not believe in traditional exams.

05-04
30:23

Episode 7: Prof. Şirin Tekinay, Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), USA

In this episode, Prof. Şirin Tekinay, a global champion for diversity in engineering, discusses the need for gender neutralization of the professional identity of engineering, as well as implementing engineering education reform to attract and retain today’s digital natives.

05-13
34:29

Episode 8: Dean Don Weinkauf, University of St. Thomas, USA

Don brings a wealth of industrial experience to his deanship. In this episode Paul and Don talk about the desirable impacts of the COVID pandemic, including aggregation of expertise among smaller universities, sharing resources, and a renewed emphasis on democratization of education and access to technology. 

05-19
32:31

Episode 9: Prof. Michael Faborode, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

In this episode, Prof. Michael Faborode, former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, discusses the challenges faced by West African universities and his vision for transferring innovation from university laboratories to the outside world through his Knowledge Park initiative.

05-26
33:20

Episode 10: Dr. Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University, USA

An international ambassador and a founding member of the African Deans Council, Dr. Yacob Astatke discusses his tireless efforts in brining hands-on experiences to students in Ethiopia and improving the delivery of engineering education across Africa. 

06-04
35:23

Episode 11: Dr. Ramiro Jordan, University of New Mexico, USA

In this episode, Paul chats with Dr. Ramiro Jordan, an innovator, entrepreneur, but above all an educator. Ramiro touches on many topics, including his ground-breaking Peace Engineering initiative that brings the arts, STEM ,health sciences, and humanities together.

06-10
39:20

Episode 12: Dean Elizabeth Croft, Monash University, Australia

In the final episode, Prof. Croft discusses advancing women’s representation and participation in engineering, open-ended learning, why you should be friends with mathematicians!

06-18
39:51

Season 2, Episode 1: Leading Deans and Experts on Shaping the Future of Engineering

In the debut episode of Season 2, we’re joined by Dr. Ken Ball (Dean, George Mason University), Dr. Gerhard Müller (Senior VP, TU Munich), Dr. Paloma Díaz (Dean, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid), and Dr. Yannis Yortsos (Dean, USC) for a discussion on the future of engineering education. They explore topics like cybersecurity engineering, AI in learning, and the importance of interdisciplinary skills in today’s workforce.

10-22
41:51

Season 2, Episode 2: Stakeholder Engagement and Influence for Responsible Engineering Education

In Season 2, Episode 2 of Quanser Café, the podcast explores the role of AI in engineering education. Educators discuss how current programs often fall short of preparing students for complex modern technologies. They address the limitations of traditional curricula focused on foundational theories and highlight the need to better equip students for a rapidly advancing field that increasingly relies on AI, data science, and interdisciplinary skills. The episode emphasizes the importance of adapting engineering education to meet these evolving demands.

11-01
34:15

Season 2, Episode 3: Interdisciplinary Engineering Education

In Season 2, Episode 3, Dr Yannis Yortsos, Dr Ken Ball, and Dr Gerhard Müller are back to help unpack the possibilities and challenges of interdisciplinary learning and why it’s so important for preparing the next generation of engineers.

11-08
19:50

Season 2, Episode 4: Tailored Learning, Student Engagement, and Motivation

In this episode, we welcome Prof. Euan Lindsay to discuss how tailored and problem-based learning transforms engineering education. By engaging students with real-world design challenges, fostering teamwork, and embracing iterative learning, we explore ways to build resilience, interdisciplinary skills, and adaptability - preparing students to navigate the complexities of modern engineering.

11-15
25:30

Season 2, Episode 5: Digital Transformation - Simulations, Digital Twins and Understanding Industry Needs

In this episode, we’re back with Prof. Dr. Paloma Diaz, Prof. Euan Lindsey, and Dr. Gerhard Muller to explore how simulations and digital twins are reshaping the way we train engineers to tackle the complex challenges of tomorrow.

11-21
22:00

Season 2, Episode 6: Addressing the Skills Gap for Modern Engineers

In this episode, we hear from two brilliant female leaders in engineering education. Prof. Dr Paloma Diaz and Dr Jane Goodyer discuss how universities can bridge the skills gap by integrating lifelong learning and professional skills to prepare students and mid-career engineers for a tech-driven world.

11-28
28:18

Season 2, Episode 7: Encouraging Holistic Thinking to Enable the ‘Smart World’ of Today and Tomorrow

In this episode we’re joined by Dr Balázs Vince Nagy and Dr Yannis Yortsos to unpack how we can shape the engineers of the future, integrate ethical and societal considerations into technology, and embrace interdisciplinary collaboration to solve today’s challenges.

12-04
20:40

Season 2, Episode 8: Developing Professional Skills such as Lifelong Learning & Ethics

In our final episode this season, we’re back with Dr Balázs Vince Nagy and Dr Ken Ball to explore skills that go beyond traditional technical expertise which are becoming increasingly vital in modern engineering. From lifelong learning to ethics, we discuss how education is changing to prepare the next generation of engineers to tackle complex, global challenges.

12-05
17:37

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