From the knowledge and competence-based learningin the field of fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineeringto the full employment of the graduates

Resumen

The Department of Nuclear Engineering and Fluid Mechanics of the Faculty of Engineering inBilbao, which belongs to the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), offers a complete andunique training program in hydraulic studies. The holistic design of the curriculum has turned out toguarantee the success in the full employment of the graduates following the hydraulic specialty. Thedetails of the learning plan presented here, combines both knowledge learning and situated learningbased on competence acquisition.The specific and transversal skills of the students are developed throughout the Bachelor’sdegree of Industrial Technology Engineering and the Master´s degree of Industrial Engineering in thecompulsory subjects of Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Facilities and Machinery and in several optionalsubjects of the majoring studies in Hydraulic engineering (e.g. Fluid Mechanical Power Plants andAlternative Energy Sources, Hydraulic Resources Management and Hydroelectric Power Plants,Hydraulic Power, Pneumatics, Fluid Pipeline Networks, Hydraulic System Operation and Maintenanceand Computational Fluid Mechanics). In addition, the majority of the students have the opportunityand decide to follow an internship program in companies of the local and regional industrialenvironment, supervised by the tutors in the company and the University, and where the specific skillsacquired in the studies have to be deployed. As a result of the practical work in the company, a finalproject is developed and defended in front of a tribunal.After finishing the University Master in Industrial Engineering, our graduates are ready toincorporate to the job market. This is possible because the whole teaching staff is focused in emergingexperiences that foster the active learning of the student body that feels encouraged and involvedin the development of the hydraulic knowledge throughout the specialty. The acquisition of thecompetences related to the aforementioned subjects implies the continuous stimulation of the studentthat must develop skills in inquiry and innovation, both in the undergraduate and in the master. Thework presented here shows the characteristics of the teaching-learning experience and gathers thedetailed data corresponding to 100 % of employed graduates during the years when Bolonia plan hasbeen working.