Development of Engineer Training System in Donetsk State Technical University (Ukraine) for Transition Type Economic

TROYANSKY Alexander & PASHYNSKY Vladimir

DonSTU, Artyoma Str., 58 Donetsk 340000 Ukraine, rato@esrp.donetsk.ua, www.dgtu.donetsk.ua

Abstract: The problems of engineer training in new economical conditions have been discussed in presentation. The main direction of educational process transformation are following: training of specialists with advanced level of knowledge in economic, marketing, management; modernization of structure of specialties and content of courses. The additional training in foreign languages and computer sciences is necessary for all students. In order to improve the adaptability of graduates to new market situation the system of the second education obtaining must be organized. International collaborations with educational organizations and universities is the effective way to improve the quality of training. To increase the attractiveness of engineer education, the more close collaboration with industrial enterprises, firms and institution is needed. In this case the content of education corresponds to demands of industry and graduates have better chances to find the job. Cooperation with industry gives the additional sources for financing of training.

Keywords: specialties, courses, collaboration, high education, foreign language, training, management, marketing

1 Introduction

Ukraine are now in process of market economic formation. At these conditions Donetsk State Technical University (DonSTU) met with necessity to solve some new problems in training of specialists for new economic situation. Most important of them are following:

• Training of specialists with advanced level of theoretical and practical knowledge about modern technologies, materials and management systems. Our graduates must be the initiators of industry modernization process.

• Converging of Ukrainian educational system with European to make more simple integration of Ukraine in world community.

  To achieve the progress in these directions it is necessary to realize the complex of measures. But startling point of modernization process was the transformation of training system to more broad and universal. It is necessary to say that Donetsk Polytechnic Institute are carrying out the training of engineers from 1926 year, but till the 1993 it was traditional system with particular specialties. The list of specialties was rather conservative and it not corresponds to modern tendencies of the world industry development. Therefore, transformation of Donetsk Polytechnic Institute to Donetsk State Technical University wasn't the formal action. It was the result of new course to more universal education. Graduates of new type will obtain the additional possibilities for successful adaptation on the free labor market.

  To illustrate this transformations, let's consider the changes in structure of professional training from 1993 till now. Following table are showing the changes in main department of DonSTU.

Table 1. The changes in structure of professional training.

As we can see from the table, the main directions of training modernization and development are following:

• Economic sciences

• Management and marketing

• Computer sciences and information technologies

• Ecology, environment and labor protection

• Material science and manufacturing of nonmetallic materials

• Producing of energy and energy saving

• Standards, certification and quality control.

2  Additional education in the field of economic, management and marketing

There are two ways of training of students in such disciplines as economic, ecology management and certification. It may be the training process at corresponding departments. In this case the specialist studies 4 or 5 year and obtains the bachelor or master degree. But now the second way is very popular in Ukraine. The education in mentioned above fields may be obtained as second (additional) high education (usually bachelor degree) simultaneously with technological education (and two diplomas may be obtained). The additional short-term (two year) training after graduation from first specialty may be available too.

3  International collaboration

Besides upgrading of specialties list, many important steps are realized in our University. Most important of them are following:

The development of collaboration with international organizations in the field of engineering education and extension of direct contacts with educational organizations (universities and institutes) of the similar specialization. There are two main directions of our activity in this field:

• Collaboration of DonSTU with international educational organizations. As a result of our activity we have entered in Association of European Universities

• Direct contacts of faculties and departments of DonSTU with foreign partners. Because of different degree of our department's readiness to collaboration and integration processes, the advisable way is the direct contacts in the frame of most advanced specialties. In particular, now very active collaboration takes place between economic and electrotechnical departments of DonSTU. Some of specialties have coordinated curriculums and may fulfill the student's exchange.

Main feature of current moment is the very large importance of international collaboration for our university. Therefore, the special department - Institute of international collaboration was organized in DonSTU. It hasn't the direct analogs in our former practice. Besides administrative agencies it includes some educational departments, namely:

• German technical department

• French technical department

• English technical department

The educational process at these departments is fulfilled at correspondent foreign languages. The students are as citizens of Ukraine as the students from abroad, in that number with insufficient knowledge of Ukrainian and Russian languages. The formation of separate departments provides the optimal conditions for coordination of curriculums and content of training disciplines with correspondent departments of foreign universities. In is very important that Ukrainian students obtain good practice in foreign language during studies. It gives to them the additional chances to find the job. The graduates of these departments may work in foreign and joint enterprises and collaborate with partners abroad.

4  Quick reaction on labor market demands changing

The one of main problems in Ukrainian high engineering education is the necessity of adequate reaction on the labor market demands. These demands are changing very quickly now and university must carry out some steps to correspond the current situation. Main steps on this way are following:

• Modernization of training process by correction of the curriculums, increasing of volume of social and human subjects, theoretical and general technical disciplines. During transformation of DonSTU many departments were created or extended, for example departments of history, philosophy, history of culture, psychology. The new courses, such as history of religion were introduced, the new parts of philosophy are studied, The volume of foreign language training have been extended sufficiently. The increasing of humanitarian training leads to development of student's personality, but creates base for studying of human-oriented disciplines, such as engineer psychology, theory of communications, management, marketing and so on.

• Development of the new educational standards in that disciplines, where DonSTU is a leading organization in Ukraine. The feature of current educational system in Ukraine is existence of national educational standards, obligatory for all forms of high educational institutions. Due to high authority of DonSTU scientific schools, the development of the standards for some specialties was committed to DonSTU (for example for Material Engineering). Many of our scientists are the members of different Ministry of Education committees. It permits to us to have direct influence on content and quality of educational process.

• Development of system of additional high education (postgraduate courses) , increasing of qualification and change of qualification. In particular, in our university students have the possibility to obtain the second specialty during 4 or 2 year additional courses. There are the groups of accelerated training, where the graduates of technical secondary schools are studying. Some of technical schools are involved in educational complexes with DonSTU, have coordinated curriculums and graduates from these schools may be entered on second or third course of university. Now the external studies for persons with completed or not completed high education are developing very intensively. The curriculums of this training have individual character in dependence on basic educational level of student.

  From our point of view the implementation of new principles of engineers training is necessary. In particular, students of all specialties must obtain the additional knowledge in following fields:

• In the field of economic, management and marketing. It is necessary to understand the peculiarities of market economy operating. In current moment our graduates must provide the technological support of the economic transformation processes.

• In the field of foreign languages studying. It makes easier obtaining of the new technical and economic information, provides the establishment of direct contacts with colleagues abroad and provides the integration of Ukraine in the world community.

• In the field of computer science and information technologies, including the using of Internet. It is the effective way to overcome the shortage of new technical and economic information. It is very effective method of direct contact establishment too.

In current moment the educational system in Ukraine is mixed from the financial point of view. Part of students are studying for the budget (government) funds, and another part - for funds of enterprises and private funds. The mentioned above changes in training makes education process more attractive. Therefore the number of people who are ready to pay for education increases. It is very effective way to obtain the additional financing for development and modernization of university. Now approximately 30-35% of the total number of students study in university on the base of non government financing.

5  Development of contacts with industry

The separate problem of great importance is development of contacts with enterprises, firms and institutions, where may be the potential working places for our graduates. The improvement of such contacts gives the following opportunities:

• System of training may be improved and corrected in accordance with real demands of economic. Relations with industry provide the feedback and permit to control the quality of engineer training in DonSTU.

• Region of Ukraine. In results our graduates will have increased chances to find the job. Now the Special Economic Zone are developing on the territory of Donetsk region. The structure of Zone provides for preferential development of the high-technology industry. Therefore the training of personal for new enterprises are very The content of training may be approached to the real situation in industry of our actual. DonSTU takes part in this process via participation of our scientists in these projects as experts, via fulfillment of the research and technological contracts. But most interesting way is the organizing of the special training centers and courses for personal training on the base of our university.

• University for individual training of specialists may obtain the additional financing in accordance with contracts with certain firm, plant or enterprise.

6  Conclusions

In conclusion it is necessary to say that process of the training system development does not conclude by steps, mentioned above. Some problems, such as modernization material resources of university, increasing of qualification of personnel, training of staff for own needs remain very actual. But there are some objective characteristics such as the rather high level of competition during entering in university, constant volume of students in university, successful accreditation of DonSTU , entering of university in Association of Universities. All of these is the evidence of positive result of our efforts and create the basis for further development of DonSTU.