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Smart Manufacturing Engineering Education for Knowledge Economy (SME²KE) Project

With the advent of Industry 4.0 has come challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector as well as manufacturing education.

Smart Manufacturing Engineering Education for Knowledge Economy (SME²KE) develops postgraduate manufacturing curricula (with emphasis on laserbased manufacturing (LbM) technologies) and pedagogical approaches to strengthen future manufacturing engineers’ competences for transforming their national economies to knowledge-based society as they improve profitability of businesses.

Project

About the SME²KE Project

Project name: Smart Manufacturing Engineering Education for Knowledge Economy (SME2KE)

Project number: 101083243 — SME2KE

Keywords:
Innovation in learning, teaching and assessment practices supported by digital technologies;Curriculum design and development; Pedagogical developments;Continuing professional training;

Project duration: 36 months
Project start date: 01 June 2023

Aim

Based on the needs analysis carried out for each partner country, each partner HEI and the target groups, this project seeks to improve the level of competences and skills in MEE curriculum with emphasis on Laser-based Manufacturing (LbM) with a view to developing well-trained professionals in equipment refurbishment, product design & manufacturing and biomedical applications. The project goal will be achieved by updating the existing Masters curriculum with elements of laser manufacturing in biomedical, equipment refurbishment, aerospace, laser facilities maintenance and product design applications; incorporation of BDS, ML and AI into MEE curriculum towards developing graduates who make products sustainably without defects and wastes as well as creation of an innovative on-line learning platform that promotes knowledge transfer in MEE towards transforming the economies of participating countries into knowledge society.

Objectives

Objective 1:
Train the knowledge, competencies and performance of students, academic and support staff with a view to quality assuring the development of industry-ready postgraduates in the specialty of manufacturing engineering.

Objective 2:
Update the existing master’s curriculum by incorporating taught modules including elements of laser manufacturing applications as well as BDS, ML and AI towards manufacturing products with zero-defect and zero-waste.

Objective 3:
Develop a unique African e-platform learning site to support education and training related to LbM technology at Masters level, disposable to the Education for Laser-based Manufacturing (ELbM) community under open access.