A Collaborative Sprint for the Future of Engineering Education

Generative AI is shifting engineering faster than higher education can pace. Our student panels reveal a stark reality: students are often highly sophisticated AI users, who genuinely want to learn, not just short-circuit assessments. Meanwhile, industry is rapidly transforming graduate recruitment, to prioritise different skills.

How do we respond without reverting to policed, exam-hall control, and whilst giving our students the space to build the skills, alongside knowledge, they’ll need to succeed?

Johnny Rich is standing down after ten years leading the EPC – a period that has seen much change in the country, in higher education and in the EPC itself. In this webinar, Johnny will reflect on that ten years and the challenges facing engineering academia now and over the next ten years.

This webinar will be helpful to anyone who want to understand more about the role of the EPC and its wider impact, and to anyone interested in understanding and navigating the policy landscape that is affecting the lives of academics and students.

The webinar will be immediately followed by the EPC Annual General Meeting where members can stand for election for a variety of roles (including the next President) and influence the direction of the EPC as it confronts the challenges Johnny will outline.

All are welcome to this webinar (members and non-members).

This term the EPC will have run more events than ever before, so this webinar will run instead of the termly updates that Johnny normally delivers to university reps and to the Heads & Deans Community.

There will be a meeting of the EES committee taking place Tuesday 28th July at 11am.

There will be a meeting of the Inclusive Engineering Toolkit Expert Working Group Meeting on Friday 22nd May 2026 from 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM . Please note this is for current members of the Expert Working Group only.

The Engineering Professors’ Council is launching a major project from its Education, Employability & Skills Committee. ‘Emerging Stronger: the 2026 Edition’ will be a comprehensive snapshot of how engineering educators are responding to multiple contemporary challenges and opportunities in the education of engineers, and AI will be a key lens through which we explore the current landscape together. This work will include concise overviews, good practice case studies, and student narratives.

In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the original Emerging Stronger: Lasting Impact From Crisis Innovation responded quickly to capture issues, practice and student experience in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue aims to replicate the impact of that work in this new context of institutional financial precarity, high workloads, changing student demographics, new funding models, an evolving graduate job market, and AI.

The work is structured in 3 phases:

How you can get involved

Please, register for the webinars – this is a project where the community is listening and sharing rather than telling. Come and discuss how you are engaging with, and tackling, some of these challenges and opportunities.  Links to future webinars are listed below.

Wednesday 10th June 12.30-13.30 – Partnerships

Wednesday 24th June 12.30-13.30 – Academic Careers

The Enigineering Professors’ Council is launching a major project from its Education, Employability & Skills Committee. ‘Emerging Stronger: the 2026 Edition’ will be a comprehensive snapshot of how engineering educators are responding to multiple contemporary challenges and opportunities in the education of engineers, and AI will be a key lens through which we explore the current landscape together. This work will include concise overviews, good practice case studies, and student narratives.

In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the original Emerging Stronger: Lasting Impact From Crisis Innovation responded quickly to capture issues, practice and student experience in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue aims to replicate the impact of that work in this new context of institutional financial precarity, high workloads, changing student demographics, new funding models, an evolving graduate job market, and AI.

The work is structured in 3 phases:

How you can get involved

Please, register for the webinars – this is a project where the community is listening and sharing rather than telling. Come and discuss how you are engaging with, and tackling, some of these challenges and opportunities. Future webinars are listed below.

Tuesday 2nd June 12.30-13.30 – Employability Landscape

Wednesday 10th June 12.30-13.30 – Partnerships

Wednesday 24th June 12.30-13.30 – Academic Careers

The Enigineering Professors’ Council is launching a major project from its Education, Employability & Skills Committee. ‘Emerging Stronger: the 2026 Edition’ will be a comprehensive snapshot of how engineering educators are responding to multiple contemporary challenges and opportunities in the education of engineers, and AI will be a key lens through which we explore the current landscape together. This work will include concise overviews, good practice case studies, and student narratives.

In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the original Emerging Stronger: Lasting Impact From Crisis Innovation responded quickly to capture issues, practice and student experience in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue aims to replicate the impact of that work in this new context of institutional financial precarity, high workloads, changing student demographics, new funding models, an evolving graduate job market, and AI.

The work is structured in 3 phases:

How you can get involved

Please, register for the webinars – this is a project where the community is listening and sharing rather than telling. Come and discuss how you are engaging with, and tackling, some of these challenges and opportunities.  Links to future webinars are listed below.

Thursday 28th May 12.30-13.30 – Curriculum Futures

Tuesday 2nd June 12.30-13.30 – Employability Landscape

Wednesday 10th June 12.30-13.30 – Partnerships

Wednesday 24th June 12.30-13.30 – Academic Careers

The Engineering Professors’ Council is launching a major project from its Education, Employability & Skills Committee. ‘Emerging Stronger: the 2026 Edition’ will be a comprehensive snapshot of how engineering educators are responding to multiple contemporary challenges and opportunities in the education of engineers, and AI will be a key lens through which we explore the current landscape together. This work will include concise overviews, good practice case studies, and student narratives.

In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the original Emerging Stronger: Lasting Impact From Crisis Innovation responded quickly to capture issues, practice and student experience in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue aims to replicate the impact of that work in this new context of institutional financial precarity, high workloads, changing student demographics, new funding models, an evolving graduate job market, and AI.

The work is structured in 3 phases:

How you can get involved

Please, register for the webinars – this is a project where the community is listening and sharing rather than telling. Come and discuss how you are engaging with, and tackling, some of these challenges and opportunities. Register below to attend this webinar. Links to future webinars are listed below.

Friday 22nd May 12.30-13.30 – Assessment

Thursday 28th May 12.30-13.30 – Curriculum Futures

Tuesday 2nd June 12.30-13.30 – Employability Landscape

Wednesday 10th June 12.30-13.30 – Partnerships

Wednesday 24th June 12.30-13.30 – Academic Careers

 

There will be a meeting of the RA Committee taking place 1st June at 1pm.

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