Articles
Primary Engineer
Primary Engineer, the organisation which inspires children, pupils and teachers to consider engineering through continued professional development, whole class project work, competitions and exhibitions has partnered with the Engineering Professors’...
DATA BLOG: Will this year's undergraduate engineering intake really be bad news?
An interim assessment of placed UCAS applicants for this autumn highlights that engineering follows a sector-wide slide in placed applicants overall but bucks a sector increase in applicants placed from...
Engineering enrolments survey 2018-19
Download an .xlsx version of the EPC engineering enrolments survey Go to the online survey The EPC's annual engineering enrolment survey gives us all a first glance at engineering enrolments...
Creating a new breed of ‘supergrads’
Creating a new breed of ‘supergrads’ When it comes to new approaches to education, what happens in engineering is the canary in the mine. Along with medicine no discipline more...
Experience enhanced: improving engineering degree apprenticeships
Following its publication of the landmark report calling for changes to degree apprenticeships to deliver a new breed of ‘supergrads’ the EPC has now published all recommendations, including a full...
REF 2021 full EPC member consultation
The UK’s HE funding bodies have set out detailed arrangements for REF 2021 and are seeking views from subject communities on the draft Panel criteria publication developed by the REF...
Guest blog: Does a career in engineering pay?
By Kate Webster, the Engineering Council Engineering students at university are in the ideal place to learn and develop – encouraging them to become professionally registered puts them on a...
The Hammermen Award, the Mongol Rally and Mental Health
In May at the EPC Annual Congress 2018 at Harper Adams University, we announced the winner of this year's Hammermen Student Award, generously sponsored by the Hammermen of Glasgow in...
Home Affairs Committee Post-Brexit migration policy inquiry
This call for evidence ran from June to July 2018. This third strand of the Home Affairs Committee's work on migration considers the options for the UK's post-Brexit immigration system...
Chief Executive invites EPC to influence Engineering Council review of UKSPEC
At this year's EPC Congress, Alasdair Coates's invited the EPC - as the representative body of engineering in higher education - to input to the current review that is being...
Engineering Council Review of UKSPEC
The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) and Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) are reviewed on a five-year cycle by the Engineering Council as part of an overall...
New Approaches to Engineering HE: The Six Facets
The EPC and IET are delighted to launch six case study examples for each of the six new approaches. We believe this proves that the required changes can be achieved...
Women into Engineering
UK engineering has a gender problem. The challenge of achieving gender parity in engineering appears to be particularly difficult for the UK. Figures from 2016 show that 12% of those...
The Department of Education call for evidence to support a Review of Post-18 Education and Funding
This consultation ran from March to May 2018. The government conducted a major review of post-18 education and funding to ensure a joined-up system that worked for everyone.
The Department for Education consultation on the subject-level Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF)
This consultation ran from March to May 2018. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) assessed ‘provider-level’ undergraduate provision. The Department of Education intended to extend this to a...
New RAEng report: The Career Framework for University Teaching
In response to the government's Teaching Excellence Framework, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) has developed the Career Framework for University Teaching. This report is designed to assist universities in...
Opportunities to influence: Subject level TEF
The Department for Education sought views on the proposed design of the subject-level Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF). The TEF aims to recognise and reward excellence in teaching,...
DATA BLOG: The state of engineering? Not too shabby
The supply of skilled engineers may not yet be being met by the education pipeline, but the evidence base required by the sector to make sound strategic decisions is met...
Statement on strike action over USS Pensions
As the EPC represents both institutional members and individuals, we cannot directly take sides in supporting or opposing the current strike action. That said, we understand this is an issue...
Department for Education consultation on Accelerated degrees: widening student choice in higher education
This consultation ran from December 2017 to February 2018. The Department for Education consulted on changes to the annual tuition fee cap, together with a range of measures to incentivise...
DATA BLOG: UCAS Engineering applications down but applications from women up
UCAS’ latest application data released today gives us a first glimpse into this Autumn’s enrolments into HE (15 January deadline). Applications to Engineering (totalling 144½ thousand) are down by 1.7%...
DATA BLOG: New year, new data? Can ageing stats really help today’s strategies?
Last week, UCAS completed its suite of 2017 data when it published detailed stats for last autumn’s undergraduate admissions to the UK’s largest universities and colleges. But while the accepted...
Migration Advisory Committee Science budget and Industrial Strategy inquiry call for evidence on International students: economic and social impacts
This call for evidence ran from October 2017 to January 2018. This call for evidence sets out how the MAC will approach responding to this commission and how stakeholders can...
HEFCE Knowledge Exchange Framework Metrics Technical Advisory Group – initial call for evidence on KEF metrics
In 2018, the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation commissioned the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to provide more information about higher education providers’ achievements...
Securing student success: risk-based regulation for teaching excellence, social mobility and informed choice in higher education
This consultation ran from October to December 2017. The government sought to attain views on behalf of the new Office for Students (OfS) regarding the regulation of the higher education...
Opportunities to influence: KEF metrics
In advance of a KEF consultation to be launched in the spring of 2018, HEFCE is seeking evidence to the KEF metrics technical advisory group on: suitable existing and potential...
Opportunities to influence: T level consultation
The Department for Education is seeking views on the development of new T level programmes, and how they should be designed to deliver the Sainsbury Panel’s recommendations. The EPC proposes...
Nomination for REF 2021 Engineering Panel
The Engineering Professors' Council is a nominating body for the Research Excellence Framework and, as such, we have been invited to nominate members of the engineering panel. If you would...
Education Select Committee, Value for Money in HE
The Education Committee's inquiry into value for money in higher education examines the use of graduate outcomes data, social justice and progression of disadvantaged students in higher education, and the...
Party Conferences 2017
From Johnny Rich, EPC Chief Executive... The Party Conference season is an opportunity to bend the ears of politicians, policymakers and thought leaders at a time when they're relaxed and...
EPC Recruitment and Admissions Forum 2017
This year’s Engineering Professors’ Council Recruitment and Admissions Forum will be held on 15th November at Manchester Metropolitan University. We are delighted to announce not one, but two not-to-be-missed keynote speakers...
Engineering in Society – new module for engineering citizenship
Undergraduate student engineers at UWE Bristol will get the chance to learn about engineering citizenship from September. A new module is being launched to highlight the importance of professional development,...
Conference Report: New Approaches to Engineering in HE
On 22nd May 2017, in association with the IET, the EPC held a landmark conference at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London to lay out a bold new vision...
BEIS, Building our Industrial Strategy Green Paper
This consultation ran from January to April 2017. BEIS aimed to build an industrial strategy that addressed long-term challenges to the UK economy. BEIS' aim was to improve living standards...
HESA, NewDLHE: The future of graduate outcomes data
This consultation ran from March to April 2017. HESA consulted on its new model for collecting information about what higher education (HE) students do after graduating. HESA' proposed model aimed...
HEFCE – Consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework
In December 2016, the UK higher education funding bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland published a joint ‘Consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework’ (HEFCE 2016/36). This consultation...
RAEng response to the Government Green Paper on Industrial Strategy - have your say
The Royal Academy of Engineering is gathering as much opinion and evidence from the engineering community to respond to the Industrial Strategy. There are several ways in which engineers can contribute...
Education Committee – The impact of exiting the European Union on higher education inquiry
In 2016, The Education Committee launched an inquiry into the impact of Brexit on higher education. The inquiry followed the expansion of the Committee's remit to include higher education, further...
Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (BIS) – Inquiry on industrial strategy
The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (BIS) launched an inquiry into the Government's industrial strategy. The inquiry launch followed the inclusion of the term "industrial strategy" into the Department for...
Brexit impact in Engineering Higher Education
Updated 28/03/19 As the political crisis over Brexit continues in Parliament, an exclusive analysis by the Engineering Professors’ Council reveals that a cascade of effects – resulting simply from Brexit’s...
EPC President speaking on Estuary TV
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://epc.ac.uk/uploads/2016/08/The-Art-of-Engineering.mp4"][/video] Acknowledgement: The Culture Zone Engineering Professors' Council (EPC) President, Professor Stephanie Haywood of the University of Hull, appeared on Estuary TV last Friday in a segment...
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee – Leaving the EU: Further call for evidence
This call for evidence ran from July to August 2016. The Committee sought to attain further contributions on the risks and opportunities of leaving the EU, to allow the Committee...
Lord Stern’s Review of the Research Excellence Framework
President of the British Academy Lord Nicholas Stern was commissioned by the government to carry out the review of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The independent report "Building on Success and...
Could your students inspire the engineers of the future?
Teaching physics is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind as a career for an engineering graduate. However, it is a rewarding, valuable and important occupation and engineers...
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – Accelerated courses and switching university or degree
This call for evidence ran from May 2016 to July 2016. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills aimed to gauge demand from students for more switching between universities and...
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – Teaching Excellence Framework. Technical consultation for year 2
This consultation ran from May to July 2016. This consultation sought to attain views on the detailed proposals for the operation of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in year 2,...
Professor Helen Atkinson among ‘Top 50 Women in Engineering’
An inaugural list of the top 50 Women in Engineering, featuring former EPC President and University of Leicester Head of Engineering Professor Helen Atkinson, was published in the Daily Telegraph...
“Children as Engineers – Paired Peer Mentors in Primary Schools”
EPC’s Engaging in Engineering Public Engagement Grant Award 2014 At its 2014 Congress, the Engineering Professors' Council launched a public engagement funding call: Engaging in Engineering. One of the two winning projects...
Challenges of introducing and designing new engineering programmes...
Grant Campbell and Daniel Belton at the University of Huddersfield have just published this useful paper about introducing a new programme in a high cost subject at a time of...
GEDC Airbus Diversity Award 2016
The Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Airbus Diversity Award is sponsored by Airbus and aims to encourage and acknowledge work that inspires students of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in...
HE White Paper: Success as a Knowledge Economy published
The much-anticipated Wakeham and Shadbolt Reviews were published this week (16th May) alongside the Higher Education White Paper giving the sector much to chew over. To read the HE White...
Wakeham Review of STEM Degree Provision and Graduate Employability published
The much-anticipated Wakeham and Shadbolt Reviews were published this week (16th May) alongside the Higher Education White Paper giving the sector much to chew over. Sir William Wakeham, this year's...
The Shadbolt Review of Computer Sciences Degree Accreditation and Graduate Employability published
The much-anticipated Wakeham and Shadbolt Reviews were published this week (16th May) alongside the Higher Education White Paper giving the sector much to chew over. Sir Richard Shadbolt's report, The...
EPC President speaking on BBC Look North
Engineering Professors' Council (EPC) President, Professor Stephanie Haywood of the University of Hull, appeared on BBC's Look North last week in a segment about Hull's upcoming Amy Johnson Festival.
University College London partners with Primary Engineer to bring Special Leaders Award to London Schools
The Faculty of Engineering Sciences at University College London (UCL) is one of the EPC member organisations that has been working with Primary Engineer to run the Special Leaders Award programme....
IET's Engineering and Technology magazine: "Brexit: science, engineering and technology says no"
The IET's Engineering and Technology magazine reported on the EPC's and Campaign for Science and Engineering (Case) report, published in December, this week following attendance at EPC's AGM last week,...
Engineering Professors' Council President's Prize 2016
Over 50 senior staff from university engineering departments across the UK gathered for the Engineering Professors' Council's Annual General Meeting yesterday (6th April, 2016) at Senate House, University of London...
OfQual AS and A Level Electronics consultation on Conditions and Guidance
This consultation ran from February to March 2016. This consultation is about the rules and guidance we plan to put in place for new GCSEs, AS and A levels in...
Engineering UK: State of Engineering 2016
Engineering UK has published its annual round-up of “the State of Engineering”. Its three overriding messages are: that engineering and skilled engineers make a significant contribution to the UK economy and its...
Our position on the TEF
Thanks to all those who took the time to let us have their thoughts on the proposals for the Teaching Excellence Framework - and particularly to those who took part...
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – Higher education: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice
This consultation ran from November 2015 to January 2016. This green paper sets out proposals to change the higher education landscape. The Department for Business. Innovation and Skills sought to...
OfQual AS and A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics consultation on Conditions and Guidance
This consultation ran from December 2015 to January 2016. This consultation is about the rules and guidance we need to put in place for new AS and A levels in...
AS and A level reform: regulations for maths and further maths
Earlier this month, OfQual launched one of a series of consultations on AS and A level reform - specifically on maths, further maths and design and technology. This consultation is...
EPC December newsletter now available...
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The role of EU membership in UK science and engineering research
The Engineering Professors' Council and CaSE launched a joint report in December, 2015 on the ‘Role of EU membership in UK science and engineering research’. Download the press release. The full report...
Comprehensive Spending Review
Quick summary of today's CSR The government will protect the £4.7 billion science budget in real terms over the Parliament. Engineering mentions: Support will be provided to secure launch funding...
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry on the influence of EU membership on UK science
This call for evidence ran from September 2015 to November 2015. The House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, under the Chairmanship of Lord Selborne, conducted an inquiry into...
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Inquiry into quality assessment in Higher Education
The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee launched an inquiry into quality assessment in Higher Education (HE). The inquiry looked into proposed changes to quality assessment in universities and the...
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) - have your say
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) As we write, we’re still waiting for the much-trailed Green Paper from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which, alongside other issues which we’re...
The public PhD viva
In his article in the Times Higher on 22nd October, UCL’s Professor of Chemical Engineering and Head of the Doctoral School, David Bogle, examines the concept of the public PhD...
Engineering conversion course pilot scheme – Invitation to bid for funding
HEFCE is inviting applications for new funding to support the development of conversion courses in engineering (England only). This pilot scheme aims to help the higher education sector develop more...
EPC former President Helen Atkinson meets Will.I.Am
September 15/16 2015 The Chinese Academy of Engineering recently hosted a major international summit on Global Grand Challenges, a series inspired by the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering , 14 ambitious goals...
The European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) invites feedback on position paper on engineering skills
SEFI invites comments and feedback on this Position Paper and a longer discussion paper which will be available at www.sefi.be from October. Input will be reviewed by the SEFI Working ...
HEFCE: Future Approaches to Quality Assessment
This consultation ran from June to August 2015. This consultation sought to attain views on the proposals of the three higher education (HE) funding bodies in England, Wales and Northern...
Programme analysis of HEFCE’s Postgraduate Support Scheme: Final report published
HEFCE has now published its report on the Postgraduate Support Scheme pilot. EPC members will recall that Paul Wakeling of the University of York was commissioned to conduct an evaluation...
Consultation on GCSE and A level Statistics
Dear all Consultations are also open on GCSE and A level Statistics. Please find links to both below: Ofqual consultation DfE consultation
Consultation on reform of GCSE, AS and A level Electronics qualifications
Dear all, It was announced this morning that DfE has confirmed that the development work for the reformed GCSE, AS and A level Electronics qualifications will continue through to the...
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry on the science budget
The Science and Technology Committee undertook an inquiry into the Science Budget, and to report ahead of the Spending Review. The committee began by taking oral evidence in July 2015...
Children as Engineers - inspiring a generation...
“I've really enjoyed this project because not only did I feel like I was teaching a class, I felt like I was teaching a generation.” Student Engineer At its 2014...
New GCSEs, AS and A levels for first teaching from 2017 - Engineering
These consultations ask for views on reformed subject content for a number of GCSE, AS and A level subjects which will be first taught in schools from 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcse-and-a-level-reform-content-for-teaching-from-september-2017 and...
GCSE reform: Design and Technology
This consultation seeks views on proposed subject content for GCSE design and technology which will be introduced for first teaching from September 2017. The proposed subject content requirements will become...
Pathways to success in engineering degrees and careers
The Royal Academy of Engineering has, this month, published its report "Pathways to success in engineering degrees and careers". Members will recall the author, Dr Tim Bullough, of the University...
Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation
HM Treasury has published the report "Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation" or the Government's "productivity plan". In it, the Government says it will support the "fast spreading"...
"Metrics cannot replace peer review in the next REF..."
The findings of the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management have been published, concluding that "no set of numbers is likely to be able...
Dowling Review of Business-University Collaboration
Dame Ann Dowling DBE FREng FRS has now published her Review of Business-University Research Collaboration, to which the Engineering Professors' Council was one of very many contributors from across industry...
Re-engineering engineering education
“Young people are like wet cement. Thinking in a systems way, thinking across disciplines and across political boundaries, is something that will be easier to teach if we start with...
BIS acknowledges work of EPC and RAEng in Perkins Review work
Asked by David Simpson (Upper Bann) Asked on: 10 June 2015 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Engineering 1985 To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans...
The Engineers Without Borders Challenge - a view from the judging panel - "I was impressed"
Like many academics, I have often struggled to know quite how to engage students so that they learn something of the essence of engineering, rather than simply turning the handle...
Wakeham Review of STEM degree accreditation and graduate employability
The announcement of the Government’s science and innovation strategy in December included a commission to establish a general review of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and a specific review...
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Postgraduate study: student loans and other support
This consultation ran from March to May 2015. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills sought to attain views on a proposed loan system for postgraduate taught master’s students. Under...
RAEng's industrial secondment success for EPC members
Congratulations to seven EPC members on securing a place in the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Industrial Secondment scheme. The scheme will see them spending up to 12 months working onsite with...
Ingenious resilience: messages for a new Government
Engineering matters to the UK economy, on both a regional and national level, and the profession is vital to maintaining the UK's position in the world. It drives innovation, regional...
The role of the university Technology Transfer Office (TTO), and why TTO-investor discussions can be difficult and take time to conclude.
Added to the Members' Portal... a useful briefing note for those of you involved in spin-outs and negotiations about intellectual property. Authored by a number of sector bodies on knowledge transfer, it...
7 research areas marked by EPSRC for growth...
In case you've missed them....the EPSRC has identified 7 areas of engineering research for strategc focus and growth. For more, go to EPSRC research... Electrical motors and drives / electromagnetics...
New "Engenius Film" added...
Dr Emma Carter of the University of Sheffield was one of the two winners of the EPC's 2014 Engaging in Engineering public engagement grant awards. The latest of her series...
IP for engineers...
Intellectual property is now featured in the Engineering Council's Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) “Professional Engineering Competence Guidance”. The Intellectual Property Office have developed a useful toolkit for those...
RAEng Visiting Professors' Scheme - now open - closing date 16 June, 2015
Applications for the Royal Academy of Engineering's Visiting Professors' scheme are currently open. "This industry-into-academia initiative aims to utilise the experience of the Visiting Professors to enhance student learning as well...
Election 2015 - higher education in the parties' manifestos...
In the run up to the general election on 7th May, colleagues at the British Universities Finance Group (BUFDG) have prepared the following summary of what each political party has in...
New report published on the contribution of teaching to academic career advancement
Thanks to all members who contributed to this piece of research (and you did in numbers), published today by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The report, "Does teaching advance your...
University partners collaborate on £138M Research in Infrastructure & Cities (UKCRIC) project
The UK Collaboration for Research in Infrastructure & Cities (UKCRIC) is a £138 million capital investment that will be centred around the Olympic Park in Stratford and will include 13 university...