Design of an Industrial Management course: Bringing together engineering and educational approaches

Abstract

This paper describes the process of restructuring a degree course at the Technical University of Sofia in Bulgaria so as to meet the demands of the new market economy and the changing political and educational environment. Achievements included development of a new curriculum, modularization, introduction of a new teaching quality assurance system and accreditation by the Institution of Electrical Engineers. The process of change is shown to require great sensitivity to the context and deployment of influencing strategies and skills designed to establish and maintain good relationships with a fluctuating range of stakeholders. Furthermore, the paper shows that systems engineering provides a useful framework for engaging in curriculum change in dynamic environments. One gap appears to be the need to deal explicitly with underpinning educational values, although, that said, the paper gently questions whether the accepted educational approaches can be applied to other cultures and traditions.