Engineering In Spain Research Articles

The Emotional Intelligence of Civil Engineers in Spain and its Relation with Professional Satisfaction

Different studies show the relevance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) to the development of the work conducted by civil engineers in terms of their satisfaction and well-being, and also their individual and collective performance regarding good organisational results (Larson et al., 2015; Rezvani et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2020). The purpose of this present work is to analyse the relation between the emotional intelligence of civil engineers in Spain and their degree of professional satisfaction, as well as to determine the existence of any differences in the variables studied according to their gender and years of experience. The focus of the methodology is both quantitative and exploratory, together with descriptive and correlational analyses involving a survey conducted with 248 Civil Engineers. The main results show that a positive and significant relation exists between the emotional intelligence of those participating in the survey and their degree of professional satisfaction, and furthermore that significant differences exist in this level of satisfaction in terms of their years of experience. These results endorse the relevance that the EI competencies have for the development of Civil Engineering, both for those who practice this profession and for the organisations where they work, as well as the impact this work may have on the social systems involved.

To the Problem of Improving the Education of Industrial Design Specialists in Ukraine

New world challenges increasingly require designers to solve social problems of humanity, so designers are entrusted with increasingly complex and impressive tasks. However, the modern system of design education does not always prepare students for these tasks. This article analyses how the educational process of training designers in European countries is built.
 The realities of the development of industrial design in Spain and Ukraine are given, with an immersion in the historical prerequisites for the formation of this field of activity. The development of industrial design in countries is demonstrated, taking into account historical, economic and political prerequisites. The training programs were considered and the content of the training of industrial design engineers in Spain and the content of the training of industrial design specialists in Ukraine were compared. In the process of studying the training programs, significant differences in the understanding of the field of activity and the content of the training of industrial designers in Ukraine and Spain were revealed. This fact is reflected in the demand of students to study in the relevant training programs.
 In order to demonstrate the shortage of industrial design engineers in the production sector of industry, the labour market requirements for these specialists in Ukraine are given. According to the results of the analysis, the inconsistency of the training content of industrial designers with the requirements of the labour market was demonstrated both at the legislative level and at the level of employers’ requirements
 In order to meet the needs of industry and bring Ukrainian education to European requirements, it is proposed to introduce a new interdisciplinary educational program for training engineers in industrial design in Ukraine, taking into account the experience of the Spanish School of Industrial Design, which has incorporated the best English and European practices.
 It should contain two main focuses of training: engineering and aesthetics. At the same time, business awareness and environmental awareness when making decisions should become a mandatory component of the training of industrial design engineers.

EUR-ACE accreditation for chemical engineering in Spain: Current situation, lessons learned and challenges

The accreditation of engineering programmes is a subject of great interest in the last decades. However, most studies in the literature are focused on case studies or deal with the different levels of acceptance of the groups involved in the accreditation. There are two main approaches for the accreditation of engineering programmes, i.e., at national or international level. Whereas most developed countries have established national standards for the quality assurance of the university studies, international accreditation systems for engineering studies are limited to 3 alternatives. The interaction between national and international accreditation systems is poorly understood despite of their significance in the design and management of the programme. We aim to fill in this gap and provide useful guidance for universities aiming to apply for the EUR-ACE® label in their chemical engineering programmes (bachelor or master). In general, there is a high level of complementarity between the Spanish and EUR-ACE accreditation systems. However, there are still challenges. For instance, the ad hoc procedure proposed by the national accreditation agency in Spain does not fully consider chemical engineering as a traditional branch of engineering. In addition, the changes in the Spanish accreditation system might negatively impact the current ad hoc procedure for EUR-ACE accreditation for some universities. The incorporation of IChemE in the accreditation process would be an option to deal with this issue.

Internationalization Based on Content Modification Combined with Project Management Methodology: An Application in a Spanish Postgraduate Course in Building Engineering

Internationalizing university studies can be something of a challenge for courses related to engineering and architecture because their content is mainly focused on the standards of the country. In this regard, the content of the degree programmes in building engineering in Spain is based on the Spanish Building Technical Code. For this reason, this paper analyses experimentation conducted in a postgraduate course in building engineering of the University of Seville. The goal of the study was to internationalize the course content of that course appropriately. For this purpose, a combined approach was developed based on using ISO standards and including appropriately the modifications through a project management methodology to reduce risks. Experimentation was conducted for three academic years: 2018/2019–2020/2021. The results showed that ISO standards were appropriately implemented in the teaching course content and accepted by students. Likewise, the use of a project management methodology could be an opportunity to improve teaching course content, thus reducing the risk related to the modifications of this process.

Inequalities in the Exercise and Continuity in Building Engineering in Spain. Factor Analysis Including Gender Perspective

The building sector is one of the most relevant at world level in view of the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) concerned, as well as the number of new jobs created. Nevertheless, it is a completely male-dominated industry. Different institutions and organisms, such as the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, struggle to reduce gender inequality in different environments, including the working one. Aligned with these goals, this study provides the data exploited from the first survey regarding gender inequality within the professionals of the building engineering field in the Spanish population as a whole. This survey was developed in 2018 by the Spanish General Council of Technical Architecture and it was sent to its members. The sample involved 1353 cases. For this data mining, bivariate analyses were conducted in order to subsequently carry out a factor analysis and the socio–demographic composition of the dimensions found. Results exposed statistically meaningful differences in the eyes of women and men about those factors which facilitate practice and continuity in the profession. The most relevant conclusions drawn from the factor analysis reflect the existence of three factors: (1) work competences, (2) social capital and (3) physical appearance and being a man, dimensions in which women and men’s opinion was unevenly distributed.

Process safety training for chemical engineers in Spain: Overview and the example of the polytechnic university of Valencia

The dramatic growth of the chemical industry in the last century showed its great impact on the development of society but also its danger to humans and the environment, especially by the severe accidents at Seveso or Bhopal. As a result, public concern and perception of the impact and effect of these large installations on the safety of people and their environment led to changes in the chemical industry but also in Chemical Engineering as a discipline and profession. In the last 40 years, safety training has been introduced into the university curriculum of these professionals, especially promoted by accreditation agencies. This paper analyzes the curricular and methodological approach of the introduction of this discipline in the curriculum of Chemical Engineers and illustrates the current situation with the analysis of the curricula in the Spanish universities. Finally, it describes the implementation of this subject with the use of active methodologies in the case of the teaching of “Industrial safety” for Chemical Engineering degree students at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). Results from assessment performed show benefits of the activities and methodologies developed to improve the level of learning and acquisition of professional competences of the safety-attending students.

Application of Circular Economy Techniques for Design and Development of Products through Collaborative Project-Based Learning for Industrial Engineer Teaching

Collaborative project-based learning aims to get students to take responsibility for their knowledge processes. The objective of this research is to analyze the viability of applying circular economy techniques for the design and development of products, through learning based on collaborative projects in industrial engineering. A survey was carried out between 2015 and 2019 on final year students of industrial engineering in Spain, from five different academic years. The responses obtained were analyzed statistically. The results indicate that the students who had more previous knowledge about the circular economy, valued its relevance for the design and development of products as well as for the practice of the profession more. In addition, it was demonstrated that the implementation of circular economy strategies in the design and development of products through collaborative projects allows the acquisition of different knowledge: eco-design, product planning and distribution, reuse, recycling, etc. Moreover, most of the students considered that the circular economy should be a complementary discipline and a transversal competence.

Reprint of: Education of chemical engineering in Spain: A global picture

The general framework of the Chemical Engineering studies in Spain includes the Bachelor's Degree (4 years), Master's Degree (the most common duration is 1.5 years) and Doctorate (3-4 years). In 2008, the Conference of Directors and Deans of Chemical Engineering (CODDIQ) was constituted with the main objective of promoting and improving the quality of Chemical Engineering studies in Spain. Currently, Faculties and Schools of 29 Spanish universities are members of CODDIQ. An analysis of the most characteristic indicators provides a representative radiography of the Chemical Engineering Studies in Spain, whose most outstanding data are: (i) 7,396 undergraduate students, 1,014 Master students and 556 PhD students, (ii) according to the gender profile of undergraduates and graduates, the percentage of women is similar to that of men, while for faculty staff, the percentage of women is 43% and 46% for Associate and Assistant Professor (respectively) and 23% for the category of Full Professor category; (iii) after completing the Bachelor studies, most of them continue their training in the MSc in Chemical Engineering, (iv) the employability after obtaining the Master's degree is very high (>75%), which in the case of PhDs is close to 100%. The studies of Chemical Engineering in Spain have a very direct relationship with society, especially in the chemical, environmental, biotechnological and energy fields. The companies that collaborate in the training of future professionals are distributed throughout the national territory, which allows a strong connection with the socioeconomic environment.

Education of chemical engineering in Spain: A global picture

The general framework of the Chemical Engineering studies in Spain includes the Bachelor's Degree (4 years), Master's Degree (the most common duration is 1.5 years) and Doctorate (3-4 years). In 2008, the Conference of Directors and Deans of Chemical Engineering (CODDIQ) was constituted with the main objective of promoting and improving the quality of Chemical Engineering studies in Spain. Currently, Faculties and Schools of 29 Spanish universities are members of CODDIQ. An analysis of the most characteristic indicators provides a representative radiography of the Chemical Engineering Studies in Spain, whose most outstanding data are: (i) 7,396 undergraduate students, 1,014 Master students and 556 PhD students, (ii) according to the gender profile of undergraduates and graduates, the percentage of women is similar to that of men, while for faculty staff, the percentage of women is 43% and 46% for Associate and Assistant Professor (respectively) and 23% for the category of Full Professor category; (iii) after completing the Bachelor studies, most of them continue their training in the MSc in Chemical Engineering, (iv) the employability after obtaining the Master's degree is very high (>75%), which in the case of PhDs is close to 100%. The studies of Chemical Engineering in Spain have a very direct relationship with society, especially in the chemical, environmental, biotechnological and energy fields. The companies that collaborate in the training of future professionals are distributed throughout the national territory, which allows a strong connection with the socioeconomic environment.

Irrigation engineering in Spain and how it has changed the country’s landscape

Abstract Irrigation is a rural development technique widely extended in, and affecting the landscape of, areas of Mediterranean climate. In Spain, irrigation accounts for ⅔ of all water use. The country has over 3.5 million ha of irrigated land, some 15% of all its agricultural land. Valley bottoms and riversides are the landscapes most commonly associated with irrigation in Spain, followed by peninsular coastal and interior plains, basins, hollows and depressions. This paper describes the engineering infrastructures associated with irrigation, the structures involved in water capture, transport, storage and distribution, and water use and drainage in the irrigated lowlands of Spain. It also examines the environmental impact of such water use. Several descriptors are proposed to describe its association with the landscape.

Military Engineering in Eighteenth-Century Havana and Manila: The Experience of the Seven Years War

The Spanish defeat in the Seven Years War led to a reassessment of the overseas fortification system. This paper analyses the role played by military engineers in the debate over the reconstruction of fortresses in Havana and Manila, and the influence of French discussions on the topic. The results were the product of Franco-Spanish cooperation that improved formal education. The conclusion is that the combined Bourbon response substantially advanced the science of siege craft and significantly improved the status of military engineers in Spain.

Education Planning Evolution for Forest Engineering in Spain

Forest engineering in Spain has a long tradition and active presence in the engineering field. It is also one of the first educational institutions that shaped the Spanish technological panorama in the mid nineteenth century. The actual situation of the forest systems in Spain is the result of 166 years of observation, research, education and the application of specific techniques and principles that forest engineers acquired with the successive study plans that were implanted in educational institutions. In this paper, the planning historical process of education in Forest engineer is analyzed, differentiating between four historical periods. The analysis of the stages focuses on the contents of the study plans, the orientation towards educational objectives, the duration of the studies and the causes for the modifications that had an impact on the evolution through time within the framework of the acquired experience and the technological advances.

ANALISIS DE LA IMPLANTACION DEL MASTER EN INGENIERIA INDUSTRIAL EN ESPAÑA

There are many doubts related to the new European High Education Area scenario. In this paper, we analyze the access to the regulate profession Industrial Engineering in Spain. Similarities and differences have been studied in Master degree syllabus. We study access criteria, syllabus structure and professional participation in the university curriculum.

Chemistry for engineering students: A key factor for social and technological development

The peculiarity of Chemistry as a basic subject in Engineering Studies and its embedded potential difficulties are matters which are now common to universities worldwide. In particular, the learning of Chemistry in the new (post Bologna) degrees of Engineering in Spain and other countries is facing several challenges. In other words, there is a need to deepen into research and innovation tasks aiming at improving such studies within this new educational paradigm. Not to mention, two crucial aspects which are very often neglected, namely, reaching maximum efficiency of all types of available resources and obtaining a “knock on effect” from students and teachers at Secondary school level. The latter playing a crucial role so as to increase students’ awareness of the importance that Chemistry has at this particular educational level. Not to mention, how this increases their motivation towards this subject in the Higher Education scenario

Explicit Training in Human Values and Social Attitudes of Future Engineers in Spain

Explicit Training in Human Values and Social Attitudes of Future Engineers in Spain

Alfonso López Arroyo: pionero de la Sismología y la Ingeniería Sísmica en España.

In his scientific and professional career, Alfonso López Arroyo, one of the pioneers of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering in Spain, has been devoted to multiple topics, particularly those involving interrelation between different fields of Earth Sciences and Engineering, in which he made important contributions. Even though his activities have not been mainly developed in the field of university teaching, his educational role and his influence in many scientists and professionals is unquestionable.

The Accreditation of Industrial Engineering in Spain: Teaching and Learning the Skills of Manufacturing Engineering

The purpose of this work is twofold. First, it aims to analyze the teaching and learning processes applied to degrees that enable regulated professional activities for both Technical Industrial Engineering and Industrial Engineering. More precisely, it examines the competences related to Manufacturing Engineering, either at the Bachelor's or Master's Level. Second, it intends to establish a simple and easy process to evaluate the competences acquired in a certain Bachelor's or Master's degree. As a result, it will be possible to identify current weaknesses in the study plans. This could be the universities’ starting point in the definition of procedures and areas for improvement that allow for a better match among study plans, the acquisition of competences, and the learning results finally achieved.

Engineering Education through eLearning technology in Spain

eLearning kind of education is stirring up all the disciplines in the academic circles, especially since it provides an access to educational areas that are uneasy and traditionally in- person, such as Engineering. Even though it had an outbreak in some of the most prestigious American universities, eLearning has being a reality in Spain for some years now, changing educational and teaching habits. To ensure a proper education is not an easy task with it comes to engineering fields, therefore this article shows an update on the works developed on this issue and the technologies they used. In this report it is given a perspective of the intimate relationship between the eLearning method of learning and the studies of Engineering in Spain, through the TIC development and the current educational legislation. In this regard, teaching examples are given on several subjects of different engineering studies, emphasizing the good results obtained in the abovementioned experiences. Below here is a evaluation on the results obtained in the analyzed studies.

‘Mixed’ mathematics in engineering education in Spain: Pedro Lucuce's course at the Barcelona Royal Military Academy of Mathematics in the eighteenth century

Engineering in Spain developed as a scientific profession during the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, the idea of combining theory and practice was forged in the eighteenth century as a result of several influences. The example of the Royal Military Academy of Mathematics of Barcelona established in 1720 seems particularly interesting from this point of view insofar as its main goal was to supply knowledge in mathematics to young and experienced officers in three main military fields: engineering, artillery and the navy. In 1739, an Ordinance of the Royal Academy established a general course of mathematics to train military engineers. This course was prepared by its director Pedro Lucuce and it centred on ‘mixed’ mathematics, i.e. those domains useful in warfare and engineering. It became a pillar of the academy's curriculum. By analysing the course content, the authors hope to shed light on a number of aspects relating to this training and to test the hypothesis that Lucuce's programme should be understood as falling within the tradition of the mathematical courses, launched in the seventeenth century.

Methodological changes in technical teaching in order to the European higher education area comparison between countries: Italy and Spain

Debate regarding the creation of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) began in 1998 (Sorbonne Declaration) as an essential element to increase the international competitiveness of the European system of higher training and to facilitate both academic and working mobility of its citizens. In Italy, the reform was undertaken through a governmental regulation and was implemented in the academic year 1999-2000. In Spain, the process has been completely different and, almost ten years after, university transformation has not been undertaken yet. In this work we present a comparison between both countries regarding the way in which such transformation has been or is to be undertaken —by the teaching staff— for measuring the work of students to pass subjects in ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). With that purpose, we have attempted to obtain information about the way in which professors implement these transformations in their everyday work. Professors in Technical Teachings (Engineering) have been consulted in both Italy and Spain. The research has been structured into two stages. The first was developed in a three-month stay, from September to December 2006. In this stage, it was studied the process followed in Italy. To do this, a questionnaire was designed and it was given out to professionals of teaching engineering in Italy; the results obtained allowed us establishing interesting conclusions. In the second stage, such questionnaire was adapted for their delivery to professionals of teaching engineering in Spain, at the end of the academic year 2007/08 (June 2008). The conclusions drawn allow us recommending preferential lines of action to support the process of methodological transformation in current subjects and future syllabuses.