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AI in education – what the future holds

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Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant utopia. Many things have happened since John McCarthy coined the term at the 1956 Dartmouth Conference.

What was once just a dream is now a reality – smart virtual assistants, chatbots, smart home devices, self-driving cars, drones, and other intelligent systems have become commonplace.

AI technologies are now all around us, shaping every aspect of our lives and changing the world in the process. It’s a booming domain that brings us one step closer to the world of tomorrow. [Read more…] about AI in education – what the future holds

Opinion: New EC boss calls for ‘unleashing of Europe’s entrepreneurial talent’

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By Martin Kern, director of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology

The new president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for the unleashing of Europe’s entrepreneurial talent in a speech to highlight the EC’s Green Deal at this year’s Davos. 

Von der Leyen said: “We will need to invest in innovation and research, redesign our economy and update our industrial policy.

“Those who act first and fastest will also be the ones who grasp the opportunities from the ecological transition.” [Read more…] about Opinion: New EC boss calls for ‘unleashing of Europe’s entrepreneurial talent’

NIU partners with Omron to introduce first PhD programs in engineering

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The College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) will begin offering its first doctoral programs with three PhD degrees in electrical, mechanical, and industrial and systems engineering.

The new programs, which will take advantage of online and on-campus learning, were approved Tuesday, September 10 by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).

NIU executive vice president and provost Beth Ingram says the degrees keep NIU relevant in the rapidly expanding field of engineering. [Read more…] about NIU partners with Omron to introduce first PhD programs in engineering

Motlow College becomes an ABB Robotics Education affiliate

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Motlow State Community College in McMinnville, Tennessee is a new member of the ABB Robotics Affiliate Education Program.

ABB instructors have already begun teaching certificate training classes at the recently built Automation & Robotic Training Center (ARTC) adjacent to the Motlow campus.

The 12,500 square-foot ARTC has a dedicated ABB Robotics lab equipped with six 6-axis ABB robots and robot controllers, and all the necessary software and peripheral equipment to teach ABB customers how to program and operate ABB industrial robots. [Read more…] about Motlow College becomes an ABB Robotics Education affiliate

Comau releases e.DO educational robot in China

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Comau has launched its e.DO robot in China. e.DO is the first educational robot in the company’s history designed to help students of different ages learn both STEM and humanities subjects, as well as explore the world of robotics in a more engaging, innovative way.

Yang Guilong, the Deputy Secretary of CPC of the Education Bureau and the President of Education Institute of Songjiang, Shanghai, Kai Wei, Comau China Head of Robotics and Automation Products, and Bie Chao, Comau APAC Head of Marketing, attended the launch at the InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin.

According to the IFR’s (International Federation of Robotics) report, the market volume of educational robots is 610 million RMB with a 21.1% year-on-year growth in 2017.

[Read more…] about Comau releases e.DO educational robot in China

Humber and Rockwell Automation partner to address skills gap

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Humber College in Canada and Rockwell Automation’s  have a five-year partnership agreement intended to address the skills gaps in the advanced manufacturing sector and equip students for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers of the future.

Rockwell Automation will also be part of the planned Industry 4.0 consortium hosted by Humber as part of The Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) helping to integrate more learning pathways and opportunities for students.

“Partnering with Rockwell Automation allows us to strengthen our industry connections and find new ways to prepare our students for the careers of tomorrow,” says Dr. Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College.

[Read more…] about Humber and Rockwell Automation partner to address skills gap

Engineering companies struggling to find and keep talented young workers

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engineering graduates
Picture courtesy of WonderfulEngineering.com

To anyone looking for work, it might sound strange to hear that some sectors of the economy are struggling to find and retain workers, but that’s the situation many engineering companies find themselves in. 

Finding, educating, training and retaining talented young people is not just a dilemma for engineering companies in one region or country, it’s a global issue.

But, paradoxically, while companies in some countries say there’s a problem finding engineering graduates, in other countries such as India, large numbers of engineering graduates are reportedly not having much luck finding jobs.

In those countries where there is a shortage, such as Germany and maybe the US, it’s not at crisis levels yet, but it’s a complication that large industrial companies are trying to alleviate in a variety of ways.  [Read more…] about Engineering companies struggling to find and keep talented young workers

Obama warns of divisiveness of automation technology

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In his farewell address to the nation, US President Barack Obama warned of the dangers of automation technology. 

Obama said: “The next wave of economic dislocations won’t come from overseas. It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.”

The Obama administration has been looking the whole issue of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, and consulting on the possible impact of those technologies on the US economy.  [Read more…] about Obama warns of divisiveness of automation technology