The School of Engineering at TUM celebrated World Engineering Day by launching its newest programme, the PhD of Sustainable Energy Engineering.
The event held at the University’s Assembly Hall was also used for sensitization and mentorship for the Engineering students
The new PhD for Sustainable Engineering is the first doctorate programme in the School of Engineering and Technology, and it is the first of its kind in Kenya.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Laila Abubakar and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic, Research and Extension, Prof Peter Gichangi, led other senior officials at TUM in the launch of the program and commemoration of the special day observed globally.
The others in attendance included the Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, Dr Sameer Bachani, the Chairperson of Electrical & Electronics Engineering Department, Dr Gideon Kidegho, the Programme Coordinator, Dr Michael Saulo, the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Wahida Bana, and other members of the TUM community.
Maiden PhD students
Three PhD candidates who are also TUM staff have already enrolled in the programme and were present at the launch. The Dean briefed the students about the programme and also outlined expectations.
The PhD programme has been in the works for about four years, with discussions taking place with the Commission of University Education (CUE). The PhD Programme follows on the heels of the Masters of Technology in Sustainable Energy now in its fourth cohort, which was one of the deliverables from the ENERGIZE Project.
The ENERGIZE Project was a European Union backed initiative where TUM participated as part of the consortium. The other members of the consortium were Politecnico di Milano from Italy, Jimma University from Ethiopia, and Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi.
The PhD programme will run for three years, and there are no prerequisites because of its multidisciplinary nature. TUM will be enrolling candidates for the programme every semester.
In the first year of coursework, candidates will undertake the following six Units: Sustainable Energy Systems Modelling and Simulation; Sustainable Materials Design for Energy Systems; Sustainable Energy Development Funding; Energy Storage for Sustainable Energy Systems; Waste to Sustainable Systems; and Energy Policy and World Energy Sources.
Engineering students mentored
Over 140 TUM engineering students gathered at the Assembly Hall to commemorate World Engineering Day. This year's theme was 'Engineering Solutions for a Sustainable World'.
The students were sensitized on IET-K & KETRB's role in the engineering field, given mentorship on tips and challenges within the career, and learned about the recruitment of new members.
The event was a collaboration between the Technical University of Mombasa, The Institution of Engineering Technologists and Technicians Council (IET-K), Shofco, and the Kenya Engineering Technology Registration Board (KETRB).
Two students from the Engineering department; Mali Solomon and Salome Ngumbao showcased their innovations namely a road power station using speed breaker and a GSM-based baby cry monitoring system, respectively. The innovations excited the other students in attendance a great deal.
They also won admiration of the Vice Chancellor Prof Laila as well as the Director TUM TVET Institute and Board Member of KETRB Mr Charles Majani and his Coast Branch fraternity who all watched the demonstrations.
The Technical University of Mombasa, which prides itself on being the oldest School of Engineering in the country dating back to the era of its precursor in 1940s celebrated all engineers around the world. It acknowledged the contribution of engineers to the growth of the University itself, African continent and to the values of sustainable development.
As the world commemorated this important day for Engineers, TUM can proudly stand tall among other national and international institutions in celebrating its strides towards its vision of being a university of global excellence; more so in the discipline of engineering.
