Engineering a sustainable future

Stephanie Lynch is a Master of Engineering student, specialising in chemical engineering, at the University of Melbourne, but confesses she didn’t know a lot about the industry to start with.

With little information on the role of engineers offered at her high school, it was Ms Lynch’s mother who first mentioned the field as a possible career path.

 After completing a Bachelor of Science with a particular interest in Chemistry, she decided to take on a course that would help her find her niche in the engineering industry. Now, a Master of Engineering (Chemical) student, she is discovering there are several ways to achieve that goal.

“I was drawn to engineering because it looked like a way you could apply your science in the business world,” Ms Lynch says.

“With chemical engineering it looked like there were so many different options in different fields. Plus, there does seem to be a push towards sustainability. There is the opportunity to work in roles where you’re making engineering processes more efficient and you might be able to implement better fuels.”

The Master of Engineering (ME) program, which is offered in 11 specialisations, has recently received European accreditation, having been awarded the EUR-ACE® label, by an authorised agent of the European Network of Accreditation of Engineering Education. The program is the first in Australia to be granted the EUR-ACE® label at the masters level.

 As a consequence, Master of Engineering graduates are now able to become professional engineers throughout continental Europe. This is in addition to the Washington Accord countries Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Malaysia, Turkey, Taiwan and Singapore that graduates have access to, due to accreditation by Engineers Australia.

For graduates like Ms Lynch, it will mean that their skills meet the most rigorous European and international benchmarks, and that their qualifications are recognised by top employers in Europe’s leading economies.

The Dean of Engineering, Professor Iven Mareels, says that Engineering courses at the University of Melbourne offer students the freedom to work as accredited professionals, wherever their travels may take them.

“It is further confirmation that our ME courses are high-quality programs that meet the international standard for professional engineering education at the masters level,” Professor Mareels says.

Ms Lynch describes the accreditation as an exciting prospect that will open a lot of doors for many students.

“I think it’s great that graduates can go overseas and learn other practices to bring back home. It’s certainly something to be considered.”

At this stage, Ms Lynch is happy to stay in Australia and is currently working on fuel cell technology, which she describes as being the most exciting part of her study so far. Her focus remains on working towards a sustainable future.

“I’m really interested in energy and sustainability – which don’t always go hand-in-hand – but exploring new technologies and making engineering processes more efficient is the most interesting and meaningful to me,” she says.

Ms Lynch said she is enjoying her study and is glad she chose the masters program, but when asked about which engineering pathway she’ll choose for her career, she is still undecided, simply saying, “I’m keeping my options open for the moment.”

http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/index.php