Periodic Reporting for period 3 - TeacHy (Teaching Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Science and Engineering Across Europe within Horizon 2020)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-11-01 do 2021-10-31
As Fuel Cell and Hydrogen (FCH) technologies (FCHT) and businesses emerge and grow across Europe, the recruitment of new staff with expert knowledge in FCHT is creating an increasingly urgent need for specialist training. Specifically for the EU13 countries, but also for Portugal, the lack of specialised experts in FCHT is a hindrance in their own development and the deployment of FCHT and one of the reasons for the low participation of these countries in FCH JU programmes. 200,000 trained specialists, of which around 100,000 with a university degree (UG and PG), were calculated within the SET-Plan to be needed in EU FCHT businesses by the year 2030.
A number of courses, summer schools and other training measures have been established in the past but – as isolated measures – they lack coordination at a European (and global) level. Textbooks exist, but do not cover the whole area of FCHT. In various countries, the lack of text books in the local language creates problems in terminology and hinders communication between professionals. Many universities offer single courses and modules on FCHT aspects, but lack the staff, resources, and infrastructure to offer full degrees (e.g. Masters). Electrochemistry (EC) as university-taught topic is still on the decline all across Europe although it is key to understanding FCHT; EC also links FCHT to battery technology and thus opens up a wider avenue of training towards the general topic of energy storage, where expertise is just as scarce.
The TeacHy project specifically addresses the supply of undergraduate and graduate education (BEng/BSc, MEng/MSc, PhD and equivalent) both for students (university and specialist vocational) and trained professionals in Europe in the field of FCHT.
The main objective of TeacHy is to design, establish and run a university programme that grants an MSc degree in FCHT. This is to be run at as many universities by the end of the project, as practically possible.
The TrainHy consortium will empower educational and training institutions across Europe (and beyond) to deliver FCH-themed modules: institutions which would otherwise face difficulties in developing and providing the teaching and training material by themselves will have access to a repository of FCHT teaching and vocational training material that can be integrated into their educational offers. TeacHy will supply support in programme design and accreditation.
In this way a large number of European educational institutions – academia and vocational training institutes – will be potentially able to participate in an MSc programme infrastructure by offering typically 25 to 35% of courses locally and integrating the remainder as web- and network-based teaching (e-learning and remote courses) supplied through TeacHy. In this way a large number of institutions can offer high-quality programmes, courses, and modules to students located all across Europe, thus dramatically increasing the numbers of students having access to and enrolling in FCHT specialised programmes. What is more, is that the specific programme content can be chosen from a variety of material in order to tailor the programmes offered by individual universities to the varying needs of university specialisations (e.g. sciences, engineering, economics, or vocational training etc.), specialisation of university staff (leaning more towards physics, chemistry, electrochemistry, or engineering, industrial process safety etc.), regional and national specificities, student requirements, and finally teaching languages.
All courses will be accredited locally (institution and nationally) with the support of TeacHy. We avoid conflicts between an EU-wide and Member State accreditation and keep the door open for non-EU network partners with other educational systems.
TeacHy has established a network currently already encompassing over 75 bodies and persons from Europe, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S.A. We involve ‘associated partners’ who will contribute to and support the project in providing the MSc course. The T.I.M.E. network is part of this and alone has 50 participating universities.
TeacHy will be addressing stakeholders and the general public by allowing open access to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are suitable for public release via its website and the NET-Tools environment/platform.
A number of courses, summer schools and other training measures have been established in the past but – as isolated measures – they lack coordination at a European (and global) level. Textbooks exist, but do not cover the whole area of FCHT. In various countries, the lack of text books in the local language creates problems in terminology and hinders communication between professionals. Many universities offer single courses and modules on FCHT aspects, but lack the staff, resources, and infrastructure to offer full degrees (e.g. Masters). Electrochemistry (EC) as university-taught topic is still on the decline all across Europe although it is key to understanding FCHT; EC also links FCHT to battery technology and thus opens up a wider avenue of training towards the general topic of energy storage, where expertise is just as scarce.
The TeacHy project specifically addresses the supply of undergraduate and graduate education (BEng/BSc, MEng/MSc, PhD and equivalent) both for students (university and specialist vocational) and trained professionals in Europe in the field of FCHT.
The main objective of TeacHy is to design, establish and run a university programme that grants an MSc degree in FCHT. This is to be run at as many universities by the end of the project, as practically possible.
The TrainHy consortium will empower educational and training institutions across Europe (and beyond) to deliver FCH-themed modules: institutions which would otherwise face difficulties in developing and providing the teaching and training material by themselves will have access to a repository of FCHT teaching and vocational training material that can be integrated into their educational offers. TeacHy will supply support in programme design and accreditation.
In this way a large number of European educational institutions – academia and vocational training institutes – will be potentially able to participate in an MSc programme infrastructure by offering typically 25 to 35% of courses locally and integrating the remainder as web- and network-based teaching (e-learning and remote courses) supplied through TeacHy. In this way a large number of institutions can offer high-quality programmes, courses, and modules to students located all across Europe, thus dramatically increasing the numbers of students having access to and enrolling in FCHT specialised programmes. What is more, is that the specific programme content can be chosen from a variety of material in order to tailor the programmes offered by individual universities to the varying needs of university specialisations (e.g. sciences, engineering, economics, or vocational training etc.), specialisation of university staff (leaning more towards physics, chemistry, electrochemistry, or engineering, industrial process safety etc.), regional and national specificities, student requirements, and finally teaching languages.
All courses will be accredited locally (institution and nationally) with the support of TeacHy. We avoid conflicts between an EU-wide and Member State accreditation and keep the door open for non-EU network partners with other educational systems.
TeacHy has established a network currently already encompassing over 75 bodies and persons from Europe, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S.A. We involve ‘associated partners’ who will contribute to and support the project in providing the MSc course. The T.I.M.E. network is part of this and alone has 50 participating universities.
TeacHy will be addressing stakeholders and the general public by allowing open access to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are suitable for public release via its website and the NET-Tools environment/platform.
During Period 3 of the project (01 Nov 2020 to 30 Oct 2021) TeacHy has:
- continued full implementation of the MSc programme on the UoB e-learning system CANVAS;
- further developed and refined the remote lab access concept at POLITO;
- continued to perform trial runs of module content with students in Birmingham, Grenoble, EPFL, Delft/Groningen and Kyiv and collected feedback;
- started to deliver module content to professionals from companies across Europe, collect feedback, and continuously improve the modules;
- successfully negotiated accreditation at UoB for a 2021 programme start;
- started the MSc programme at UoB on 26 Sept 2021;
- started the transfer to and accreditation at UCPT/VSCHT Prague;
- terminated cooperation with the NET-Tools project due to lack of suitability of the platform to university needs;
- advertised the TeacHy course at a variety of events;
- survived the COVID pandemic and started integrating the elearning experiences of all universities into the TeacHy blended learning delivery.
The main outcome in reporting Period 3 was the continued implementation of the TeacHy programme on the UBHAM learning management system (LMS) CANVAS and the finalisation of the core modules for the programme start on 26 Sept 2021, and the full development of the CPD format of delivery.
The COVID pandemic has had a lasting impact in that it has slowed down partner response and minimised some partner interactions, as attention was diverted away from the project to more pressing everyday issues in local teaching. The success in receiving university approval at UBHAM in May 2021, though too late to substantially advertise, was a major breakthrough.
The accreditation process at UCPT / VSCHT Prague was kicked off again in Oct 2021 and is ongoing.
- continued full implementation of the MSc programme on the UoB e-learning system CANVAS;
- further developed and refined the remote lab access concept at POLITO;
- continued to perform trial runs of module content with students in Birmingham, Grenoble, EPFL, Delft/Groningen and Kyiv and collected feedback;
- started to deliver module content to professionals from companies across Europe, collect feedback, and continuously improve the modules;
- successfully negotiated accreditation at UoB for a 2021 programme start;
- started the MSc programme at UoB on 26 Sept 2021;
- started the transfer to and accreditation at UCPT/VSCHT Prague;
- terminated cooperation with the NET-Tools project due to lack of suitability of the platform to university needs;
- advertised the TeacHy course at a variety of events;
- survived the COVID pandemic and started integrating the elearning experiences of all universities into the TeacHy blended learning delivery.
The main outcome in reporting Period 3 was the continued implementation of the TeacHy programme on the UBHAM learning management system (LMS) CANVAS and the finalisation of the core modules for the programme start on 26 Sept 2021, and the full development of the CPD format of delivery.
The COVID pandemic has had a lasting impact in that it has slowed down partner response and minimised some partner interactions, as attention was diverted away from the project to more pressing everyday issues in local teaching. The success in receiving university approval at UBHAM in May 2021, though too late to substantially advertise, was a major breakthrough.
The accreditation process at UCPT / VSCHT Prague was kicked off again in Oct 2021 and is ongoing.
The delivery of a topical blended learning MSc programme has to date not been achieved anywhere worldwide, to our knowledge. This type of educational offer will considerably expand the number of students addressed, since professionals wanting to follow studies in parallel to their job will be able, though with a high effort, to follow the programme. TeacHy offers any university with a basic number of lecturers that are able to deliver part of the syllabus face to face, to be able to join into the project activities.
Above this, all TeacHy modules are fully CPD-compatible and registered, and are already being used to re-train a high number of engineers in fuel cell and hydrogen topics. All modules carry MicroCredentials and can be used to build an educational and skills track record. A coordinated programme such as the TeacHy MSc/CPD online material has to date not existed anywhere worldwide.
Several universities are already using sub-sets of the TeacHy programme, i.e. selectinos of modules integrated into other PG programmes (such as e.g. 'Advanced Energy Engineering'). The MSc programme will be fully operational and ready to be delivered by two universities (Birmingham and Prague), on two different LMS platforms, by the end of the project, this again is a unique feature.
Above this, all TeacHy modules are fully CPD-compatible and registered, and are already being used to re-train a high number of engineers in fuel cell and hydrogen topics. All modules carry MicroCredentials and can be used to build an educational and skills track record. A coordinated programme such as the TeacHy MSc/CPD online material has to date not existed anywhere worldwide.
Several universities are already using sub-sets of the TeacHy programme, i.e. selectinos of modules integrated into other PG programmes (such as e.g. 'Advanced Energy Engineering'). The MSc programme will be fully operational and ready to be delivered by two universities (Birmingham and Prague), on two different LMS platforms, by the end of the project, this again is a unique feature.