The Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems (ISSS) in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences has received funding from the EU Commission under the Erasmus Mundus scheme for a new two year International Masters in Smart Systems Integration (SSI).
Smart Systems Integration
Smart systems, such as airbag crash sensors, inkjet printer heads or smart phones function through the integration of electronic processing with biological, mechanical or optical functions. This technology is of strategic importance for the competitiveness of entire sectors and economies in Europe. The main objective of the SSI is to educate graduates who can take on leading roles in the use of smart systems to develop new innovative and imaginative applications of the technology.
The new joint programme will commence in September 2013 and will be offered by Heriot-Watt as the lead institution, Vestfold University College in Norway, and Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungary. The SSI is the second Erasmus Mundus programme obtained by the ISSS and the only new Masters programme to be funded and coordinated by a Scottish University.
Open to EU and non-EU students
The next steps are to make the SSI an internationally leading Masters and to create a community of students who will become leading experts in the application of smart systems worldwide
Dr Resham Dhariwal, Senior Lecturer in ISSS and Programme DirectorThe award, of approximately £3.5 million over a five year funding period, will provide financial support for both EU and non-EU students to study on the programme. Out of 258 applications this year, 18 students from 15 different countries will receive support from the European Commission with additional 3 to 4 self-funded students joining the programme.
Strong support for collaboration with dissertation projects has been received from ten companies located in the three partner countries.
Dr Resham Dhariwal, Senior Lecturer in the ISSS and director of the new programme said, "This was our fifth attempt at trying to get the Erasmus Mundus funding and I want to give credit to the whole consortium team for all their hard work which finally led to success.
"The next steps are to make the SSI an internationally leading Masters programme and to create a community of students who will become leading experts in the application of smart systems worldwide."
Scotland-Hungary-Norway
Students will spend their first semester at Heriot-Watt and the second semester in Norway. They then go to Hungary in the third semester after which they will be approximately divided into three groups to undertake a project and submit their MSc dissertation. A joint degree will be awarded by Heriot-Watt to successful candidates.