SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AT LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
Council will be aware that in 2002 we established the
Department of Systems Engineering in order further to promote this
strategically important area of research. However, the ongoing review of the
University, conducted under the chairmanship of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, has
identified that where critical mass exists in an important area of research,
but resides in a number of Departments, then the way forward is via a virtual
Research School. It is clear that this is the position for Systems Engineering.
A cross-Faculty Systems Engineering Team has been active for a year within the
University coordinating research in this area. A proposal to establish a
Research School in Systems Engineering (which will replace the Systems
Engineering Team) will be put to Senate in the 2004/05 session.
The Department of Systems Engineering has two members of
academic staff. In light of the intention to create a Research School in
Systems Engineering it is felt appropriate that the Department is closed and
the staff move to be within the Department of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering. There is considerable synergy in this arrangement since the
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering is the home department for the
undergraduate programmes (MEng and BEng) in Systems Engineering and has made a
strong contribution to systems research for many years.
For a variety of reasons, I would wish to make the move of
the Systems Engineering staff into the Department of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering as soon as possible. These
reasons are:
- that
the two vacant Chairs in Systems Engineering (one a Royal Academy Chair
and one an EPSRC Star Professor) can be filled appropriately;
- that
appropriate advanced preparations are made for the 2005/06 academic year;
- that
new structures are bedded down well before the Research Assessment
Exercise;
- to
minimise the time between the recognition of this change and its
implementation.
To this end I propose closing the Department of Systems
Engineering on 31st December 2004.
These proposals have been discussed with staff of the
Department of Systems Engineering and the Department of Electronic and
Electrical Engineering, and have the support of Engineering Directorate,
Engineering Faculty Board and Senate.
BAE Systems is a very significant collaborator in the field of Systems Engineering via SEIC and the
Strategic Partnership. They are supportive of these recommendations.
(Note: the current School of Aeronautical, Automotive and
Systems Engineering, being a collective title for the Department of
Aeronautical, Automotive Engineering and the Department of Systems Engineering,
but which exists in name only, would also cease to exist on 31st
December 2004 under this proposal, as would the post of Director of that
School, which has been unfilled for the past 12 months.)
C J Backhouse
10 December 2004