MAKING MECHATRONICS STUDY PROGRAMME AT “LUCIAN BLAGA” UNIVERSITY OF SIBIU AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The demand for specialists with a technical higher education background, with knowledge and competences in the mechanical domain, in the electrical domain, in the domains of control, automations, robotics and computer science, has significantly increased in the last years due to the recent industrial development of the city of Sibiu corroborated with the development of Romania. Thus, it was considered necessary to found a new interdisciplinary study programme at the Faculty of Engineering of the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu. Finally, in 2008, after a careful analysis of the human and material resources available, it was decided to start the “Mechatronics” study programme.

Since its inception in 2008, the “Mechatronics” study programme has raised a significant interest between the high school graduates within Sibiu area and neighboring counties. Every year, the number of candidates has risen with almost 10%, proving the fact that the study programme has gain a national recognition within the Romanian higher education system.

“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu acts as host institution for a significant number of international students, most of them within the framework of Erasmus Mundus programme. These students have to choose a preferred study programme at the host institution and to attend the courses, seminaries and laboratories for one-two semesters. After returning to their countries, the studies at “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu will be recognized by their home institutions. A very large number of international students have chosen Mechatronics” study programme as their preferred field. However, two main problems have arisen:
- the courses are taught only in Romanian language, which make them hardy understandable for international students;
- studying only one-two semesters makes very hard for the home institution to equate these studies, taking into consideration the fact that only a small number of universities have a similar study programme.

In order to overcome these problems, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu has started the process of making the “Mechatronics” study programme more available for international students. In order to do that, a parallel study programme was proposed, all teaching activities to be held in English language. A provisional curriculum was developed, based upon the curriculum of the programme held in Romanian language, but enriched with some specific subjects. The proposed study programme, “Mechatronics – in English language” was submitted for evaluation and provisional authorization and passed this process. Consequently, the courses will start in October 2016.

The paper presents the entire process of designing the curriculum and submitting the programme to be evaluated by the national authorities for quality assurance within the higher education system of Romania.