Abstract:

The postgraduate formation in “Master in Textile, Paper and Graphic Engineering” was authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science with its Resolution of June 22nd 2006, published in BOE nº 157 of July 3rd 2006, jointly with the Catalan autonomic community.
This Master has two intensifications: in Textile Engineering and Paper and Graphic Engineering. This last one is an interuniversity master that would accomplish with the regulated formation related with pulp and paper industry in all the territory. The Master in Paper and Graphic Engineering gives a good education and training for the pulp, paper and graphic industries, mainly orientated to lifelong learning to all of those people that are working in these industries and needs to know the different sectors that influence or could be influenced by their daily work. A really high percentage of students than have coursed this master (85%) are working in pulp and paper industries or related ones.

The design of this Master is mainly orientated to Engineering Practice for the Pulp, Paper and Graphic industries under the auspicious of Bologna Process. It includes a wide vision of the related processes, practices, visits to modern Spanish installations and with an important future extension to other Spanish Universities and South American ones.

To reconcile the professional dedication to pulp and paper industry with the enhancement of the knowledge given by this postgraduate program, new learning and teaching models have been applied to the classical formation. Lectures have been replaced by on line teaching to avoid distance barriers for the students. During the semester different presence blocks are scheduled for tutorials, laboratory practices and company visits. These blocks allow interaction between students and professors outside of the virtual exchange that relate to the exercises, projects, etc.
So far, a significant percentage of students (42%) come from outside the geographic area of influence of the host universities.

Keywords:

pulp and paper engineering, on-line learning, long-life training.