Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to present the need of change in the education process in some departments at universities of technology, e.g. in the department of management and mechanical and power engineering. This article presents the results of the regional energy foresight which are connected with the education process, and the research was based on Delphi method. The article also characterizes the methodology of the research and its different aspects, such as: the innovation, the ecology, the economy, and the technical aspect as well. Eighty experts from Lower Silesia participated in the research and the selected group of experts characterized the possibilities of the development of the Lower Silesia’s energy market in the context of the challenges facing the region. During the examination the research group emphasized not only the new technologies which can be developed owing to human possibilities, technical capacities and geographical location of the Lower Silesia, but they also highlighted the conventional technologies. The experts listed the ten most important technologies for Lower Silesia and the main barriers for the implementation of those technologies. The respondents pointed on those branches of the industry which might be developing in case of implementing each of the technologies. On the basis of foresight research and the SWOT analysis there has been directly identified the needs for change in the education with the focus on the development of hybrid teaching processes at universities of technology, e.g. mechanical-and-power-engineering and management department, law-and-mechanical and power engineering department. The opinions of the experts who participated in the foresight research could be the base for the transformation of the education system. The research was conducted in in Lower Silesia (Poland) in 2010 and has been characterized in the article.

Keywords:

Foresight, region, knowlage werkers.