Representatives of 48 universities from 21 countries are taking part in the T.I.M.E. General Assembly conference, which has begun at Wroclaw Tech. During the three-day event, workshops, lectures and discussions on topics related to the internationalisation and development of education await them.

T.I.M.E. (Top International Managers in Engineering Association) is a network of leading engineering universities founded in Paris in 1989. Its activities aim, among other things, to make it easier for students to obtain master's degrees through double and joint degree agreements, to promote joint doctorates and to increase the use of e-learning in engineering education.

Currently, 59 universities from 25 countries are members of the network, including the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Japan and Canada. Wrocław University of Science and Technology has been a member of the organisation since 2004.

- The General Assembly is an annual event during which we summarise a year of cooperation, present jointly implemented projects, and set new directions for cooperation and activities. It is also an excellent opportunity to make new contacts and exchange views. Many people are taking part for the first time and I hope that the meeting will meet your expectations and result in many joint initiatives," - Gwenaëlle Guillerme, Secretary General of T.I.M.E., said in opening the conference.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the activities of the T.I.M.E. organisation. The International Cooperation Department invites the entire university community to participate in open meetings during the event. Numerous discussions and presentations are planned, and there will also be an opportunity to discuss projects currently underway at PWr.

- The conference is taking place at a special time for us, as we have just adopted a new strategy for the development of the university. One of the main directions is to educate not only engineers, but also leaders, combining technical knowledge with managerial skills. It is these qualities that define the new model of engineering education in Europe," - said Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, rector of Wroclaw Tech.

Membership of the T.I.M.E. network also makes it possible to find partners for creating consortia applying for funding from EU-funded projects, such as the Erasmus Mundus joint master's degree programmes. Such projects are currently underway at the Faculties of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (Ecole Centrale in Lille is a partner). In turn, LUT University from Finland is one of the partners in the EMJM SBBE (Sustainable Biomass and Bioproducts Engineering) project at the Faculty of Chemistry - the first international Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's programme coordinated by a Polish university.

Wroclaw Tech also implements educational programmes with selected partner universities within the framework of double degree agreements, the so-called double degree, which offer students studies usually combined with compulsory internships in industry. Our partners include universities from France, Germany, Finland, Japan and China.

On Tuesday, they were joined by the Polytechnic University of Montreal (Canada). The cooperation and student exchange agreement was signed by Prof Dariusz Łydżba, Vice-Chancellor for Cooperation, and Prof Pierre Langlois, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

For more information on the conference and to participate in the panels, visit the International Relations Office website.