Επιστολή προς της Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή για υποστήριξη του Κτηριολογικού Προγράμματος του Πανεπιστημίου για ένταξή του στο ΕΣΠΑ (3-11-2014)
The University
of Western Macedonia
(UOWM)
Current State
The University of Western Macedonia (UOWM) was
established in 2003 with the decree-law No
92/11-4-2003 and has managed to structure and comply its operation
according to the National law for higher education (L.4009/2011).
According to the National Plan for the restructuring
of Higher Education in Greece,
called Athena, the University
of Western Macedonia was
decided to remain and be further strengthened. Based on the Athena
outcome, the academic structure of the University of Western
Macedonia was formulated as follows (Presidential
Decree No 72, 119/28-5-2013, part A'):
1.
Faculty of Education (based in Florina)
a.
Department of Primary Education (Florina)
2.
Faculty of Fine Arts (based in Florina)
3.
Faculty of Engineering (based in Kozani)
c.
Department of Environmental Engineering (2015-2016)
4.
Faculty of Life Long Learning (under
establishment)
5.
Faculty of Graduate Studies (under
establishment)
In addition to the above structure there is a number of cross-faculty Units
which are as follows:
-
Quality Assurance
Unit
-
Research Committee
-
Employment and Career
Development Office
-
Enterpreneurship and
Innovation Unit
-
Liaison Office
-
Internship Office
According to the legislation and
the instructions of the Ministry
of Education all higher education
institutions are currently obliged to follow an internal restructuring
process (development of Institutional Organizations and
Quality Assurance Units for the certification of all internal procedures and
educational programs, detailed recoding of all internal characteristics etc) aiming towards the accomplishment of uniform
operational and quality standards across all Higher Education Institutions.
Today
the University has 98 academic and research staff, 35 administrative staff,
3002 undergraduate students, 487 postgraduate students, and 191 PhD candidates.
The
annual progress of the student population of UOWM is illustrated in the
following Table:
Number of Students of UOWM
|
||||
Academic
Year
|
Number
of Undergraduate Students
|
Number
of Postgraduate Students
|
Number
of PhD students
|
Total
|
2007-2008
|
2176
|
250
|
120
|
2546
|
2008-2009
|
2521
|
422
|
133
|
3076
|
2009-2010
|
2699
|
473
|
133
|
3305
|
2010-2011
|
3014
|
496
|
146
|
3656
|
2011-2012
|
3081
|
469
|
184
|
3734
|
2012-2013
|
3002
|
487
|
191
|
3680
|
Source
of data: UOWM, Oct. 2014
In Florina there exists University owned building
facilities. However in Kozani the University operations are carried out in two
buildings that are provided by the local Municipality and are used for the
Administration and the Environmental laboratory respectively; and, three rented
buildings that are used to accommodate the Department of Mechanical Engineering,
the Department of Engineering Informatics and Telecommunications and the
Laboratories of the two Departments.
Strategic Development
The
University’s Strategic Development Plan till 2020, has already been developed
and submitted to the Greek Ministry of Education and it is pending approval and
publication. UOWM’s Strategic Development Plan (SDP) is linked and integrated into the national
restructuring and planning program for Higher Education (project Athena). According
to this plan, the School
of Engineering has formed
its own strategic plan which is based on its development as a centre of
excellence in the field of energy. A major emphasis in the strategy of the
other two Schools of the University is on the development of cross-border
collaborations with the neighboring countries in the sectors of environmental
management, enterpreneurship and innovation, energy resources, education etc.
These two aspects are the main directions which are strongly linked with
the developmental strategy of the regional authorities of Western
Macedonia.
In the SDP of UOWM, the establishment of two new Schools is proposed.
Firstly the School of Social Science
with main focus on the development of innovations in the fields of
Administration and International Relations; and, secondly the School of Agriculture
with orientation towards innovations in
agricultural production management and
marketing and also on the emergence
and promotion of
specific local products of the region. Both Schools, in combination with the existing ones, are expected to
contribute towards the transformation of the local economy and the available
skills in order to address the challenges of the post-lignite era.
Life-Long Learning
Although the School
of Life-long Learning is
under establishment in the aforementioned University structure, the Departments
are particularly active delivering over thirty
programs to graduates and professionals and
aims to contribute to the critical assessment of training needs in
the region in order to design
customized programs for the educational development of human resources that are
necessary. This is one of the central points of UOWM’s participation in the strategic planning of the regional authorities for the optimum development
and exploitation of the potential of the human capital.
At the moment there are eight active post-graduate
programs and four additional already approved graduate programs will commence
in the academic year 2015-2016. All these programs will be centrally managed by
the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Innovative Actions
In the UOWM there are three endowed chairs sponsored by the Public Power
Corporation of Greece and the establishment of these chairs takes place for first
time in the Greek higher education sector. Two of the chairs are focused on
energy related subjects and the third one specializes in entrepreneurship,
innovation and cross-border collaborations connecting these thematic areas with an innovative approach in the
framework of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Unit of UOWM organizing seminars and
other relevant interventions. The Employment and Career
Development Office of UOWM is acting as the interface between companies and University students and graduates. There is a strong University program for the
placement of students in companies in order to develop practical skills. UOWM
is quite active in student and staff exchanges with other European Universities
and has developed a Double-Degree program with Cranfield
University in the UK.
Cross-Border Activities
In the UOWM there has been a long tradition
of cross-border cooperation in Arts, culture and education through the activities of the two Schools of
Florina creating relations
of mutual trust and cooperation. In addition, the School of Engineering has participated into a large
number of International and Interregional Cooperation programs (Interreg, FP7, LLP,
European Grants, etc) with various subjects such as research and
development, environmental technologies, exploitation of energy resources,
development of enterpreneurship and innovation activities etc. A conference was
recently organized in Florina related to Energy Policy and Technologies with
the participation of stakeholders from the neighboring countries.
Energy and the Environment
Western Macedonia is the electric power generation center
of Greece and energy technologies are
crucial for the developmental efforts of the Region for a smooth
transition from traditional production methods based on lignite-fired Units into
new forms of production that are
more environmentally friendly. There is considerable expertise in energy related
issues, but the reduction of
lignite reserves and the anticipated
transition require transformation of the existing know-how and skills
towards modern generation technologies
related to alternative and renewable energy sources. The
Region will be crossed by a major gas transport pipeline and this will offer
the potential for cleaner power generation. Opportunities exist for the exploitation
of forest biomass for district heating systems in remote areas. The existing
major hydroelectric plants and the growing wind and solar energy installations
offer opportunities for pumped storage, the development of smart grids,
electric transport etc. A major challenge is the development of local manufacturing
of materials, parts and hardware required for renewable energy conversion and
energy savings. The environmentally acceptable use of fossil fuels
is the dominant priority
not only for the region of Western Macedonia
but for the whole country and the EU.
Significant efforts must focus on adopting
best practices available in the application of
existing and development of new technologies
to protect the environment. Systematic actions should
be targeted for the transformation of the skills
available to the existing workforce of the Region
towards development of entrepreneurship and innovation in new energy and environmental technologies. The above
developments will be based on high
quality education, the production of new knowledge and technology transfer from Universities and Research Centers
that have a dynamic presence in the
region.
There is a continuous requirement for education on issues related to modern energy technologies for engineers, scientists and researchers to deal with the needs of the Region which wishes to maintain its dominant role in power generation and energy technologies in Greece and in the neighboring countries. The energy market liberalization and internationalization lead to a much more competitive landscape requiring specialized knowledge. The establishment of a strong School of Engineering with emphasis on Energy and the Environment has to play a very important role in the development of the Region through education and research into new energy technologies mainly through the transfer and application of technology and know-how to the local production processes. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has managed to lead the efforts of Western Macedonia to become a Centre for Innovation in Energy Technologies with main industrial partner the Public Power Corporation, carrying out projects in collaboration with the local authorities, participating in European and national research and innovation projects and cooperating with research institutions in Greece and abroad.
Indicatively, for the year 2013, UOWM had 111 active research projects with a total budget of about 5.5 million Euros. A total number of 971 personnel staff (researchers and staff for administrative support) were employed in these projects. According to the European Research Rankings, UOWM was placed at the 6th position on research activity among 24 Greek Universities for 2010 whereas it accomplished the 2nd position in terms of the share of research publications with national and international collaborations.
Links with the Local Authorities
The interface between
UOWM and the strategic
planning of the regional
authorities of Western Macedonia is associated
with actions for the improvement of human resources (life-long training and
career development) and actions for the reorientation of the regional production structure (local competitive
products of high-added value, cross-border relations and
business development, transformation of the local traditional
coal-based economy to modern energy technologies, innovation in public
and private administration etc.). In addition, the University
has collaborated with the local authorities for the development of short and
long term action plans for sustainable development with reduced carbon dioxide
emissions.
The University has carried out collaborative research, has provided
consultancy and training services to local companies and authorities and
contributed towards the creation and expansion of a research base in the region
by training PhD students and attracting and offering employment to
highly-skilled researchers.
In addition, UOWM members of staff actively participate in regional
advisory committees for various topics including research, innovation,
developmental activities and funding priorities.
UOWM has significantly contributed in the development of the strategy for
smart specialization in the Region of Western Macedonia (RIS3) and
is anticipated to play a vital role in the
implementation process of this strategy that will lead
to a reactivation of the economy and a reorientation of the production sector
towards a more intelligent and sustainable economic model based on knowledge,
research and innovation in the strategic sectors of West Macedonia. The
University is planned to have a significant contribution in developmental
projects in the new programming period 2014-2020.
Social Dimension
Western Macedonia is a
region with declining and ageing population, very high level of unemployment
and a struggling economy with strong one-dimensional dependence on lignite mining
and power generation. The planned decommissioning of the power stations in
combination with the reduction of the lignite reserves will create a rapid
deterioration of the living standards and a continuous migration of young
people away from their region. The mountainous
characteristics and the low population density result in a very low return in
terms of job or wealth creation of any other investment except the development
of a local strong University which is the only hope for keeping the young generation
in the region, transforming the local economy and creating opportunities for
cross-border collaborations which will be of mutual benefit.
Development of the University Campus Infrastructure
According to a recent SWOT analysis,
a serious threat for UOWM is the
lack of owned facilities. The acquisition of such facilities will accommodate the educational and research activities and it will also
house the modern research and laboratory equipment that
has been recently acquired through the Operational Program of Western Macedonia
2007-2013 co-funded by the Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In addition, owned
good quality facilities will allow the development of an attractive academic environment for both staff and students which is
required for the sustainable growth of the University.
Currently the School
of Engineering uses a
number of dispersed rented buildings which are not attractive to students and
impose serious practical problems in the educational process and limitations in
the type of research work that can be carried out.
The infrastructure development program of the
University was accepted and singed on 23 March 2011, by the Ministry of
Education.
After this approval, a considerable investment
in combination with a serious collective and systematic effort has been devoted
by the Regional and Local authorities for the provision of land, the detailed
planning, the safeguarding of all the necessary permissions etc in order to end
up to a realistic and mature proposal for building the campus infrastructure of
the University.
The building infrastructure will consist of
approximately 16,000 square meters and will accommodate all the educational and
research activities of the three Department Schools of Engineering at
undergraduate and postgraduate level, the central administration of the
University, the library, the restaurant and places for recreational activities.
Around 25% of the allocated budget will be devoted for the development of
roads, networks, parking spaces, parks and landscaping that will allow further
building developments.
The estimated total budget of the project is about
40 million € and the implementation time approximately 3.5 years.
By 2023, it is anticipated that there will be
a 30% increase in the undergraduate student population, a 50% increase in the
number of PhD students and a 50% increase in the number of academic and research
staff. The campus will cover the University engineering educational needs of
the region in the relevant fields by 100%.
In conclusion, the development of a strong
regional University campus is extremely crucial for the continuation of the
existence of the University
of Western Macedonia in
the region. Failure to develop owned building facilities will have a serious
negative impact for the viability of the University which will compromise the
capacity of Western Macedonia to improve its
competitiveness and its important contribution to the sustainable regional
development.
ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ
ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑ
Η Δυτική Μακεδονία αποτελεί το ενεργειακό κέντρο της
χώρας μας και το θέμα της ενέργειας αποτελεί τον κεντρικό άξονα έδρασης των
αναπτυξιακών προσπαθειών της περιοχής και της στροφής από τις παραδοσιακές
μεθόδους παραγωγής από λιγνιτικές ρυπογόνες μονάδες σε νέες μορφές παραγωγής
που να είναι πιο φιλικές στο περιβάλλον. Στην περιοχή υπάρχει σημαντική
τεχνογνωσία σε ενεργειακά θέματα αλλά η μείωση των λιγνιτικών αποθεμάτων και η
επικείμενη μετάβαση στη μεταλιγνιτική περίοδο απαιτούν τον εμπλουτισμό και
στροφή της παραπάνω τεχνογνωσίας σε νέες σύγχρονες μεθόδους παραγωγής.
Η
περιβαλλοντικά αποδεκτή αξιοποίηση των ορυκτών καυσίμων αποτελεί κυρίαρχη
προτεραιότητα όχι μόνον για την Περιφέρεια της Δ. Μακεδονίας αλλά για το σύνολο
της χώρας. Η συνεχής προσπάθεια για αύξηση της συμμετοχής των Ανανεώσιμων Πηγών
Ενέργειας στο ενεργειακό μείγμα με ταυτόχρονη έμφαση στην εξοικονόμηση
ενέργειας αποτελεί μία εθνική προτεραιότητα.
Σημαντικές προσπάθειες επιβάλλεται να εστιαστούν στην υιοθέτηση
βέλτιστων διαθέσιμων πρακτικών με την εφαρμογή υπαρχόντων και ανάπτυξη νέων
τεχνολογιών για την προστασία του περιβάλλοντος από την παραγωγή ηλεκτρικής
ενέργειας. Ταυτόχρονα συστηματικές
δράσεις θα πρέπει να έχουν ως στόχο την μετάλλαξη του παραγωγικού ιστού της
περιοχής της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας μέσω ανάπτυξης επιχειρηματικότητας και
καινοτομίας σε νέες ενεργειακές και περιβαλλοντικές τεχνολογίες. Η παραπάνω
εξέλιξη θα πρέπει να εδραστεί σε υψηλής ποιότητας εκπαίδευση, στην παραγωγή
νέας γνώσης και στη μεταφορά τεχνολογίας από τα Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα
και τα Ερευνητικά Κέντρα που αναπτύσσονται δυναμικά στην περιοχή.
Υπάρχει διαρκής ανάγκη για
εκπαίδευση σε θέματα που να σχετίζονται με σύγχρονες ενεργειακές τεχνολογίες
έτσι ώστε οι μηχανικοί και οι επιστήμονες που ασχολούνται με σχετικά θέματα να
είναι σε θέση να ανταποκρίνονται στις νέες ανάγκες της κοινωνίας και της αγοράς
εργασίας αφού οι συμβατικές και παραδοσιακές μέθοδοι παραγωγής βρίσκονται υπό
συνεχή πίεση λόγω της αυξημένης περιβαλλοντικής επιβάρυνσης που συνεπάγεται η
χρήση τους. Ταυτόχρονα η απελευθέρωση της αγοράς ενέργειας, η ιδιωτικοποίηση
μονάδων και η διεθνοποίηση της αγοράς οδηγούν σε ένα πολύ περισσότερο
ανταγωνιστικό τοπίο όπου απαιτούνται εξειδικευμένες γνώσεις και διαρκής
εκπαίδευση.
Η
εδραίωση ισχυρής Πολυτεχνικής Σχολής με έμφαση στην Ενέργεια και το Περιβάλλον
έχει να διαδραματίσει έναν πολύ σημαντικό ρόλο στην ανάπτυξη της περιοχής με
την εκπαίδευση και την έρευνα σε θέματα κυρίως νέων ενεργειακών τεχνολογιών και
στη μεταφορά και εφαρμογή τεχνολογίας και τεχνογνωσίας στην τοπική παραγωγική
διαδικασία. Η Ενεργειακή Πολυτεχνική Σχολή έχει ως αποστολή αφενός την παροχή υψηλής ποιότητας εκπαίδευσης
εναρμονισμένης με τις ανάγκες της κοινωνίας σε προπτυχιακούς και μεταπτυχιακούς
φοιτητές και αφετέρου τη διεξαγωγή υψηλής ποιότητας βασικής και εφαρμοσμένης
έρευνας σε ένα διεθνές και ανταγωνιστικό περιβάλλον, προτείνοντας
πρακτικές και περιβαλλοντικά επιθυμητές λύσεις, οι οποίες θα βοηθούν τη
βιομηχανία και γενικότερα την οικονομία του τόπου.
Ο βασικός πυρήνας της Πολυτεχνικής Σχολής είναι το
Τμήμα Μηχανολόγων Μηχανικών στο οποίο δίνεται έμφαση σε ενεργειακά θέματα όπως
η παραγωγή και διαχείριση ενέργειας, η ορθολογική χρήση της και η
περιβαλλοντική προστασία. Η μέχρι τώρα πορεία του έχει να επιδείξει σημαντική
προσήλωση στην προαγωγή της εκπαίδευσης, της επιστημονικής έρευνας και της
γνώσης που αφορά σύγχρονες ενεργειακές τεχνολογίες και τις περιβαλλοντικές
επιπτώσεις της ενέργειας. Με τον τρόπο αυτό το Τμήμα
έχει επιτύχει στόχους όπως ο ηγετικός
ρόλος στην προσπάθεια η Δυτική Μακεδονία να γίνει πόλος
καινοτομίας στην ενέργεια με κύριο βιομηχανικό
εταίρο τη ΔΕΗ Α.Ε., η συμμετοχή του τμήματος
σε μεγάλα Ευρωπαϊκά και Εθνικά Προγράμματα Έρευνας και
Καινοτομίας καθώς και η συνεργασία του με ερευνητικούς
φορείς στην Ελλάδα και στο εξωτερικό.
Η στρατηγική του Τμήματος που τόσο έντονα διαχέεται
και αντανακλάται στο πρόγραμμα σπουδών του, είναι η δημιουργία ενός Τμήματος με
εθνική και ευρωπαϊκή εμβέλεια στην πρόοδο, μεταφορά και εφαρμογή γνώσεων στην
επιστήμη του Μηχανολόγου Μηχανικού με έμφαση στην παραγωγή, μεταφορά, χρήση και
διαχείριση με αναπτυξιακή προοπτική των ενεργειακών πόρων.