University of Sheffield Secures Funding to Train Future Engineers

The University of Sheffield has been allocated funding to establish a new Center for Doctoral Training (CDT), which will train students in skills important for the future of the United Kingdom’s manufacturing.

The donation is part of the UK’s largest-ever investments in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills, an amount of £1 billion, announced by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan.

In a statement released on March 12, the university highlights the investment aims to help the university prepare the next generation of engineers, Erudera.com reports.

The new Center for Doctoral Training at Sheffield is expected to work closely with the industry to prepare engineers with advanced skills that are required for sectors in need. Sheffield’s Faculty of Engineering will lead the center.

Additionally, the initiative involves teaming up with the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), a network of world-leading research and innovation hubs.

“Digital technologies are recognised as a key productivity enabler, however there are significant challenges in integrating them into UK manufacturing and the economy,” the University of Sheffield said.

“Sheffield’s CDT is set to address these by equipping students with digital skill sets dedicated to the four productivity challenges in manufacturing; sustainability, speed, quality and flexibility.”

Commenting on the support, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, Koen Lamberts, said that engineering is part of the university’s fabric. He added that AMRC and engineering faculty work very closely with the industry to provide the best engineering education in the world.

“I am delighted to see our expertise recognised through these awards and I am looking forward to seeing the impact they have on the careers of our students, UK industry and the economy,” Lamberts said.

Similarly, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the university, Neil Sims, said the collaboration provides a great opportunity for the UK’s manufacturing sector to increase its productivity through digital engineering.

According to the statement, as part of the £1 billion investment, the University of Sheffield is also partnering in nine other newly established Center for Doctoral Training, including:

• Developing National Capability for Materials
• Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience
• Fusion Power
• Sustainable Sound Futures
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Green Industrial Futures
• Water Infrastructure and Resilience
• Cyber-physical Systems for Medicine Development and Manufacturing (CEDAR)
• SATURN - Skills and Training Underpinning Renaissance in Nuclear
• Compound semiconductors

The focus of these centers is to strengthen education in fields that are essential for the country.

The University of Sheffield was founded in 1879. There are 30,307 students enrolled at the university as of the 2022/23 academic year. The school also attracts over 30,000 international students from over 150 countries.

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