The epidemiological as well as political situation has brought forward the absolute necessity to enhance the quantity and quality of technical education e-learning in the Belarusian higher education system. To help the Belarusian higher education institutions, professors and staff from the Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics in Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) have launched an educational project together with the Belarusian State University of Technology, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia.
The project proposes teaching materials and good practices exchange in the field of energy conversion technology between TalTech and Belarusian State University of Technology. During the project, fresh and novel technical study materials are translated into languages fit for Belarusian universities and the materials will be adjusted to fit the curricula through e-learning. In addition, knowledge of hybrid and distance learning in technical education is transferred between partnering universities.
The subjects, which are developed within the project are “Motors Control and Electrical Drives” and “Failures and reliability of electrical devices” Also, the planes involve publishing a study book titled “Fundamentals of Electrical Machines” in Belarusian language, authored by Ants Kallaste, Toomas Vaimann, Anton Rassõlkin, Kuno Janson (all from TalTech). The book is planned to be made available in printed version as well as an e-book.
“The project is launched to help the promising young technical students of Belarus in order to get the best possible knowledge in up-to-date electrical machines and drives technologies, used in industry.” commented the project leader and professor of Mechatronics Anton Rassõlkin from TalTech. “We hope that this partnership will lead to further cooperation with both the higher education institutions as well as researchers and students from Belarus,” added prof. Rassõlkin.
The ongoing unstable situation in Belarus have however not let all the planned activities to take place. Visits for knowledge transfer and best practices exchange in Tallinn and Minsk have so far been postponed. “We are thankful for our colleagues from TalTech to have invited us to the project, and we hope that also the visits to Estonia and Belarus can take place in the nearest future,” said the Belarusian partner and Head of the Department of Automation of Technological Processes and Electrical Engineering in Belarusian State University of Technology, prof. Dzmitry Karpovich.
Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics is also hoping that the project and cooperation will attract international students for short time study visits in Bachelor’s programme “Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics”, Master’s programmes “Energy Conversion and Control Systems” and “Electrical Power Engineering”. In addition, the fully English Master’s programme “Mechatronics” invites full time international students to join the studies. The admission period in TalTech starts in January 2022.
Toomas Vaimann
Programme Director, Energy Conversion and Control Systems
Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics
Tallinn University of Technology