Instructions
The instructions, following a government decision of May 23 1996 may in short be described as follows:

• Renewal of structure, content, organisation, education, examination etc. Co-ordination of the different programs.
• Pedagogical renewal.
• More women and a gender perspective in the education.
• More social sciences, humanities, artistic and practical work, knowledge about the environment.
• Life-long learning and enhanced knowledge transfer between universities and industry.
• Mutual exchange of experience, conferences.
• The project runs 1996 to 1998 with a final report March 1 1999.

Idea and organisation
We have started from the words in the instructions that the goal is to "renew the engineering programs in Sweden". A renewal means with a modern process-oriented way of thinking to start and keep alive a process, the goal of which is a continuous improvement. We thus work with the central idea of participation from all the universities and colleges having engineering programs. A development idea which is born locally and is pursued locally is nurtured by a self-interest of success and is therefore a strong motivation to keep the development process alive.

 
Areas of work and development

What is an engineer?
We have put this question to working engineers and University teachers, e g at a conference in the fall of 1997. The answers are, in order of priority:
Technical competence
Social competence, a holistic view, aiming at results
Administrative competence, quality-minded, creative, flexible
Anchored in reality, hungry for knowledge, managing ability, knowledge of languages, ethical competence, responsibility
Engineers are found to lack social competence, particularly communication skills.

Goal A book with essays written by people inside and outside the universities.
 

Teaching and Education
Laboratory and practical work, examination, integration of disciplines, pedagogy, use of information technology .

Goal A developing student-centred University.

 
Content and organisation of the programs
Relations and roles for teachers and students, education for students of both sexes, flexibility, social sciences, humanities, environment, artistic and practical work, gender perspective, relation to post-graduate education, relation between different programs.

Goal: A book with experiences of teaching of social sciences and humanities. Ongoing change towards a more flexible organisation of the universities and colleges.

 
Relations between universities and society
Relations between the universities and the work-place, communication and interaction, relations between the universities and lower educational organisations.

Goal: Enhanced co-operation between universities and society.
 

Recruitment
Broader recruitment, forms of admission, paths of influence.