Issue 1

Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Cooperative Design Engineering Education with Industrial Partners

Jointly with industrial partners, the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) has established a new educational initiative – the Cooperative Education (Co-op) option – in the revised curriculum of her BEng(Hons) in Product Analysis and Engineering Design (PAED) programme. The initiative aims to help PAED students master key PAED knowledge in engineering analysis, design and business through real-world experiential learning in professional setting. The option is facilitated through an internship covering summer weeks before final year PAED study and the subsequent semester-long PAED capstone project. A Co-op student is engaged in a remunerated full-time training/entry-level position and perform design engineering tasks for industrial partner’s R&D business. That way helps PAED students keep abreast of the latest industrial innovation trends among local and international customers’ desire.

The first Co-op option was launched successfully in 2020. ME greatly appreciates the keen support gained from a number of participating industrial partners, namely Jardine Engineering Corporation, Dongguan Hong Da Electric Products Co. Ltd. – Miele DG, Panasonic Life Solutions (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., Raymond Industrial Ltd., Time Medical Limited, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas), Wilson Acoustics Limited, etc.

Dr Randolph Leung, the Programme Leader, said as a Co-op student was under joint supervision of an academic staff from the Department and a professional supervisor from his/her industrial partner, the student can leverage the realistic design engineering knowledge he/she acquired to conduct a solo project to fulfill all the programme learning outcomes of PAED capstone project to gain its six academic credits. It was really a big surprise that the whole class of PAED Year 3 students secured their Co-op opportunities for 5-6 months in the first year of Co-op operation even in the difficult days of COVID-19 outbreak. As revealed in their self-reflection and evaluation after Co-op, all students affirm the effectiveness of PAED learning with experience in professional settings and they are more confident in tackling challenges in the field. The Co-op experience definitely helps promote their early professional development and enhance their work-readiness for job-seeking.

In 2021, ME is still actively exploring more Co-op opportunities for current Year 3 Co-op students. We always welcome industrialists and engineering professionals from various business sectors to discuss any Co-op opportunities which benefit the advancement of both engineering education as well as the industry.

Contacts for PAED Co-op
Dr Randolph C. K. Leung
Programme Leader, BEng (Hons) in Product Analysis and Engineering Design
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Phone: 2766 6645; Email: randolph.leung@polyu.edu.hk

Ms Karen Cho
Assistant Marketing Manager
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Phone: 2766 7935; Email: karen.cho.sy@polyu.edu.hk

So Ming Lim participated in the Co-op scheme and was recruited by the Panasonic Life Solutions (Hong Kong) Corporation Limited. Before starting the Co-op work, he underestimated the complexity of manufacturing products. He then learned that there were numerous steps and thorough consideration for each component of a product. The co-op experience really broadened his mind and horizons.

Chan Kit Ying worked for the Raymond Industrial Limited as a Co-op intern. Through the internship, she has acquired hands-on knowledge of how to develop a centrifugal fan from scratch. There were plenty of things learnt from the internship, not only the knowledge and theory but also practical skills which are useful for her future career development. Lai Kei Biu was hired by the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited. During the internship, he learned how to design, install and maintain kitchen cabinets. He took great pleasure in working for Towngas and obtaining a very rewarding learning experience.

Please visit the Department website to learn more about the Co-op scheme and the students’ sharing.