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Report of activities
Responsible for this booklet: Nicolas Moussiopoulos
Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Dean of the School of Engineering
Editing: Pericles Latinopoulos
Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering
Grigoris Kafkalas
Professor in the Department of Architecture
Zissis Samaras
Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Technical support: Afrodite Papageorgiou
Civil Engineer, staff member and PhD candidate in the the Department of Civil Engineering
Christina Kakderi
Economist, PhD candidate
in the the Department of Architecture
Publication Design: ARTinGRAPH (Theodoros Papaioannou)
A
ny contemporary public university must combine high quality education with research, while con-tributing to the solution of various problems that society faces. Research is needed in order to produce new knowledge which feeds into teaching, while the university's social contribution often stems from the implementation of research results. Research is therefore of great importance in the triptych of education-research-social contribution. Moreover, research stimulates the innovation essential for national economic development and raising living standards.For more than fifty years, the School of Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has demon-strated its ability to play a leading part in research, successfully competing with famous engineering fac-ulties abroad. International recognition of many of its research teams and numerous success stories and awards prove that we are on the right track. The contribution our students make to research is also an important factor in this success. Additional financing through external research funding allows us to de-velop our infrastructure, and is of great importance, particularly when the public budget is inadequate. Last but not least, the acquisition of financial support which enables new graduates to join research teams, pro-vides an important additional benefit as it enables them to acquire advanced knowledge and improve their career potential.
With this booklet the newly established Research Council of the School of Engineering attempts to chart both research activities and the potential that exists in the school's various departments and laboratories. I would like to warmly thank all the colleagues who helped in collecting this information and congratulate the members of the Council for the very informative analysis which they conducted. I believe that this booklet documents the high level of research activities in our school, a fact of particular importance during this period of increasing pressures and high expectations of higher education in our country.
Professor Nicolas S. Moussiopoulos
Dean of the School of Engineering of AUTh
Aim of this booklet
During its 52 years of existence, the School of Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) has produced high level educational and research work, at international as well as national level. Contributory factors include its staff and the infrastructure of scientific equipment that facilitate a parallel development of teaching programmes and research activities.
In times of rapid evolution in most scientific fields - especially in technology oriented fields - every note-worthy research organization needs to be able to identify its contribution to the production of research and to constantly search for ways and means to improve it. For public organizations, publishing the results of such efforts is an obligation both to the state and to society in general. In this spirit, the School of Engi-neering of AUTh, being the most important technology orientated research institution in the wider region of Central Macedonia, is committed to recording and publishing all aspects of its research activity. This booklet contributes to fulfilling this commitment. It presents the available information about ongoing research, it analyses the environment in which this research occurs and it sets out the framework for the evaluation of existing capabilities and the results of research activities. In the following pages we present a review of the most important facts as well as an assessment of the research that has been taking place. It should be noted that this project is an initiative of the School of Engineering and is the first such attempt to take the form of an autonomous publication.
Actors and sources of data
This booklet has been produced in response to an initiative of the Dean of the School of Engineering. It was compiled by one of the Deanery's consulting bodies, the Research Council, following a decision that all the departments of the School that have been conducting research for over a decade should be repre-sented. The mission of the Research Council, a committee established at the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, is to support, strengthen and develop the research activities of the School of Engineering. From the beginning of its operation, the Research Council appreciated that the success of its mission de-pended on the analytic charting and the simultaneous critical survey of every activity connected to re-search. Thus it initiated a procedure of searching, collecting and processing every fact and piece of
Types of research activity
Scientific research includes every project aiming to promote scientific knowledge, whether according to existing, internationally accepted theories, or through the processing and production of new theories which become accepted by the international scientific community. The main characteristic of research is innova-tion; this distinguishes it from all other kinds of scientific activity. Two related terms, research activity and research work, are also used to cover qualitative and quantitative description of the research being con-ducted either by an individual or a group. We can also classify as research work, the object of a specific project, which can alternatively be characterized as a research programme.
Research is conducted in every scientific sector and in very specific thematic fields (specializations). Just as the depth of knowledge in specialized subjects continually increases so too does interdisciplinary re-search develop. This latter concerns wider thematic fields covering subjects of interest across different sci-entific sectors. Research institutions are assessed on the thematic breadth of their research activity, i.e. the totality of the scientific fields in which the research work is conducted, whether specialized or inter-disciplinary.
Research can also be categorised according to its aims, its content and the support - mainly financial - of its conduct. A first distinction, relating to the aims and content of research, can be made between pure (basic) and applied research. Basic research aims to increase and improve knowledge regardless of whether its results have immediate practical application. In contrast, the primary aim of applied research is to produce immediately useful results, even when it is possible to produce new knowledge at the same time.
Technological research is considered to be closer to applied research. It involves systematic work based on existing knowledge which focuses on the production of new materials, products or regulations as well as on the setting up of new processes, systems or services for specific and special applications. Techno-logical research constitutes a significant proportion of research activity in different engineering fields. Secondly, research activity can be categorised according to who selects the object of the research and
University research in Greece
In recent years institutions of tertiary level university education have, throughout the world, experienced important changes in their role and mission. Pressure for these changes has come from an increased social demand for higher education and an increased economic demand for more development-orientated research and innovation. The inability of state financing to cover the cost of educational expansion chal-lenges university staff to meet the deficit through becoming more involved in externally financed research. At the same time academics strive for validation, not only of their educational skills but also of their re-search abilities. These pressures have shaped the rere-search orientation of the tertiary level institutions. Traditionally, the main research interest of the university was basic research, with the supervision of doc-toral theses being the apex of such activity. Today, research activity in universities also includes important work of an applied or technological nature, mostly financed by external sources. Greece is no exception to this trend. As the number of other research institutions in the country (state research centers and in-stitutes and private enterprises) is limited and does not cover the whole spectrum of scientific fields, the fact that the research work conducted by universities constitutes around half of the national total is not surprising.
Research in Greek higher level education institutes increasingly adapts to demand and current trends in policies promoting research activity. European policy for the increase of research activity in member coun-tries, which involves high subsidies, and domestic support, with financing mainly coming from the public but also from the private sector, have both motivated an important group of Greek academics to initiate and undertake research work.
The conduct of financed research in a university institution is subject to a very specific institutional frame-work. Administrative and financial management is centrally controlled through the Special Account of Re-search Funds which is run by each University’s ReRe-search Committee. As well as being regulated by national laws, each institution develops its own policy of research administration and management with its own ad-ditional rules and directives.
Much research work, especially large-scale work, which is undertaken by individual university research teams, is generated through taking part in open competition set up by national agencies and/or the Eu-ropean Union. Success in undertaking such research reflects the quality and prestige of the institution's scientific potential. The extent of scientific activity can be assessed through records of the amount of re-search work which is undertaken by each institution, together with the corresponding budgets. Other sig-nificant indicators include the number of institution staff who are involved and the number of collaborations with other institutions and research agencies, whether national or international.
AUTh's presence in research
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest tertiary level education institution in Greece. The education of about 95,000 students, of whom 9,000 are postgraduates, and the production of new knowledge through research are the two keystones of its activity. A special feature of Aristotle University is the wide range of scientific fields covered by its 12 schools consisting of 42 departments. The university's research activity is conducted in about 250 laboratories, spread throughout its different departments. The AUTh’s human resources comprise about 2,400 members of teaching and research staff and 2,100 members of technical and administrative staff. More than half of the scientific staff also contribute to financially sup-ported research work, while the number of external researchers (scientists and technicians) involved in these research projects adds up to an annual average of approximately 5,000 persons.
AUTh implements funded research projects, as well as other studies and similar services, through its Re-search Committee. Many scientific fields are covered, including the following: environment, energy, ma-terials, informatics, industrial technology, communications, transport, biotechnology, biomedical science and health, agriculture, forestry and fishery, education and language, history, archeology and social sci-ences. The extent of its research activity is indicated by the fact that during 2004-2006, the Research Committee managed projects with a total budget of 150 million euros, while more than 1,000 research projects are currently in progress.
Research and technological development projects are financed by national, European and international agencies. The main agencies of national financing are ministries, local authorities, public agencies and some private companies. A large number of research projects is financed by the European Commission’s General Directorates, especially that of Research. A number of projects financed by other international agencies or large enterprises that focus on technology and research applications, is also notable. AUTh's own research activity forms the basis for the development of a wider range of collaborations with institu-tions and agencies at European and international level. During the last few years the university has col-laborated with a total of 1,750 institutional partners (1,075 of which were other universities) in about 970 projects financed by the European framework programmes for research and technological development. The main lever for the development and successful conducting of research in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the institution's research policy, which pursues the promotion of quality and the achieve-ment of excellence through its concern with issues such as qualitative operation, support of interdisciplinary research, development of research infrastructures and rewarding of new researchers.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
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Establishment of the Department of Civil Engineering (1955-56) Establishment of the Department of Architecture (1956-57)
Establishment of the Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering (1962-63) Establishment of the Department of Mechanical-Electrical Engineering (1972-73) Establishment of the Department of Chemical Engineering (1972-73)
Division of the Department of Mechanical-Electrical Engineering into the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering (1976-77)
Establishment of the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computational Sciences (1982-83) Renaming of the Department of Electrical Engineering
as the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (1993-94)
Establishment of the Department of Urban-Regional Planning and Development Engineering (2004-05, accommodated in the town of Veroia)
Historical retrospective
AUTh’s School of Engineering was founded in 1955. It was the eighth school set up at the university fol-lowing the School of Philosophy (1926), the School of Sciences (1927) from which came the School of Agri-culture and Forestry (1937), the School of Law, Economics and Political Sciences (1929), the School of Medicine and the School of Theology (1942) and the School of Veterinary Medicine (1950). The first de-partment of the School of Engineering was the Dede-partment of Civil Engineering which was founded in the October of 1955 and has been operating continuously since then.
The eight departments of the School of Engineering currently operate with a total staff of more than 600, engaged with the education and training of 9,500 under-graduates and 1,500 post-graduate students, while 21,000 engineers of the School’s departments have already graduated. At the same time, as is an-alytically presented in the following pages, a significant percentage of the School’s staff makes important contributions to the second important axis of academic activity, research.
Structure and organization
In line with the constitutional framework, the School of Engineering operates centrally from its Dean’s Council, which is chaired by the elected Dean. Furthermore, every department has its own elected admin-istration with its Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Administrative Boards as well as its own Secretariat, while all most important decisions about operational matters are made in the department’s General Assembly. The education and research activities of every department are divided into separate divisions, which include the laboratories and the research units. The divisions represent the primary structures of every department and deal with the specific scientific fields of each department.
Table 1 shows the departments and their individual divisions and tables 2-8 show each division’s labora-tories within each department and the individual research units. In the laboralabora-tories, both research and teaching takes place, while research units are dedicated centers for conducting research activity.
CIVIL ENGINEERING (CE) ARCHITECTURE (AR) RURAL AND SURVEYING ENGINEERING (RSE) MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (ME) ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING (ECE) CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (CHE) MATHE-MATICS, PHYSICS & COMPUTA-TIONAL SCIENCES (MPC) Structural Engineering Hydraulics and Environ-mental Engineering Geotechnical Engineering Transport, Infrastructure, Management and Regional Planning Engineering Architectural Design & Visual Arts Architectural & Urban Design Urban & Regional Planning & Development History of Architecture, History of Art, Architectural Morphology & Restoration Architectural Design & Architectural Technology Geodesy & Surveying Cadastre, Photogrammetry & Cartography Hydraulics & Transportation Energy Design & Structures Industrial Management Electrical Energy Electronic & Computer Engineering Telecommunica-tions Chemistry Unit Operations and Applied Thermodynamics Analysis, Design & Control of Chemical Processes & Plants Technology Physics Mechanics Computing Methods & Computer Program-ming Mathema-tics TABLE 1. Departments and their Divisions
D EP A R TM EN TS D I V I S I O N S
DIVISION Structural Engineering Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering Geotechnical Engineering Transport, Infrastructure, Management and Regional Planning Engineering In the Department L A B O R A T O R I E S Lab of Struc-tural Analysis & Dynamics of Structures Lab of Hydraulics & Hydraulic Works Lab of Geodesy & Geomatics Lab of Highway Engineering Lab of Philosophy & Technology Lab of Metal Structures Lab of Environmental Engineering & Planning Lab of Soil Mechanics, Foundations & Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Lab of Building Machinery & Management Lab of Reinforced Concrete and Reinforced Masonry Lab of Maritime Engineering & Maritime Works Lab of Surveying Engineering Lab of Transport Engineering Lab of Experimental Strength of Materials Lab of Water Resources Engineering & Management Lab of Photo-grammetry & Remote Sensing Lab of Regional Planning Lab of Construction and Building Physics Lab of Building Materials Lab of Mechanics of Materials and Structures TABLE 2. Department of Civil Engineering – Labs by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S – R E S E A R C H U N I T S
Architectural Design & Visual Arts
Architectural & Urban Design
Urban & Regional Planning & Development History of Architecture, History of Art, Architectural Morphology & Restoration
Architectural Design &
Architectural Technology Research labs that don’t belong
in Divisions
Lab of Architectural
Design of Buildings & Visual Ensembles
Lab of Theory & Practice
of Architecture & Urban Design I Lab of Urban Planning & History Lab of History of Architecture, History of Art & Architectural Morphology Lab of Technology Museum of Architecture & Lab of Architectural Models Lab of Visual & Applied Arts Lab of Theory & Practice
of Architecture & Urban Design II Lab of Urban & Environmental Planning Lab of Preservation, Restoration & Museology Lab of Design Lab of Computer Use in the Design of Space Lab of Architectural Theory & Critique
Spatial Development Research Unit Urban & Regional Innovation Research Unit TABLE 3. Department of Architecture – Labs and Research Units by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S
Geodesy & Topography
Cadastre, Photogrammetry &
Cartography Hydraulics & Transportation
Lab of Geodetic Methods & Satellite Applications Lab of Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing Lab of Hydro-informatics Lab of Topography
Lab of Cadastre & Geographical Information
Systems Lab of Transportation Applications
Lab of Gravity Field Studies
and Applications Lab of Cartography
& Geographical Analysis Lab of Marine Applications
& Environmental Management TABLE 4. Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering – Labs by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S Energy Design & Structures Lab of Applied Thermodynamics Machine Dynamics Lab Lab of Process Equipment Design Lab of Machine Tools & Manufacturing Lab of Heat Transfer & Environmental Engineering Physical Metallurgy Lab Lab of Fluid Mechanics & Turbomachinery Lab of Machine Elements & Mechine Design TABLE 5. Department of Mechanical Engineering – Labs by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S Electrical Energy Electronic & Computer Engineering Tele-communication Laboratory of Electrical Machines Laboratory of Electronics Applied & Computational Electro-magnetics Unit Laboratory of Power Systems Laboratory of Automation and Robotics Radar & Microwaves Unit Laboratory of High-Voltage Laboratory of Information Processing and Computing Electroacoustics Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Laboratory of Computing Systems Architecture Signal Processing & Biomedical Technology Unit Laboratory of Materials for Electrotechnics Optical Tele- Communi-cations Unit Communication Systems and Networks TABLE 6. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering – Labs and Research Units by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S
Chemistry Unit Operations
and Applied Thermodynamics Analysis, Design & Control of Chemical Processes & Plants Technology Lab of Organic Chemistry Lab of Chemical Engineering A Lab of Chemical Engineering B Lab of Lab of Inorganic Chemistry Lab of Thermo-Physical Properties Lab of Chemical Process
& Plant Design Lab of Lab of Analytical Chemistry Lab of Lab of Physical Chemistry Lab of TABLE 7. Department of Chemical Engineering – Labs by Division
DIVISION L A B O R A T O R I E S
Physics Mechanics Computing Methods & Computer Programming
Mathematics
Physics Lab Mechanics Lab
Lab of Informatics, Computing Methods & Information System Security Lab of Non-Linear Mathematics
TABLE 8. Department of Mathematics, Physics & Computational Sciences – Labs by Division
The establishment of most of these laboratories was originally based on teaching needs. Over the years, though, the undertaking of important research initiatives and the expansion of research activity in every department of the School have also shaped how the School’s Laboratories developed. As can also be seen from the presentation of these academic units, staff are active across a wide range of scientific fields. Fur-thermore, in the different engineering sectors, traditional fields of expertise coexist with advanced appli-cations of new technologies.
The human potential
The permanent staff of the School of Engineering numbers 644 in total; 351 Teaching and Research Staff (TRS) and 293 scientific, technical and administrative staff. The distribution of staff throughout the Faculty’s departments is illustrated in Table 9 below. TRS, STS and SLTS staff contribute to teaching work. Addi-tionally, some teaching duties are assigned to a number of scientists who are employed on fixed term con-tracts according to Presidential Decree 407/1980, to cover lack of specific scientific specializations. At the same time, there is a notable number of non scientific staff working in research activities, either through an AUTh’s Research Committee work contract, as a post graduate scholar, as an unsalaried doctoral can-didate, or on secondment from secondary education. Many of these partners also contribute to the School’s teaching activities.
DEPARTMENT Civil Engineering
TRS STS SLTS STLS PLCS AS
103 12 12 12 23 16
Architecture 76 6 3 7 15 9
Rural & Surveying
Engineering 36 - 5 10 7 5
Urban-Regional Planning
& Development Engineering 2 2
Mechanical Engineering 33 8 6 19 15 7
Chemical Engineering 34 11 11 13 10 3
Mathematics, Physics
& Computational Sciences 27 3 3 4 1 2
TOTALS 351 46 48 76 76 47
Electrical & Computer
Engineering 42 6 8 11 3 3
TABLE 9. Distribution of the School’s Permanent Staff by Department
TRS: Teaching and Research Staff STS: Special Teaching Staff SLTS: Special Laboratory Teaching Staff
STLS: Special Technical Laboratory Staff PLCS: Private Law Contract Staff
AS: Administrative Staff
As can be seen in Table 9 above, the distribution of the 351 TRS members within the seven departments of the School (excluding the Department of Urban-Regional Planning & Development Engineering which doesn’t yet have any TRS) ranges from 27 in the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computational Sciences to 103 in the Department of Civil Engineering. It should be noted that:
The Study System
The School of Engineering is structured mainly in line with mid-European academic models, supplying the quality of scientific background required for graduates to gain employment. Graduate engineers need both breadth and depth in their scientific background, so they can meet the demands of their future jobs for depth of knowledge in their own specialist field and across other fields as well, while following the rapid technological evolution of services. Within this framework, every department of the School shapes its ed-ucational programmes on two levels: undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Undergraduate studies
In every department engineering study comprises a series of compulsory core modules, supplemented by a number of optional modules in various specialized subjects. The duration of studies cover ten semesters and are completed by the elaboration of a Dissertation (equivalent to a Master’s degree) during the tenth semester. This project is an extensive study in a particular specialist scientific field.
Two characteristic parameters related to the undergraduate studies offered by the departments of the School of Engineering are the numbers of students which are envolled and of those who graduate every year. Figure 1 shows the averages of these two parameters during the six-year period 2000-2005 for each one of the departments.
Two main points to note from Figure 1 are:
a) The wide variation in the number of enrolled students, and therefore the number of graduates, across departments with the Civil Engineering Department and the Electrical and Computer Engineering De-partment having more enrolled students than all the others combined.
b) The apparently low ratio of graduates to enrolled students during these six years, across all depart-ments. This is mainly due to the expansion in the number of enrolled students during this period and the inevitable time lag before they graduate rather than because some students prolong their studies. For example, in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the number of enrolled stu-dents has doubled since 2000.
Postgraduate studies
During the last decade, many of the School’s departments started organizing postgraduate study pro-grammes for further specialization of graduated engineers or of other graduates with similar specializations in various fields and sectors. These are either managed alone or in collaboration with other departments of the School, AUTh or other universities. The postgraduate programmes designed and run by the De-partment of the School of Engineering are shown in Table 10. In the same table each postgraduate pro-gramme’s duration is indicated, as well as whether they are run by just one department (departmental) or more (interdepartmental). In the latter case the department in bold is currently the overseeing one, al-though it is possible for the participating departments to take turns in running a programme. There is also a programme run by the Mechanical Engineering Department called “Management of Production Systems“ whose operation is suspended at the time of writing the booklet.
50 0 εισαχθέντες ΠΜ ΑΜ ΑΤΜ ΜΜ ΗΜΜΥ ΧΜ απόφοιτοι 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Figure 1. Average Numbers of Enrolled Students and Graduates of the School of Engineering (2000-2005)
N u m b e r s o f s t u d e n t s Enrolled students Graduates
PROGRAMME NAME STUDY DURATION
Antiseismic Design of Structures Environmental Protection and
Sustainable Development Planning, Organization
& Management of Transport Systems Administration & Management
of Structures Protection, Conservation & Restoration of Cultural Monuments Landscape Architecture Museology Geoinformatics Techniques & Methods for Spatial Analysis, Planning
& Management 2 semesters 2 semesters 2 semesters 2 semesters 3 semesters 4 semesters 4 semesters 2 semesters 2 semesters PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS Civil Engineering Civil Engineering Civil Engineering
Rural & Surveying Engineering Transportation Institute
Civil Engineering
Architecture
Civil Engineering Rural & Surveying Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Electrical & Computer Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Mathematics, Physics & Computational Sciences
Architecture
Agriculture
Architecture
Mechanical Engineering Early Childhood Education
Primary Education Rural & Surveying Engineering Rural & Surveying Engineering TABLE 10: School of Engineering’s Specialist Postgraduate Programmes
The postgraduate programmes of the School of Engineering cover a wide breadth of scientific fields, are significantly different from the undergraduate programmes in terms of their educational orientation and are characterized by their interdisciplinary nature. Most of them have a distinctly applied nature, but the knowledge, skills and competences acquired also provide a sound background for those who decide to con-tinue to the elaboration of a doctoral thesis. As the process of elaborating a doctoral thesis is the phase which marks the completion of a young scientist’s educational training and the beginning of the training in research, doctoral postgraduate studies are covered in the next section.
This section contains a systematic recording and analysis of the two basic categories of scientific research conducted in the School of Engineering i.e. doctoral theses awarded by the School’s departments over the last decade and recent funded research activities. This first attempt at a complete collection and processing of the details of conducted research aims to inform on current strengths and weaknesses and also to gen-erate proposals for further improvement. It also provides a reference point for ongoing research tracking.
Doctoral Theses
Data on doctoral theses are an important factor of any university's basic research assessment. A remark-able number of doctoral theses have been completed at AUTh’s School of Engineering during the last decade, as shown in Figure 2.
50 60 70
53 53
63
Figure 2 . Number of Doctoral Theses defended in the School of Engineering (1997-2006)
As shown in Figure 2 above, a total of 413 theses have been conducted under the supervision of 147 pro-fessors. The average rate of doctoral diplomas per year, in the whole of the School of Engineering, is 41. This development has an intermediary variance but generally follows an upward trend. The lowest number of theses is at the beginning of the decade (26) and the highest at the ending (63).
The way a doctoral thesis is conducted is established by national law and the relevant internal regulation of each department. The essential requirement for a doctoral diploma is that the candidate carries out an original, complete research project that advances scientific knowledge in the field. When the doctorate is carried out within the framework of a particular postgraduate studies programme then there is also some compulsory course attendance. Such programmes are offered by three departments of the School - Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Rural and Surveying Engineering.
Doctoral diplomas require at least three years of research, during which the research/doctoral project is completed and written up. The longest time permitted is six years, but the doctorate may be interrupted for a certain period of time, in which case it may span more than six years.
Most of the School of Engineering’s doctorate holders have received their doctoral diplomas in the same scientific field as their first degree. There are, though, many doctoral projects conducted by researchers with first degrees from a different department. This is an indication of the interdisciplinary character of the research conducted in the School as well as of its ability to attract researchers from many scientific fields. This is most obvious in the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computational Sciences which, since it doesn’t grant first degrees, attracts candidates from a range of different specialist fields. The depart-ments of Civil Engineering and Rural and Surveying Engineering follow (see Figure 3).
50 60 70 80 90 100
Figure 3: Percentage Analogies of First Degree Origination/Doctoral Diploma of the School of Engineering (1997-2006)
20 0 40 60 80 100 120 111 50 63 62 91 14 14 32 37 28 21 12 10 15 ΠΜ ΑΜ ΑΤΜ ΜΜ ΗΜΜΥ ΧΜ Γ
Doctors Supervising Professors
The doctoral theses awarded by each department in the School of Engineering from 1997 to 2006 are dis-played in Figure 4. The Civil Engineering and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments have the highest number of doctoral theses. The number of doctoral theses undertaken relates to each depart-ment’s individual characteristics such as their research orientation, their size, their research tradition and the participation of the prospective doctors in research programmes.
The basic aims of the doctoral research conducted in the departments of the School of Engineering are: a) to ensure high added value for both the prospective doctors and the university institutions, b) the preparation of new, skilled doctors capable of an academic career and c) the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for the country’s development.
Funded Research
Funded research in the School of Engineering takes place within the framework of the operation of the Research Committee, as well as in line with relevant national and European legislation. As shown in Figure 5, the magnitude of AUTh’s funds for research in the School of Engineering demonstrates the extensive research activity of its seven departments. During 2001-2006 the total value of the funds for 865 research programmes exceeded 65 million euros, 13 million euros being the average annual amount. These figures indicate that the School of Engineering acquires almost 35 % of the university's total research funding. These figures do not include the research activities covered by direct state financing of the School (from
Figure 4: Doctorates Awarded by Department
2.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 250 200 150 100 50 0 ΠΜ ΑΜ ΑΤΜ ΜΜ ΗΜΜΥ ΧΜ Γ
Figure 5: Total Funds for Research per Department (in million euros) and Number of Projects per Department (2001-2006)
Total funds Number of projects
Research conducted in the School of Engineering covers specialist topics across a particularly wide range of research fields and scientific sectors, making any qualitative and comparative evaluation difficult. How-ever it is possible to detect the main areas in which the School’s research human resources are active using, as a basis, records of the scientific fields of the laboratories, the objectives of doctoral theses, the fields of financed research projects and the fields of those of the AUTh’s Thematic Networks in which the School’s research teams participate. The picture which emerges is one of the breadth of the School’s mem-bers’ scientific interests. Although some general fields of intense scientific activity are evident, no particular peaks of scientific activity are clearly visible.
32%
21% 47%
32%
21%
47%
Figure 6: Major Sources of Research Funding (2001-2006)
It is evident from Figure 7 below that national state funding underpins research financing across all de-partments, contributing between 30% and 55 % of total income. The Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering is an exception, with state financing representing 77 % of total income, as, to a lesser extent, is the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computational Sciences, in which 65 % of the total re-search funding comes from European financing, in contrast with the other departments, in which the rel-evant percentage ranges between 20% and 45%.
State Private European Union
Figure 7: Research Funding and Source by Department (2001-2006)
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Of the total funds that come from national sources, 43% originates from Ministries and State Organizations, 31% from local agencies/local authorities, and 26% from the General Secretariat for Research and Tech-nology (GSRT) (see Figure 8).
European Union research funding, which was 21 million euros for the whole School of Engineering during 2001-2006, is further categorized according to the General Directorate from which it originates. As shown in Figure 9, the General Directorate for Research is the main source of European funding, contributing 50% of the total, while the General Directorate of Information Society and Media is also a significant source.
26% 43% 31%
32%
21%
47%
32%
21%
47%
32%
21%
47%
Figure 8: The Major Sources of National State Funding (2001-2006)
19%
Figure 9: Distribution of Funds from the EU’s General Directorates (2001-2006)
Those involved in conducting research in the School of Engineering are the TRS members, members of other scientific staff categories, research associates, doctoral candidates (who, usually, have an active role in research while conducting their doctoral theses) and many other postgraduate and undergraduate students. As shown in Figure 10, the proportion of TRS members in each department who coordinate re-search programmes ranges from 1/3 in the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computational Sci-ences to 2/3 in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In total, 50% of the School’s TRS members have had experience of coordinating research programmes during 2001-2006.
Figure 10: Number of TRS coordinating Research Programmes, by Department
20 0 40 60 80 100 120 ΠΜ ΑΜ ΑΤΜ ΜΜ ΗΜΜΥ ΧΜ Γ
Total TRS members Coordinators TRS
Finally, the number of research programmes each TRS member coordinates should be noted (see Figure 11 below). It is significant that 28.8% of the TRS members coordinate more than five research pro-grammes, 37.1% coordinate between two and five, while 34.1% coordinate one.
Figure 11: Percentage of TRS Members who Coordinate Different Numbers of Projects
13% 16%
34% 37%
10 or more Projects 1 project 2-5 projects 6-9 Projects
Research Activity Networks
Evidence of the high level of the research conducted in the School of Engineering is provided by the suc-cessful participation of many of its research teams in networks and consortia consisting of relevant agen-cies and European Union institutions. Either as lead coordinators or as partners, the teams involved in this type of research projects during 2001-2006, account for a significant percentage of the European Union funding.
The AUTh’s thematic networks of research, the organization and operation of which is supported by AUTh’s Research Committee, are similar networking activities, that focus on cooperating in research fields of com-mon interest. These networks facilitate cooperation between the institution’s research teams and labora-tories, aiming for better links with the international research community and the achievement of excellence. These thematic networks of research combine the pursuits of many of the AUTh’s researchers to achieve multiplier effects in expanding the limits of the individual research programmes while at the same time en-suring an interdisciplinary approach across research-scientific fields. The important contribution of the
AUTh’s thematic networks in which the School of Engineering participates
Research network for the sustainable development of cities (e-Polis)
Network of laboratories for the development characterization of magnetic material (MAG.NET) Network for research of surface and coastal waters aiming for their sustainable management (PERSEAS) Network of microelectronics, electronic circuits, automatism and robotics (MHRA)(MEAR)
Network for the design, organization and management of harbours aiming at their sustainable opera-tional, technological & environmental development (Sustainable Harbour)
Network of biotechnology, bioeffectiveness and protection of plant resources (BIOFYTO) Network of bio-observation and management of coastal marine ecosystems (BIOMON.NET) Network of analysis-research-diagnosis of cultural projects (ASED)(ARD)
Network of complete research for atmosphere pollution (AHR)
Management of natural dangers through the use of satellite technology and geo-informational systems (Geo-Impact)
Network of sustainable management of water resources (YDROPORIA) (HYDROPORIA) Museum, operational and architectural appointment of cultural institutes (MeaMuse) Telecommunication & electromagnetic applications (TELEM.NET)
Research cooperation network for bio-informatic technologies that apply in medicine, pharmacy, vet-erinary medicine and agriculture (Bioinformatics DigitalDNA)
Buildings-Monuments-Building Shells. Environmental sustainability and seismic protection (Constr-Ac-tion)
Network of development and information and communication technology applications in education (DI-ETPE) (NATIE)
Greek network of biomaterials (EBIODI) (GBIONet)
Network for the research and development of advanced pharmaceutical appliances (ProFarma) Energy technology
Network for gender studies in AUTh (FYLIKA) (GENDER)
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Publications
The number of publications produced by universities' scientific and research staff is an internationally rec-ognized criterion for research assessment. The School of Engineering has recently started systematically recording such activities. According to records up to October 2007 (which cover 36% of all the School’s TRS members, but not a proportional representation of its departments), the average number of publica-tions per individual during the past seven years is 15 in scientific journals and 26 in conference proceed-ings. It should be noted that these figures refer to the individual statements of TRS members so, once joint publications are taken into account, the total is quite likely to be lower. As can be seen in Table 11 below, the School’s departments differ significantly in terms of the number of publications per TRS member. This may be attributed to the sample being unrepresentative and to other factors, such as the personal choices of the researchers, the specifications of certain scientific fields and so on. For example in the case of Ar-chitecture the relatively low indicator should be judged in relation to the fact that much architectural activity is publishized in alternative ways such as distinctions in competitions, invitations to exhibitions, etc.
DEPARTMENT
CIVIL ENGINEERING
Articles in journals 1,3
ARCHITECTURE 0,5
RURAL & SURVEYING
ENGINEERING 1,5
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 3,0
ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER
ENGINEERING 2,7
Articles in conference proceedings 3,7
1,0 4,3 5,9 3,1 Table 11: Publications of TRS Members per Year
Young Researchers
Educating and training young researchers in how to conduct research work is a vital part of the research activities of a university. Young researchers are not only the closest collaborators of more experienced members but their natural successors too. The earlier that they are involved in research work production, the better their education and training and the better the contribution some of them will eventually make to the nation's research human resources.
In essence a young researcher is recognized and established after the acquisition of his/her doctoral de-gree, although relevant experience gained during his/her studies can be extremely useful. In the School of Engineering, this practice is encouraged and pursued whenever possible. As well as conducting their doctoral theses, these young scientists make an important contribution to the School’s research activities. It is normal for them to participate in research teams conducting financed research projects. They usually already have an engineering or similar specialized degree and have either recently got their doctorate, are conducting their doctoral thesis or attending specialized postgraduate research programmes. Even more impressive though, is the fact that a significant number of undergraduate students also participate in research programmes.
The School of Engineering supports individuals with vision problems
SmartEyes is a complete navigation system developed in the Telecommunications Laboratory of
AUTh’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department with the participation of the department’s stu-dents. The system’s aim is, by exploiting the potential of modern technology, to help people with vision problems to move about accurately and safely in an urban environment. SmartEyes comprises a palm-top computer with Bluetooth connection capability and a pair of earphones, a GPS receiver and an ad-vanced voice recognition system. SmartEyes won the World Prize Imagine Cup 2004 in a competition in Brazil, and in November 2007, in a pilot programme, the first fifty appliances were delivered to their users.
A racing car developed by the School of Engineering
The ART7 team (Aristotle Racing Team 7) was created in 2006 by undergraduate and postgraduate students of AUTh’s Mechanical Engineering Department. The team’s aim was to design and construct a Formula SAE type racing car with high performance mechanical applications and to participate in in-ternational races. ART7, with the help of other students of the Mechanical Engineering Department, con-structed the prototype vehicle which successfully competed in the international competition FSAE-Italy in September 2007. The vehicle weighs 290 kg, has a 600cc engine with a horsepower of 80 PS, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and has a maximum speed of 180km/h. The team intends to continue its activities.
Present and Future
The School of Engineering has a remarkable research presence at both national and international levels. This is due to the skills of its human resources and the various forms of cooperation that have been de-veloped with other research agencies and institutions.
The main characteristics of research in the School, as analytically presented in the previous pages, are as follows:
An important percentage of the School’s staff is active in research while participating in financially sup-ported research projects for technological development.
Through participation in the School’s research activities, many young engineers and other scientists be-come trained in conducting research work and gain a thorough education in current scientific issues. An increasing number of young researchers acquire doctoral degrees from the School, thus improving their career prospects and their contribution to the country’s development.
The research programmes undertaken by the School’s staff are important in terms both of the number and size of projects, and are financed mostly by national state agencies and the European Union.
The percentage of research that is financed by the private sector is lower and is mainly financed by Greek companies or in cooperation with medium-small businesses.
The strengths and weaknesses revealed by this analysis suggest some ways in which the research activity in the School of Engineering could be further developed. Recommended actions are as follows:
·Promotion of research aiming at excellence: development of specialist competences and skills and further deepening in scientific fields in which research teams are already outstanding.
·Expansion of the research base: encouragement of research teams to develop their involvement in new scientific fields.
·Improvement of the relationship between the research produced and the users of its results: development
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· Motivating the whole of the School's human resources to get involved in research activity: the ongoing provision of information to everyone about opportunities, encouragement for integration in existing re-search teams, expansion of the scientific fields in which rere-search work is conducted.
·Supply and support of motivation – ethical as well as financial - for young engineers: attracting the School’s top graduates to participate in research activity.
This constitutes an effective framework to continue and expand an already remarkable presence, based on the realistic picture provided by the preceding data and analysis that establish the current limits of the School’s research activity and the actions proposed to enhance its further development.
Dean’s Office, School of Engineering
Dean
Nicolas Moussiopoulos, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Tel.: +30 2310 995601
e-mail: dean@eng.auth.gr Secretariat
Maria Mavridou - Altsitsiadou, Head Secretary Tel.: +30 2310 995602
fax: +30 2310 995611 Address
School of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki Webpage
http://www.eng.auth.gr
The Research Council of the School of Engineering
Chairman
Pericles Latinopoulos, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering Members
Grigoris Kafkalas, Professor in the Department of Architecture
Christoforos Kotsakis, Assistant Professor in the Department of Rural & Surveying Engineering Charalampos Baniotopoulos, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering
Georgios Pangalos, Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Physics & Computational Sciences Georgios Sakellaropoulos, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering
Zissis Samaras, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
