Issues affecting power engineering undergraduate education in Australia

Abstract

Recent changes to the electric power industry through deregulation and restructuring have had a considerable effect on power engineering education internationally. A number of Australian universities have also noticed a decline in the number of students interested in power engineering subjects, leading to the fewer graduates with power engineering knowledge. With a reduction in graduates and a perception of an aging workforce a shortage of suitably qualified power engineers for industry may be imminent. This paper provides discussion on the current status of university power engineering education within Australia and includes results from a recent Australia-wide survey of the university and industry sectors of electric power engineering.

Keywords:

• Power engineering
• education
• teaching
• undergraduate

Additional information

Notes on contributors

D A Robinson

D A Robinson

Duane Robinson graduated from the University of Wollongong with a BE (Hons I) degree in 1998 after completing a seven year cadetship with the BHP Port Kembla Steelworks. Duane joined the Integral Energy Power Quality Centre in 1998 as a research student, completing his PhD in the area of management of harmonic distortion in distribution systems in 2003. He has held a position as a Research Engineer, and now Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, both positions sponsored by the Integral Energy Power Quality Centre. His research interests include power quality, power system modelling and harmonics.

V J Gosbell

V J Gosbell

Vic Gosbell obtained his BE degree in 1996 and his PhD in 1971 from the University of Sydney. He has held academic positions at the University of Sydney and the University of Wollongong where he is foundation Professor of Power Engineering and Technical Director of the Integral Energy Power Quality Centre. He is currently working on harmonics management and power quality monitoring methodologies in transmission and distribution systems. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia.