Industry Embedded Training in (Bio)Process Systems

The traditional doctoral training approach for bioprocess systems engineers has been the conventional University based PhD. In some instances a degree of industrial interaction occurs but the predominant motivator has been academic lead rather than industrial demand. The traditional PhD programme has shortcomings in this context, both in terms of its support for multidisciplinary research and, with its focus on research rather than the researcher, its development of skills and attributes which align to the post-PhD industrial need. In response to industrial demand, a Doctoral Training Centre has been established to both foster multidisciplinary training and ensure the needs of industry are specifically addressed. This paper describes how a fundamentally different approach to doctoral training has been developed and how the academic / industrial collaboration is proving to be successfully changing the nature of the industrial interactive doctoral experience in bioprocess systems engineering.