Dr Graham will provide an overview of the challenges currently facing engineering education in the UK and the recent changes emerging in education practice. The presentation will:

• discuss the context for undergraduate engineering education in UK universities,
• discuss the drive for change at a national level, and
• highlight a number of programs of best practice from across the UK.

Dr Graham will also provide a brief overview of her current work with MIT, as part of the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program. This initiative seeks to ‘educate and develop the character of outstanding MIT students as potential future leaders in the world of engineering practice and development’.

Dr Ruth Graham is an independent consultant currently working with MIT on the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program. Dr Graham’s background is in Mechanical Engineering and was awarded her PhD in fatigue analysis of aircraft structures in November 2001 from the University of Hull, in partnership with BAE SYSTEMS. She moved to Imperial College in autumn 2002 to work within the Railway Research group in the Mechanical Engineering Department. In March 2005, Dr Graham was appointed as Director of the EnVision Project at Imperial College, a post that she held until November 2008. The EnVision initiative was established to transform all aspects of the undergraduate education at Imperial, including the educational ethos, facilities and infrastructure, and the quality of teaching and learning. The communication and promotion of science and engineering has also been a major focus of her work, and she has led a number of projects in these areas. Dr Graham is also a member of research groups and committees designed to develop education and improve engagement in science and engineering.