How to enter the ECMI educational network?
ECMI centres are universities that have joined the network (ECMI membership is welcome for all universities. See this page for application fees and instructions) and fulfilled certain criteria in their educational programme. Orientation towards real life applications and industrial problems must be visible in educational style and contents. More precisely, the procedure by which a university can obtain a status of Educational centre in the ECMI Network is the following:
- Setting up a master of science level programme in industrial mathematics, technomathematics, economathematics or equivalent title.
- The aspiring university provides a report about their educational programme including present curriculum, faculty and staff, contacts with industry, research organisations and other stake holders, perhaps recent projects and Master thesis topics, educational practices.
- A representative from the aspiring university is invited to present their programme at an Educational Committee meeting, and to be interviewed by the Educational Committee.
- The report, and the presentation/interview is evaluated by a review committee appointed by the Educational Committee, which will give a written recommendation to the Educational Committee itself.
- If the master programme is approved by the Educational Committee, the aspiring university is given the status of provisional teaching centre. The centre is recommended to organize an inspection of its programme, by two reviewers, with the objective to obtain a final accreditation as an ECMI teaching centre, preferably within two years.
- The full accreditation is given by the ECMI Council after receiving and approving a positive recommendation from the inspectors. In case of a rejection, the Educational Committee provides a feedback report pointing out which aspects could be improved or changed to conform to the guidelines of the educational programme.
During, or immediately after the accreditation procedure the aspiring university is strongly encouraged first to send instructors and students to the ECMI International Modelling Weeks, and then to organize and host an ECMI Modelling Week.
Inspections: The Educational Committee suggests inspectors to the Council. The Council appoints the inspectors.
The inspectors check that the programme complies to the ECMI educational programme guidelines. In particular they take care that the conditions for student exchange, as well as carrying out the master thesis in an applied environment, are satisfied.
Mandatory educational elements
In order to obtain the accreditation the ECMI Educational Committee recommends the new applying centres to set up a master according to the model reported here. Anyway some differences from the model are admitted, in order to conform to the centres own rules and regulations, allowing the student to gain the institution’s own award, and will be evaluated case by case by the Educational Committee.
Anyway the programme must contain:
- Modelling activities should have at least 9 ECTS credits and could include credits awarded in ECMI International Modelling Weeks or summer schools;
- the possibility of studying at least one term/semester abroad;
- a master thesis on an industrial project of at least 30 ECTS points.
- Teaching centres are supposed to facilitate exchange of students among ECMI centres. As a consequence, a major part of the courses should be offered in English.
Centres who want to apply for the accreditation procedure may contact the Chairperson of the Educational Committee.