The Master of Science program in Socio-Technological Systems Engineering (STS)

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The Master of Science program inSocio-Technolog
ical Systems Engineering (STS)

• Uppsala University

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Why?

• Technology and society more and more systematic
• Technology is integrated in social and cultural
  factors
• Those systems are socio-technological
• Technological impact is not simply a matter of
  technical performance
• From chips level to system level
• Broader perspective is needed

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Demand of engineers with broad competence

• with insight into
• society and organizations
• technologys social conditions
• how technology affects society and human beings
• environment resources economy - technology

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The program

• Master of Science in engineering, 4,5 year (one
  of nine Master of Science in engineering programs
  at Uppsala University)
• Social science and humanities account for one
  third
• Complex socio-technological systems are a common
  focus
• Content and methods from both natural
  science/engineering and humanity/social science

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Traditional eng / STS eng
S T S

• part (smallest component)
• unit (generator, processor)
• part of a system (cooling system, computer)
• System (Powerplant, distributed computer systems)
• Infrastructure (production and distribution of
  energy/distributed information system)

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Pedagogic considerations

• Integration
• During the first year both disciplins are equally
  exposed
• Each course five units/two parallell courses
• Multitude forms of
• Teaching
• Learning
• Examination
• trad. written exams, project work, lab work,
  PMs, seminars, programming etc

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Content Engineering and natural sciences

• Mathematics stocastic proc nat science
• Analysis
• Modeling
• Simulations
• Automatic control
• Complex dynamic nonlinear systems
• Information technology Biological systems

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Content Social science and humanities

• Business studies
• Economic history
• Philosophy
• Social and economic geography
• Engineering in society
• Science and Technology Studies (STS)

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Thesis work

• An Agile Evaluation System for the Naval Forces
  
• A Survey of Ongoing Composting Projects in South
  Africa
• Communicate Traffic Related Informtion
• Canadas Oil Sands Resources and its Future
  Impact on Global Oil Supply
• Coverage of landfills in a national perspective

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Where do they work?

• The Institute of GNP political studies
• Ongame
• Infrafone
• Netwise
• Aerotech Telub
• The National Railway Institute
• The National Road Institute
• Ecoloop

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Experience

• Attractive program
• New group of students in engineering
• Active in all student organisations
• Broad interests
• Cultural
• Ask questions!
• Study abroad
• Good speakers
• Good writers
• Interested in society and politics
• Work hard
• Liked by all teachers!

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Obstacles

• Cultural collision
• True engineer
• Physics
• Five unit courses
• Attitudes
• Teachers
• Other students
• Faculty members

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The STS program www.stsprogrammet.nu

• Uppsala University