The role of computer-aided chemical engineering education within the European Bologna three-cycle study system

Universities around Europe are currently adopting the new Bologna three-cycle study system and most of Chemical Engineering departments have already developed new study programs accordingly. In this respect, two main questions have been posed in order to reorganize current chemical engineering study programs: i) which skills and knowledge, common to all chemical engineers, should not be ignored whilst developing new chemical engineer curricula, and ii) which are the other chemical engineering topics, engineering fields, and non-engineering knowledge necessary for engineers to manage those problems of specific current and future (bio)chemical and process related industries. One of the aims of this presentation is to discuss basic learning outcomes, and recommended topics common to all chemical engineers, especially relating to those process systems engineering aspects to be embedded within new study programs requiring the use of computer-aided methods and tools during chemical engineering education. The uses for these methods and tools will be discussed shortly, among them the development of new computer-aided methods and tools, multimedia internet-based teaching and learning programs, and cyberinfrastrucure-based virtual libraries.