ELLIPSE N°9

The Troyes University of
Technology Magazine
9
NO
Harnessing
the power
of virtual worlds
for learning
spring/summer
2012
RESEARCH
MoDe for smarter
truck maintenance
STUDY PROGRAMS
UTT master's degrees:
Three new specialty degrees
with a focus on multidisciplinary
learning
TESTIMONIAL
Former student flying high
EDITORIAL
UTT steps up
to the national
No fewer than four UTT projects have already been selected as part
of France’s ambitious Investments for the Future program aimed at
driving excellence in innovation and development. Following the
success of projects submitted by the Institute for Technological
Research in Materials, Metallurgy and Processes (M2P) and the
PIVERT Institute for Research Excellence into third-generation
biomass recovery and utilization, we recently learned that two more
projects involving UTT teams have been selected: the ACTION
Laboratory for Research Excellence, which leverages nanotechnology
to develop intelligent miniaturized systems, and the InnovENT-E project, which addresses the
“innovative training initiatives” component of the national program by supporting development of
the skills required to strengthen the competitive positioning of small export businesses.
excellence
challenge
These four successful project bids underscore the outstanding scientific talents of UTT research
teams and their capacity to develop innovative solutions in a diverse range of fields. This success
is a great source of satisfaction and pride for everyone associated with the university — not only
faculty and administrative staff but our 4,500 graduates and 2,500 current students as well. It comes
on the heels of another success for UTT, as the University was ranked among the top finishers in
the league tables of France’s best engineering schools (for undergraduate courses) by L'Etudiant
magazine and L'Usine Nouvelle business review.
While delighted with these results, we must constantly strive to do even better. We can start, for
example, by improving the way we use digital tools for learning. The use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in education is today a key measure of teaching performance and
the primary focus of UTT’s Center for Innovation in Education & Learning, the subject of this issue's
feature article. Innovation is high on the agenda in other areas, too, such as the MoDe research
project, which is poised to drive a real revolution in the road freight industry by radically changing
the way operators maintain their fleets. These and a host of other topics covered in issue No.9 of
Ellipse illustrate how UTT is constantly moving forward.
Enjoy your magazine!
Christian Lerminiaux
Vice-Chancellor, UTT
RESEARCH
3 and 11
INSIDE
FOCUS 5
STUDY PROGRAMS
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ELLIPSE 9 - spring/summer 2012
13
STUDENT LIFE 14
TESTIMONIAL 16
10 and 12
NEWS
Publication director: Christian Lerminiaux – Editorial director: Verena Adt – Editorial team: Philippe Schilde, Verena Adt, D. Ferry, CARINNA
Design and layout: Samarkand, 39 bd Victor Hugo, 10000 Troyes - Circulation: 400 copies
Photo credits: UTT - P. Schilde - Fotolia - Printed on partly recycled FSC paper
with vegetable-based inks
for smarter truck
maintenance
RESEARCH
MoDe
Reduced vehicle downtime for maintenance and repairs,
lower servicing and fuel costs combined with better safety
for drivers and other road users — this is what every road
haulage operator dreams about.
And that dream is about to become
The dream of reduced
reality, thanks to the European
vehicle downtime is
MoDe (Maintenance on Demand)
research project. UTT is involved
about to become reality
in the MoDe project along with
academic and scientific partners in
Belgium, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden and the United
Kingdom. Five researchers at the Charles Delaunay Institute
/ Systems Modeling & Dependability Laboratory (LM2S)
and a PhD student have been hard at work for the last two
years, supervised by lecturers Christophe Bérenguer and
Antoine Grall.
Truck maintenance is about to get smarter!
From left to right: Christophe Bérenguer and Antoine Grall, lecturers,
with Yves Langeron, dependability engineer
Ellipse 3
Truck operation
m
monitoring syste
Data
t
Vehicle componen idual
res
monitoring and
life assessment
Company
tem
information sys
- Work schedules rt
po
- Logistical sup tform
- Maintenance plart)
(decision suppo
“Target” system
Data
...
Data
Nomadic user
Fixed user
Data
MoDe: how it works
MoDe is poised to revolutionize the way road
haulage fleets are maintained. Instead of maintenance downtime determined by the number of
miles the truck has traveled, as opposed to its
actual status, MoDe offers a smarter approach.
Wireless sensors on the vehicle are linked to a
central processing system and continuously transmit data on the status of each critical component.
This gives the fleet operator, or an automated
maintenance management system, a real-time
indication of the actual level of wear, ageing or
deterioration. The system calculates the optimal
time for the vehicle's return to workshop and at
the same time produces a list of maintenance
operations to be carried out, the aim being to minimize downtime and maximize profitability. As part
of a scheduled maintenance visit, MoDe may, for
example, request the replacement of a part that
has not yet reached the end of its life in order to
avoid additional downtime at a later date, which
would be more expensive. "The UTT team's
involvement includes the modeling of vehicle
part deterioration, diagnostic and residual life
assessment as well as modeling of predictive
maintenance and algorithms to dynamically combine maintenance actions into a single return to
workshop," explain UTT lecturers Christophe
Bérenguer and Antoine Grall.
The research team is also working on the modeling
of “maintenance on the fly” — emergency en-route
repairs made necessary by unforeseen part
failures. Downtime caused by such failures is
extremely costly and will be considerably reduced
through smart preventive maintenance. The team
is nevertheless addressing this specific issue
through the development of an application to direct
faulty vehicles — whose GPS coordinates are
tracked by the system — to the most appropriate
workshop facility in the local area, thereby minimizing downtime. Decision support will be based not
only on geographic proximity but also on the availability of spare parts within a given locality.
The ability to manage on-the-road parts failures
with such precision will save operators and fleet
managers valuable time. And by reducing the time
a defective vehicle is on the road before repair, the
system will also help improve road safety and cut
CO2 emissions.
Road haulage is a rapid growth industry in Europe*
and competition is fierce. Consequently, the
potential cost reductions resulting from these
advances have huge implications. The MoDe project leaders estimate that road freight operators in
the European Union could save up to €70 million
per year across the industry. Not surprisingly, the
international consortium brought together for the
project includes two of the industry's largest players: Volvo, which sells three major makes of
trucks, and DHL, the global leader in logistics. With
funding of €6 million, €3.7 million from the European Commission, the MoDe project will conclude
this summer with an operational demonstrator of
the information system.
http://fp7-mode.eu
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Elias Khoury, PhD student
at the UTT School of Doctoral Studies
“In an increasingly competitive industry, it is
more important than ever to improve the way
maintenance decisions are made and in turn
reduce maintenance costs, which represent a
significant proportion of the total cost of operations. To achieve this, the first step is to model
the way components progressively degrade and
identify the many factors involved. The next step
is to develop methods to assess the residual life
of each component, based on operating conditions and levels of deterioration. Lastly, the
system proposes maintenance strategies based
on residual life assessments, windows of opporEllipse 4
tunity for maintenance and the various costs and
constraints involved in order to make smarter
maintenance decisions
and in turn reduce costs
in a range of operational
contexts. The MoDe project is a practical industry
application of my doctoral
research.”
Elias Khoury, an industrial systems graduate
and currently a PhD student at the UTT School of
Doctoral Studies, is concluding his thesis on
the “residual life assessment and optimization of
predictive maintenance applied to critical
components on commercial vehicles”.
*Between 1998 and 2010, the EU road freight industry grew by 50%. Some 77% of goods travel by road in Europe, compared with just 18% by rail.
FOCUS
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Center for Innovation in Education & Learning
Harnessing the power
of virtual worlds for learning
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
FOCUS
Center for
Innovation in Education
& Learning
Everyone is connected.
Today's students don't go anywhere
without their laptop, smartphone or
tablet device!
While the academic community has only just begun
to explore and realize the
vast potential of information
and communication technology (ICT) in education,
here at UTT we have been
investing in digital resources for some time.
The aim is to develop innovative teaching
practices by fostering new uses throughout
the learning process — from undergraduate
level to continuing education. With the advent of Web 2.0 technology and crossmedia access to learning resources, UTT's
Center for Innovation in Education & Learning
is harnessing the power of virtual worlds
for learning, delivering tangible benefits for
students and faculty
members alike.
Keeping pace with technology, identifying and
promoting the best tools, supporting faculty
members in their projects, and developing new
teaching strategies are among the Center's
main areas of focus.
A team of professionals
Headed up by Eddie Soulier, the Center boasts
dedicated, state-of-the-art tools and facilities,
as well as a multimedia language laboratory
and audiovisual recording studio. It can also
call on additional human resources on an ad
hoc basis. “Our substantial budget enables us
to employ three full-time staff, as well as bring
in additional people according to project
requirements.
“Everyone is connected.
Today's students don't go
anywhere without their
laptop, smartphone or
tablet device! In this
increasingly mobile world,
students have quick and
easy access to a plethora
of information and services,” remarks Eddie
Soulier, faculty member
and head of UTT's Center
for Innovation in Education
& Learning, which was
created a decade ago.
Ellipse 6
Eddie Soulier, faculty member and head
of UTT's Center for Innovation in Education
& Learning
We are a very professional
organization
with
the
capacity to provide turnkey
solutions for University projects and also fulfill external
contract
requirements,”
explains Eddie Soulier. The
Center is currently leveraging its expertise for two
European projects. “The
first is the development of
an e-learning channel for
pharmacist training programs in partnership with
the Pasteur higher education apprenticeship training
center (CFA) in Reims.”
Social networks and
mobile applications have
ushered in a new era
in the way we interact
The second consists in coordinating France's
contribution to the pan-European 2Centre
project to establish a network of university centers of excellence to improve cybercrime
investigation.
folio offers an additional social network tool that
will be a cinch to use for all Facebook and Twitter users,” says Nicolas Thorel, reiterating Eddie
Soulier's emphasis on the need to embrace
Web 2.0 (i.e. social media and networks).
“Social networks and mobile applications have
ushered in a new era in the way we interact and
we need to weigh up the pros and cons. As
moving abroad for an international education
becomes mainstream and Web-based learning
opportunities grow, it is more important than
ever before to look ahead,” concludes Nicolas
Thorel. In other words, we must constantly work
to move forward!
///////////////////////////////////////////
Working together
High-quality tools and advice
Nicolas Thorel, technology and e-learning program
manager
Looking forward
Being selected to take part in projects such as
these is further endorsement of the Center's
expertise. “Prior to this, we had earned recognition for our efforts by being chosen to host
the sixth annual MoodleMoot conference in
Troyes over four days in 2010, attended by
300 French-speaking users of this world-leading course management system — a free,
Open Source software package. Our center
has acquired a lot of experience with this platform over the past few years, enabling us to
make all course content available online for
UTT students. We are a recognized MoodleMoot “lead user”,” explains Nicolas Thorel,
technology and e-learning program manager.
Drawing on this experience, Nicolas Thorel is
currently working with his colleague Paula
Caterino, who is responsible for course content digitization and distribution, on a “digital
portfolio” that will allow students to manage
and keep track of all their work during their
time at UTT. “Think of it as a super CV! Students have complete control over everything
that goes into the portfolio and they decide
which achievements and experience they want
to highlight, especially when applying for jobs.
It is also intended for sharing across groups.
Providing a blog space and a forum, the port-
Stéphane Louvrier is a mechanical systems
engineering student who makes regular use of
the facilities provided by the Center for Innovation in Education & Learning. “Thanks to the
staff there, I have discovered a wide range of
collaborative work tools, including software
and Web-based services, which are increasingly popular among organizations required
to work together. One of the most interesting
is the Web 2.0 work flow solution that Paula
Caterino introduced me to for creating diagrams and mind maps collaboratively.”
///////////////////////////////////////////
Nicolas Thorel and Paula Caterino
Ellipse 7
Learning
a new language
///////////////////////////////////////////
e-learning
conquers distance
Paula Caterino, Center for Innovation
in Education & Learning
In September 2011, UTT opened a new off-campus unit at the Nogentech technology cluster in
Nogent, east of Troyes, offering apprenticeshipbased engineering study programs. “We expect to
have an intake of 25 students at the start of the
next academic year,” says Fréderic Sanchette,
head of the new unit. “To meet these needs, we
are currently developing distance learning solutions, which represents a key stage in the
development of the Materials Processes and
Applications stream. With some of the faculty staff
who teach on the course based at the Troyes
campus or other establishments, it is vital that we
provide the best in e-learning tools. As well as
keeping information flowing smoothly among
everyone involved, these tools allow staff to supervise practical assignments remotely. This means,
for example, that a student using CAD software on
a workstation in Nogent can be supervised by a
member of staff in Troyes.”
Slightly further afield, Bertrand Guillaume's experience illustrates the
potential and possibilities of e-learning,
as this UTT faculty member delivers his
courses from New England USA!
Bertrand Guillaume was offered a post at Dartmouth College (thanks to a grant from the
Champagne-Ardenne regional council and support from UTT) to pursue philosophy research into
environmental risks as part of the CREIDD Environmental and Sustainable Development research
team.
We are currently developing
distance learning solutions
“I had committed to ensuring the continuity of my
courses should I decide to move abroad. Thanks
to the help of several colleagues — and the active
support of the Center for Innovation in Education
& Learning — I am able to deliver courses online.
These include Human Science & Technology
undergraduate programs and components of the
Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development Management master's program. As far as
my students are concerned, the more mature
ones see this arrangement as an opportunity to
get the most of digital technology, whereas the
younger ones find it slightly more challenging, as
they require closer supervision. It might not be the
perfect solution but I am pleased with the way it is
working out,” says Bertrand Guillaume, who
organizes video tutorials via Skype or Webconference to maintain close contact with his students.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Ellipse 8
Multimedia
language lab
Live
webcasts
in English
In addition to English,
the laboratory offers
courses in five other
languages: Italian,
German, Spanish,
Portuguese and
Chinese Mandarin.
France's independent engineering degree accreditation body (CTI) sets minimum language
proficiency requirements for students, who are
assessed by an independent external agency. To
help students enhance their chances of success,
several years ago UTT created an open access
language laboratory aimed at encouraging a more
responsible approach to independent learning. “In
addition to traditional classroom learning, the laboratory's extensive resources enable students to
progress as independently as possible,” explains
Sandrine Parrey, who oversees the facility (which
is part of the Center for Innovation in Education
& Learning) and works hand in hand with the
Language Department, International Relations and
IT Resources.
The laboratory is a 32-seat facility with Internet
access. Guided by a team of four to five monitors,
students can choose from a wide range of dedicated, self-correction language software (including
Reflex'English Cambridge and Speedlingua).
The lab is open for independent study Monday to
Friday, from 9am to 6pm, and has approximately
8,000 visits every semester.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Podcasts
Creating and
sharing video
José Gramdi is one of
the University's most
tech-savvy faculty members and an enthusiastic advocate of the
multimedia facilities available through the Center
for Innovation in Education & Learning.
One of his favorite tools is the comprehensive
solution provided for creating and sharing audio
and video podcasts. José Gramdi put this to
good use in November 2011, for example, following a conference given by Jean-François
Zobrist, the charismatic former CEO of French
copper-alloy foundry Favi.
A podcast ensured that a much wider audience
than that gathered last winter at the University
was able to learn more about Zobrist's atypical
management style.
/////////////////////////////////////////
A virtual assembly
of aircraft components
ready for real-world
production
Also in fall 2011, José Gramdi engaged students
in an initiative to create videos presenting
Operational Excellence tools. This project is
pursued in close collaboration with Florent
Fouque, the energetic creator and facilitator of
www.excellence-opérationnelle.tv, the aim
being to host the videos produced by UTT
students on the site. Working in 29 tandems,
students were asked to produce two 8-minute
videos based on a slideshow and comments.
A database was created on Moodle allowing
students to transfer, store and retrieve initial
content.
For José Gramdi, the solution developed by Paula
Caterino and Nicolas Thorel from the Center for
Innovation in Education & Learning perfectly
matched project needs. “The next stage was to
record the videos, and again we turned to the
team at the Center. We used the Inwicast platform
module that lets users make screen and audio
captures, which are then saved as a Flash file on
a remote server and made instantly available
online. Nicolas provided a workstation which students could work on in 30-minute slots on
Moodle,” says José Gramdi. Students were given
a brief run-through on the platform and were then
left to produce their videos. “Thanks to this highly
efficient and extremely smooth organization, we
were able to record 58 videos over a very short
space of time.”
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Digital University for Engineering
Science & Technology (UNIT)
Médiamef and InnovENT-E,
inspiring examples of open learning
“In today's advanced digital world, all new aircraft
begin life on a computer screen,” says Abel
Cherouat, mechanical engineering professor at
UTT's Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials
& Nanotechnology department (P2MN). “Every
single structural, mechanical and thermal aspect
is simulated — including flight turbulence —
before starting to build the plane. These same
techniques are also applied in the automotive
industry.” Product lifecycles are getting shorter,
while forms are ever more complex, requiring
engineers to produce highly precise calculations
before developing the costly tools needed.
“Using powerful simulation tools, engineers create
a virtual assembly of aircraft components ready for
real-world (physical) production and assembly.
Project success hinges directly on their skills and
expertise,” points out Abel Cherouat, who is coordinator for the Médiamef project underway at UTT.
The aim is to design and deliver a multimedia
study program in materials forming processes in
partnership with INSA (Rouen) and ENSMM
(Besançon) engineering schools, the French
National Institute for Research in Computer Science (INRIA), the Faculty of Science and
Technology in Morocco, the School of Science
and Technology in Tunisia, and Cetim (Technology
Center for the Mechanical Engineering Industry).
“We teamed up to respond to a call for projects by
UNIT, the French Digital University for Engineering
Science & Technology, to develop a portal site
focusing on three specific processes (drawing,
hydroforming and thermoforming) and three types
of materials (metals, plastics and composites). We
began by working on metal drawing processes
and then developed the other components. Eddie
Soulier and his team at the Center for Innovation in
Education & Learning played a key role in the
design of the portal, from layout to script,” says
Abel Cherouat, who also involved his students in
this stage, allowing them to earn a number of
course credits. “On their first visit, users are
prompted to do a series of exercises to self-assess
their level of skills. They can then watch videos on
different applications that were either produced in
our engineering workshops or acquired from other
sources. There is also a serious game allowing
them to learn as they play. Rather than bombarding users with theory, the Médiamef portal is
designed to provide concise and accurate information, encouraging visitors to work their way
through the different stages in order to progress.
Students are encouraged to complete the online
study program but the portal is also designed with
users from industry in mind. Feedback is always
valuable,” adds Abel Cherouat, who is clearly convinced that the Web is the way to go!
This approach is also reflected in UTT's involvement in InnovENT-E (institute for open learning
for innovation-driven small export businesses),
another large-scale project which has been
selected as part of France's national Investments
for the Future program.
http://mediamef.utt.fr
Abel Cherouat, professor
in mechanical engineering
Ellipse 9
STUDY PROGRAMS
UTT
master’s degrees
UTT has rounded
out its range of
master's courses,
with ten specialties
now on offer
UTT has rounded out its range of master's
courses to reflect latest developments in the hightech sectors. It now offers ten specialty master's
degrees, three of which are new, in three
broad streams: Engineering and Management,
Mechanics and Physics and Information and
Communication Sciences and Technologies.
the Mechanics and Physics stream, looks at
materials with high added value or multiple functions in the aerospace, automotive, energy and
other high-tech sectors. TEMMA was developed
following the revamping of an existing specialty
degree program.
New courses:
The seven existing courses also have a strong
focus on technological innovation:
Product Process Modeling (M2P),
a multidisciplinary approach
The new M2P program, part of the Information
and Communication Sciences and Technologies
stream, is a multidisciplinary course. With a particular focus on product lifecycle management (PLM)
and enterprise resource planning (ERP), it is positioned to meet the demands of this high-growth
sector, which spans product design, process
management and resource planning systems.
Service Engineering for Networked
Communities (ISICOR)
Also offered as part of the Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies stream,
the ISICOR program focuses on service design —
a field of activity enjoying exponential growth. With
a dual focus on skills in networks and information
systems, the ISICOR course is the first of its kind
in France and was developed from a previous
specialty master's degree available at UTT in the
same field.
Find out more at
http://www.utt.fr/fr/formation/masteren-sciences--technologies
---sante.html
Ellipse 10
Technologies and Mechanics for
Advanced Materials (TEMMA)
Focused on new materials — ceramics, textiles,
specific composites, biomaterials, nanomaterials
— this specialty degree program, which is part of
Optics and Nanotechnologies (ONT) and Composite Agricultural Materials Engineering (IAMC),
part of the Mechanics and Physics stream;
Systems Optimization and Safety (OSS) and
Information System Security (SSI), part of the
Information and Communication Sciences and
Technologies stream; and Environment and
Sustainable Development Engineering and
Management (IMEDD), Sport, Management
and Engineering – Event Logistics and Security
(SMILES) and Applied Global Security Engineering and Management (IMSGA), part of the
Engineering and Management stream.
UTT master's degrees spell
a bright future in industry or
research
Around 300 students each year complete the
UTT master's degree in Science, Technology &
Healthcare, coordinated by Prof. Farouk Yalaoui.
Study programs are designed to fast track graduates into careers in industry or prepare them for
positions in research. The average time graduates
take to secure their first job is 45 days. Some
90% of students find a job within four months of
graduation. The UTT School of Doctoral Studies
accepts master's graduates wishing to pursue
their research interests to PhD level.
RESEARCH
CARINNA
research and innovation
agency opens office at UTT
Founded in 2007, CARINNA offers a range of
services for research laboratories and businesses
in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Its specific
expertise includes engineering for research projects, connecting the academic and business
communities and supporting the creation of innovation-driven businesses.
Concrete examples:
NUM3D platform
Sébastien Rémy, lecturer at UTT
“With the NUM3D platform, the project partners —
UTT, URCA and Arts et Métiers ParisTech (Châlonsen-Champagne center) — enable companies of all
sizes to save time and money. Our solution combines state-of-the-art hardware and software to
provide a real value-added service for industry.
NUM3D has helped us raise our profile and attract
the attention of institutions such as the University of
Lorraine, which recently contacted us.”
TEKSAJO collaborative project:
“Decision-support software for
ecodesign of textile products”
Antoine de Villoutreys – Chief Exec. of TF Création
– a regional startup
“CARINNA acted as a real catalyst in the 'call for
projects' process and it is actually through them
that we heard about it. CARINNA then connected
our company with UTT's CREIDD research center
and the Institut Français du Textile et de l'Habillement (French institute of textile and apparel). And
that has worked out really well. The ChampagneArdenne Regional Council took care of the
financial engineering for the project, with a real
appreciation of the bigger picture, as well as
administrative assistance to help us get things
moving.”
Helping startups strengthen their human
capital for research/innovation and
launching graduates into careers
MAGILINE – Aube-based business
“The goal is to help businesses recruit master's
and doctoral students for their research, development and innovation-driven projects. CARINNA
has found the right people for several internship
positions at companies in the region. One such
company is MAGILINE, which it helped recruit
a UTT engineering graduate specializing in
mechanical systems and integrated mechanical
design.”
Business startup entrepreneur
Julien Piwowar, manager of PACIFA
DECISION (based in Aube) and UTT
PhD graduate
“CARINNA provided assistance and
guided us through the business planning phase. They also helped us get up,
running and on course for sustainable
growth.”
CARINNA offers a range
of services for research
laboratories and
businesses in the
Champagne-Ardenne
region
///////////////////////////////////////////
The geographic proximity of UTT researchers
and players at the Aube-en-Champagne technology cluster is a real asset for the agency,
which now has an office at the UTT campus.
Amina Belkhir, head of CARINNA's ICOS
department (information, communication,
organization and systems security), is responsible for developing relations with the local
business community. Note also that the President of CARINNA, Jean-Pierre Cherain, is local
to the area and that UTT has a seat on
CARINNA's board of directors.
Amina Belkhir
An alumna returns
UTT graduate Amina Belkhir works for CARINNA, the ChampagneArdenne region research and innovation agency, where she's in
charge of the ICOS office (information, communication, organization
and systems security). Amina has a master's in “information processing on networks, industrial systems and collaborative systems –
system optimization and security” from UTT and a PhD in microelectronics from CRESTIC (University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne). She is now employed
by CARINNA, where in June 2011 she assumed responsibility for information and communication technologies applied to the production of goods and services.
Based at CARINNA's Troyes office, here at UTT, Amina Belkhir is now back on the same
campus where she was a student. She helps to network research units in the ChampagneArdenne region and assists companies as they seek to develop and innovate in digital
technologies.
www.carinna.fr - [email protected]
Ellipse 11
STUDY PROGRAMS
Groundbreaking
courses
to boost exports
UTT is involved in the InnovENT-E project,
selected under the IDEFI call for projects
('innovative training initiatives' component),
part of the Investments for the Future program
led by the ANR, France's national research
agency. InnovENT-E aims to support innovation-driven small export businesses by training
people in the skills these companies need.
The InnovENT-E project is
InnovENT-E is UTT's fourth
led by the INSA Group, the
French network of universities
success under the Investments
of technology, the University of
for the Future Lorraine and CESI, a vocational and continuing
training organization. It offers a comprehensive
scheme
response to this demand based on three
academic innovations:
• A national repository of innovation-related
skills for small export businesses, which will
be implemented at all partner institutions and
ultimately throughout the French higher education system.
• Design of specific InnovENT-E approved courses
to deliver the necessary high-level skills (undergraduate, master's, engineering, doctoral).
• Creation of an academic resources center.
InnovENT-E is UTT's fourth success under the
ANR's Investments for the Future program.
UTT is also a stakeholder in the PIVERT IEED
institute of excellence in non-carbon energies,
the IRT M2P institute of technology research,
materials, metallurgy and processes, and the
ACTION laboratory of excellence.
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BOOKS
“Scénarios
d'avenir”
by Bertrand
Guillaume
Climate change is the subject of a recently
published book by Bertrand Guillaume, UTT
faculty member and head of the CREIDD
interfaculty sustainable development research
center. Co-authored with Valéry Laramée
de Tannenberg, a journalist specializing in
environmental issues, “Scénarios d'avenir”
is published by Armand Colin.
Ellipse 12
“Modélisation
et simulation
numériques en
formage virtuel”
by Khémais
Saanouni
In his book, UTT lecturer Prof. Khémais
Saanouni reviews the most effective methods
available today for modeling, simulating
and optimizing forming processes for thin
and thick structures, and looks at trends in
new, innovative methods currently under
development.
UTT engineering degrees:
UTT's engineering courses have been awarded
the EUR-ACE (EURopean ACcredited Engineer)
label, granted to institutions that meet the “very
highest standards”, according to the student
magazine, L'Etudiant.
Managed by the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE), an
umbrella organization of seven accreditation
agencies, the label is awarded in France by the
engineering accreditation institution (CTI). Certification is granted to degree programs that
meet a set of quality criteria, provided they are
accredited for the maximum duration of six
years. Courses accredited for a duration of less
than six years are not eligible for the EUR-ACE
label. Certification demonstrates that the course
complies with a set of international quality standards, specific to engineering, and that it has
been accredited by an agency (the CTI here in
France) that itself meets the most stringent
European standards.
EUR-ACE was established in 2006 to provide a
common reference framework to assist students
in their choice of universities and companies in
the recruitment of young graduates. It aims to
help students and the public in general to understand and make informed decisions in the more
open higher education marketplace in Europe,
created by the Bologna Process. By harmoniz-
NEWS
European quality
guaranteed
ing academic levels and course titles, Bologna
has generated a huge offering of study programs across the European continent.
The EUR-ACE label is designed
to foster student mobility within
this new educational arena.
Engineering students who plan
to spend a semester at a university in another country, for
example, may look for courses
that have the EUR-ACE stamp of approval. Similarly, completion of a EUR-ACE approved
course in France will support subsequent applications for higher-level courses in another
country.
110 engineering courses
in France have been
awarded the EUR-ACE
accreditation
Approximately 350 engineering degree courses
have been awarded the EUR-ACE accreditation
to date. Some 110 of these are in France,
delivered by around 50 institutions. Approved
courses are registered in a European public
database to facilitate partnerships between
institutions.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
UTT ranked third best
undergraduate engineering
school
In the 2012 survey of the “100
best engineering schools” published in the March 1 edition of
French business magazine L'Usine Nouvelle, UTT ranked third
in the league table of engineering schools for undergraduate
(post-baccalauréat) study.
In the general table (covering
all levels of admission), UTT
finished 19th. The excellent
career prospects of our graduates and our strong international
focus scored well. This is a significant improvement on our 2011 ranking, when UTT came
20th.
L'Usine Nouvelle's ranking confirms our strong
position in recent surveys. In January 2012,
news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur put us in
26th position in the list of
France's
200
best
Grandes Écoles engineering schools.
Also this year, UTT came
out sixth in the L'Etudiant
table of best engineering
schools.
Ellipse 13
STUDENT LIFE
Yoann Verger and Anna Nieto
Seasonal, locally
sourced organic
vegetables available
on campus
Students are notoriously unhealthy eaters but
thanks to a student initiative, UTT students — and
staff — can now eat healthily and responsibly by
buying seasonal organic vegetables directly on
campus. Yoann Verger and Anna Nieto, both
enrolled on the Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development
The idea was to set up a direct
Management course (IMEDD) and
members of the EcoCampus3 associservice — cutting out the
ation, have set up a delivery service
middlemen — as well as
offering freshly prepared and reasonably priced baskets of organic
get students to try out new
vegetable on campus each week.
vegetables
As well as bringing students locally sourced, seasonal produce that is good for their health and the
environment, the initiative is designed to support
local organic market gardeners. Local farmers
Benoît and Amélie Lermitte agreed to get involved
in the scheme, seeing it as a good way to
strengthen their future prospects. “The idea was
to set up a direct service — cutting out the middlemen — as well as get students to try out new
vegetables,” explains Yoann.
Each week, Anna emails about one hundred contacts to propose the weekly basket of seasonal
produce. A typical winter basket, for example,
includes carrots, potatoes, yellow turnips, lettuce
and leeks. “If people are interested, they simply
sign up for the basket online and then come and
collect it on Tuesday, which is delivery day,” says
Anna. Around forty baskets are distributed each
week, half to students and half to UTT staff.
Ellipse 14
“As well as strengthening our engagement with
the local community and fostering interaction
between local stakeholders and students, the
service reflects UTT's commitment to key human
and social values, such as the environment and
the well-being of students and staff. This is a very
positive step forward for the University!” say the
pair behind the scheme.
Created in 2004, the EcoCampus3 student association promotes green initiatives within the
University and in the wider local community. The
aim is to raise student and staff awareness about
sustainable development through a range of initiatives, such as the introduction of waste sorting
at source, a communal garden on campus, films
and debates on topical issues and participation in
eco-events, including Agenda 21 organized by
the Troyes city authority and Waste Reduction
Week.
Finding a balance
between academic
success and creativity
Pierre-Paul Ru
iz, UTT stud
t
since fall 20en
10
Pierre-Paul Ruiz began his engineering degree
at UTT in fall 2010 but technology is not his
only passion.
As part of the national drive to promote an
interest in science and technology among
young people, UTT regularly welcomes groups
of 8-12 year-olds from the Coulommière play
center in Troyes for a Science Fun Day. UTT
students take charge of the children, who are
given a tour of the university before dressing
up as lab assistants for some fascinating
hands-on experiments. Workshops topics
include water purification (chemistry), light and
color (physics), states of matter and math and
paper folding. Three Fun Days have been held
over the 2011-2012 academic year.
As an accomplished organist, Pierre-Paul is
pursuing his musical studies at the Troyes
Conservatory of Music at the same time.
As from next semester, he will be able to follow
one of the tailored study programs developed
by UTT for its top-level athletes and musicians.
In 2011, Pierre-Paul won the Young Deserving
Musicians prize awarded by the Aube regional
council.
In May this year, he gave a series of solo concerts at Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Cathedral in
Troyes, Notre-Dame d'Espérance Basilica in
Charleville Mézières and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims.
Alizée Delaune Mazan:
“Student of the year 2012”
The prize money will allow Alizée to pursue her
projects.
Industrial Systems engineer Alizée Delaune
Mazan is the winner of the 2012 Student of the
Year prize (science & technology undergraduate and master's category), awarded for the
sixth consecutive year by EDF in partnership
with the consulting firm Universum. Alizée was
presented with a check for €1,000 at the
Universum Awards ceremony held at Maison
des Arts et Métiers in Paris on March 19. In
attendance were the human resource directors
of most of the world's leading corporations.
Alizée Delaune Mazan came to UTT in September 2011 following a DUT vocational diploma in
Quality, Industrial Logistics and Organization,
which strengthened her interest in the industrial
world. “My school is my main driving force,” says
Alizée. “If I'm interested in something, the
resources are there to pursue it further. My
course focuses on industrial engineering. This
includes science and technology projects, such
as the assignment we had to do on automation,
using the university's purpose-built factory
Cooling off after exam time: 160 UTT students
spent a week skiing and relaxing at the Alpine
resort of La Plagne in January to unwind after
their final exams.
mockup facility. Everything is on hand to
allow us to be as dynamic and creative
as we want to be!”
UPCOMING
EVENTS
2012
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
• 15 May
IWOLIA 2012
(3rd International Workshop on Optimization and Logistics for Industrial Applications)
• 26 May
Gala
• 16 June
UTT Alumni Day
• 17 October
7th UTT Business Forum
• 17 & 18 October
COLEIT
(interdisciplinary symposium on ecological perspectives for industry and regional authorities)
Ellipse 15
PUBLICATIONS
Workshops for budding
young scientists
TESTIMONIAL
Former student
UTT graduate Mohammed
Syed Gaffar has realized his
dream of a career in aerospace
flying high
“After a DUT vocational diploma in industrial
engineering and maintenance at Lyon, I was
accepted at UTT's Industrial Systems department in September
2002 where I specialized in
dependability and integrated logistics support. The course was a
springboard into the world of aerospace, which is where I wanted to pursue my
career.
Today, I am an integrated logistics support
analyst at Thales, or more specifically at Thales
Air Systems in Fleury-Les-Aubrais, just outside
Orléans, one of the Group's specialist aerospace facilities.
…a global technology leader for the defense, security,
aerospace and transportation markets.
Thales key figures
• 68,000 employees • 22,500 engineers and researchers
• Operations in 56 countries • Revenues: €13 billion
• R&D: €2.5 billion
Five key technology domains: aeronautics, space, defense,
security, transportation
Thales Air Systems at a glance:
• Business activities: civil air traffic control, surface radar,
customer support • 2,900 employees • Revenues: approx.
€800 million • Facilities in France, the Netherlands and
Germany • Customers in over 180 countries
My job is to conduct logistics analyses to support the maintenance of air surveillance
systems. I also conduct reliability, maintainability, availability, safety and testability studies. I
work mainly with systems engineering —
mechanical, electronics and software engineers — but also with suppliers to ensure that
systems are fit for purpose and ready for use
when needed.
Back in my student days at the UTT campus in
Troyes, I helped to set up a mechanics club
called EMUTT (Eco-Marathon UTT), which I
led throughout the duration of my course.
Being part of an association like that played an
important role in my life and helped me to
develop technical and relational skills that have
since proved very useful in the world of business and industry.
I still love the idea of clubs and societies and
today I am delighted to chair the Thales YES
network (Young Employees Society). YES
helps young new recruits fit into their new
workplace. It has over 300 members, including
new hires and more experienced employees. I
have also kept in touch with many old friends
from UTT through ASANUTT, the UTT Alumni
Association.
In terms of career progression, I would like in
the near future to move to a management post
in integrated logistics support and am about to
start a training course to work toward this goal.
At the same time, I am also considering the
possibility of a post in strategy within the
Thales Group.”
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12, rue Marie Curie - BP 2060 - 10010 Troyes cedex
Tel: +33 (0)3 25 71 76 00 – Fax +33 (0)3 25 71 76 76 – Email: [email protected]
For further information,
please send an email to
http://www.utt.fr
[email protected]