This summer we passed 30 new signal integrity students at the 3 week summer course at Danish Technical University (DTU). This is more than twice as many as the previous years. Why? Well, the course is now on the official list of recommended courses for EE’s.
I would add another recommendation: Have a real good reason if you want to hire any new EE from DTU for doing electronic design, if that person did not take this course…
Call for Projects
With this many students, we need more industry projects for those who want to get really good at signal integrity. Both in the form of internships, projects, student jobs and thesis projects. So bring it on. I will gladly pass on the information and hook you up with some great students. Shoot me an email if you have an interesting project.
Call for Equipment
DTU is falling way behind on modern equipment. For this course, where we try to get the students to be able to understand the reality of designing electronics today, the type of equipment really should reflect the present – not the past. Unfortunately the equipment available is so old and outdated that it is really difficult to make meaningful lab exercises on several of the topics that are covered in the course.
The cost of equipment may look high as an up-front cost for the investment, but when you factor in that most of the equipment we use at DTU is 10-15 years old, the yearly cost is really not that high.
I do not think that DTU will get their act together and support an important course like this, so I think the initiative has to come from the industry.
As a thought experiment: Suppose 10 of the larger danish companies sponsored just DKK 6000 per year… that would pay for a 5 year loan to buy DKK 3M worth of equipment. That is enough to make a significant difference. We are really talking pennies here – who wants to pick up the ball?