April 2009


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Engineering Asset Management emerges

From September 2009, The University of the West Indies will be offering an Engineering Asset Management Masters (EAM) degree. The programme will be offered part-time in the evenings over two years, or full-time over one year.

Engineering Asset Management is an emerging inter-disciplinary field that combines the technical issues of asset reliability, safety and performance with financial and managerial skills. The emphasis of EAM is on achieving sustainable business outcomes and competitive advantage by applying holistic, systematic and risk-based processes to decisions concerning an organisation’s physical assets, including its fixed plant, mobile equipment and civil, electrical and mechanical infrastructure.

This programme is for those wishing to become maintenance practitioners, but would be useful to engineers and managers responsibile for plant maintenance and projects in manufacturing, utilities, energy engineering and engineering service industries. The programme intake is limited to about 25 for the first cohort. Graduates will be Engineering Managers capable of effective management of the engineering assets of their organisations. Professor Chanan Syan, Programme Leader for Graduate Studies in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, describes EAM as “the missing link in the Caribbean.”

“Caribbean countries are in that phase of their development where the majority of the industrial and economic activities comprise of procuring plant and assets, using these to produce value-added products and services locally and internationally. Effective asset procurement, operation, maintenance and disposal are the core competency requirements for the region. However, there is no capacity building, development in this critical area of engineering asset management regionally,” explained Syan, a professor of Production Engineering and Management.

The development of a body of knowledge to meet the needs of a competent asset manager is an ongoing issue. Three World Congresses on EAM have been held already, and a fourth is to take place in September 2009 in Greece. The new UWI programme was developed in partnership with the University of Toronto (Canada) and the University of Warwick (UK), and will be run in collaboration with the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business in Mount Hope, Trinidad.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE Online applications run until May 15, 2009. For application details, please visit http://sta.uwi.edu/postgrad.apply.asp. Entry requirements include a BSc in Engineering or Science or an equivalent. One year of industrial experience is desirable but not necessary. Candidates with other qualifications will be considered if they have at least 10 years industrial experience in the area of Engineering Asset Management.

POSTGRAD OPTIONS The University of the West Indies, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering offers MSc programmes in Production Engineering & Management, Production Management, Engineering Management, Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Asset Management. Syllabuses are available online at http://www.sta.uwi.edu/resources/documents/facultybooklets/EngPostgrad.pdf.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT The Department may be able to provide some financial support for specific research projects. Trinidad and Tobago nationals are eligible for support under the GATE programme. For more information, please contact The Secretary at UWI Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Production Engineering and Management Office at (Tel.) 868 662 2002 Exts 2074 or 2067, (Fax) 868 662 4414, or (E-mail) Production. Engineering@sta.uwi.edu, or visit our website: http://www.sta.uwi.edu/eng.