The School of Engineering is promoting creativity to encourage a new wave of adventurous engineers. During a student networking event on 24 October 2017, a range of creativity-led student activities - from undergraduate projects to student societies - were on show to encourage students to think about the critical skills they need to be successful engineers: creative problem solvers, collaborative team players and adventurous thinkers.

A Creativity Lab pilot project to run throughout 2017/18 will see the next generation of world-changing engineers challenged to tackle a number of interactive games that will encourage creative thinking and problem solving in this exciting new space for students.

Creativity Lab

The inspiration for the Lab came from a need to ensure that engineering students arriving at the University and graduates leaving for industry careers are focussed on more than achieving high marks in exams. The new space aims to promote the inventive and experimental creative process whilst encouraging students to embrace failure that is an integral part of the learning experience.

Professor Colin McInnes, James Watt Chair & Professor of Engineering Science, said: “The 20th century aerodynamicist, Theodore Von Karman noted that: ‘Scientists discover the world that exists; Engineers create the world that never was.’ We want to cultivate this spirit of ambition and creative thinking amongst our engineers.”

It is hoped that this creativity initiative from the School of Engineering will challenge misconceptions of what engineering is – to UofG’s own engineering students and beyond.

Fiona Bradley, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering, said: “There are sometimes misconceptions that Engineering involves mathematical and physics ability alone, however, creative thinking, innovative design and effective team work are all hugely important aspects of the role of a modern Engineer.

“The School of Engineering is nurturing and actively promoting these broader skills in order to further enhance our student experience, widen our intake of students and educate engineers who will devise and develop the key technologies of the 21st Century.”

The Creativity Lab is located in the James Watt South Building.

First published: 7 November 2017

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