EAC : Educational Activities Committee
Technical Committee
General Information
Activity ending in: 2010
Subject matter
The "Educational Activities Committee", EAC is responsible for RILEM activities in the field of education. Within this area RILEM EAC is responsible for tasks such as:
1. Proposition of new RILEM educational activities
2. Approval of new RILEM educational activities
3. Monitoring of on-going RILEM educational activities
4. Review of completed RILEM educational activities
5. Serving as the contact point for educational activities outside RILEM
The RILEM educational activities may be proposed by both the EAC members as well as by other RILEM organizations, such as clusters and TCs.
Terms of reference
The present proposal has been prepared in view of the previous recommendation of the TAC. The EAC will be under the direction of the TAC. The committee has a planned life time of 5 years. After this period the committee work will be reviewed by the TAC and the further course of the EAC is decided upon. In future, the EAC is supposed to develop, if successful, into a horizontal activity or a cluster of its own. The EAC may potentially after this period be established as a standing committee under the direction of RILEM Bureau.
Meetings are planned to be held at least yearly, for example, in conjunction with the RILEM week in September. If needed,
extra working meetings may take place at the spring meeting. The EAC meeting is planned to be held before the TAC meeting to allow that decided actions can seek approval from TAC.
The EAC committee members are recruited among RILEM members. A small committee with 5-10 members is aimed at. The members should preferably have relevant contacts and activities within the educational area. A broad representation regarding geography and subject is sought. Members may contribute to the committee work through correspondence.
Detailed working programme
The most important step is to establish the framework of possibilities that EAC may offer. Examples of initiatives that RILEM EAC could be involved in include:
1. Courses
a. Doctoral courses
b. Short seminars for the profession (practicing engineers)
c. Training courses for university teachers
2. Publications
a. Educational publications (including text books)
b. Other teaching material
3. Web-based education
a. Computer-based teaching
b. Questions and Answers portal on RILEM web
At present RILEM is engaged in the DTU-RILEM doctoral course arrangement. This activity-point la above- constitutes a critical mass for establishment of RILEM EAC. As a starting point RILEM EAC will supervise this activity and promote that other similar activities are started.
Typical outcomes from RILEM TCs are STARs and conferences. Points 1 a, 1 b, 2a, 2b and 3a could directly become relevant output from TCs. This should enhance the visibility and value of the TC work. Point 1 b could be in the form of offering RILEM seminars on request- "experts on the road". EAC will actively promote that the TCs are aware of these relevant ways of increasing the value of the TC work.
Many activities are already going on among the RILEM members on point 2a, but these are not RILEM activities at present.
An initiative from EAC on this matter is anticipated.
To establish point 3b will require a separate, intensive action with the active involvement of RILEM staff- in addition to the continuous contribution from e.g. TCs to give the answers. There are no present plans to initiate this, but in the case a suitable situation arises this initiative can be considered.
Technical environment
A number of other scientific organizations, including ACI and FIP, have already well-established committees to manage educational activities. RILEM has no structured activities in this field. Educational activities will supplement and intensify existing TAC activities. It is expected that EAC will cooperate with a number of RILEM TCs.
No specific links with educational activities in other national or international associations are planned for now, however, RILEM EAC may also extend this aspect. Formal communications with other organizations are done through RILEM Bureau.
Expected achievements
A series of deliverables from RILEM EAC are expected. Examples of specific deliverables are listed in point 4 above. In addition to this an important outcome of RILEM EAC will be the diffuse impact on RILEM: Within RILEM establishment of EAC will generate an increased awareness on educational aspects and catalyze a better knowledge transfer from the technical committees. Embracing educational aspects by RILEM is also a positive political signal to bodies outside RILEM.
Group of users
The mission of RILEM EAC is to promote dissemination of knowledge. First of all the knowledge dissemination promoted by RILEM EAC will be knowledge from RILEM to the outside community. The activities of RILEM EAC will be directed towards several different users, including academics, testing laboratories and practitioners.
Specific use of the results
The activities by RILEM EAC will to a major extend be of very specific nature, as exemplified in point 4 above. The activities will be of direct benefit for the single user, but also of more diffuse value for the RILEM community. It is not possible to evaluate the economic impact.
