September 3, 2025 • 32 mins
This week I'm joined by Dr Daniel Coren, senior lecturer for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath to discuss their Automotive Masters courses. We chat about the history of cars, the future of the industry, and how studying at Bath prepares you for the real world.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome back to Future You.
The podcast brought to youby graduate careers experts, prospects.
I'm your host, Emily Slade.
And in this episode,I chat to Daniel Coren from the University
of Bath about the automotive MSA.
Well, good morning, Emily,my name is Daniel Carr.
I'm the director of
place for the automotive MSC coursesat the University of Bath.
Perfect. Amazing.
(00:21):
So we are here to talk about the courses,but before we get into that, let's
begin with why should we get excited aboutcars still here in the 21st century?
Well, that's a questionthat I'm happy to answer.
My short answer would be is that we,we can't help but be excited about it.
That's my belief and experience.
But to try and give you a fullerand more detailed answer,
(00:44):
I'm going to start with a legendary tale,that of Icarus.
Now, people may be familiarwith this legendary tale of the person
that flew too close to the sun,but what not everybody knows is
that it's also warnednot to fly too close to the sea.
And it's my beliefor my addition to that story,
that, halfway up,
he, realized there must be a third way,somewhere between the sun and the sea.
(01:07):
And he looked down and saw a whalerolling down a hill and became a believer
in the idea of the car.
So distracted was they did get too closeto the sun and fell to earth.
But the plus side is he became,I think, the world's first ever automotive
or car enthusiastand set the tone for the rest of us.
Now to me, from legend to a true story,
and around about 18, 19,
(01:30):
I think, Bertha Benz, wife of Calvin,manufacturer of the first car
pretty much in terms of a productioncar, decided one early morning
to go out on an adventure in his carwith her children.
So the journey was really quitean adventure.
And the fact that it was done in this,interesting way
(01:51):
without without alerting her husband,is that really, I think
one of the first, recorded journeys inthe car is effectively a joyride.
So again,setting the tone that cars are, to do
with excitement and adventure,not just utility.
If we move on again a little bit later,there was a celebration of the freedom
that cars can bring,
which is called the Emancipation Run,going from London to Brighton.
(02:14):
Since then, a whole raftof exciting kinds of technology,
has come to come to bear,that we call a car.
And it's impactedmany different areas, of our lives.
So I'll give a few examples.
So intensive, cultural references.
There was,a poet that focused on the excitement
(02:34):
of cars, encountered the motoringor the song of the engine.
If we move from poetry to song, I can think of a few examples.
So cars, first car and then car washby the appropriately named, band.
I think Rolls-Royce
perhaps is a little microcosmof the trajectory of the car that we had.
Cars wanted to go faster,and then we realized
they might need to do some cleaning upbecause of some of the things
(02:56):
that they cause.
If we look at film,
we now know that if you're a wizard,you must drive a Ford Anglia.
If you're a secret agent,have to drive an Aston Martin.
And if you want to become a time travelerin the future, will
of course be driving a Delorean.
So from
those slightly whimsical examples, we canwe can see, though, that there's,
a broad interest in vehicles,not just by people that are excited
(03:18):
by the, car conceptuallyor that lead one just for utility.
So I think there's something beyond that.
There's an innate human thirstfor adventure.
Which cars facilitate?
They allow us to guide further and faster.
And although we're in a rapidly,changing world,
with respect to the carand other things as well.
One thing that's constant is that we'restill sentient biological analog beings.
(03:41):
We're excited by my shoulder movements.
And so I think there's going to be always
a generation of peoplethat can find value in vehicles.
Now, I've come here today to talk to youabout a set of automotive MSC courses.
So it seems appropriateto finish this question with an equation.
So, I like to say that took,human beings
plus cars, equal human happenings.
(04:03):
So cars with us, for a long time,I think.
And there's going to be,
lots of exciting and positive thingswe can enjoy with them.
Now, there's more serious side as well,which we'll address today as well.
But I thought I'd start
with this, optimistic and positiveoutlook, on cars and human beings.
Yeah. Fantastic.
So how do we define a car today?
(04:23):
An interesting question.
Lots of different waysthat one could answer that.
But here's my answer.
I'll start off actually from, a formative early experience of my own
with respect to cars, and his story,I quite like to help, people,
including my students, which is thatmy first car actually was a Ferrari.
The first callthat I bought was a Ferrari.
(04:45):
Now, I usually follow that upby explaining that,
it fits in the palm of my hand.
It was a toy Ferrari.
In case it was interest,it was a metallic green Ferrari.
250 GT Luci.
So you can go check that outif you're interested.
For the reasonwhy I mentioned it, actually, is that
although it was a Ferrari,it had a tow bar on it,
which as a child, maybe I found a funnelthat was that, perhaps the intention.
(05:08):
But actually for me, it caused, intrigue.
And that's partlybecause if I ever saw Ferrari
on the road, which was not very common,it never had a towbar.
So I would ask my fatheror other people, why?
Why is my toy Ferrari?
Got a towbar?
The real ones don't seem to work for me.
It was the beginnings of tryingto think about the features
(05:29):
on a car and the purpose of a car,so sometimes it calls for utility.
Sometimes it's a luxury itemfor pleasure and adventure.
And that's, caused caused me to look moredeeply into cars and car technology.
Taken me into a career in, in industry,working on the Trabant of cars
and then in to academia to help people,develop the future cars.
(05:49):
Now, now that I do share that storywith some of my students,
I'm now informedthat actually you can buy a Ferrari
with a tow bar,which slightly, follows my story.
I think thethe general thrust of that organization
and tow bars means, I think mymy point still still remains.
So call is very much, for utilityor luxury.
(06:11):
So, it's important for us to thinkabout these things when trying to define
what a car is and in particular,what a future car, might be.
So, there is,
a set of, challenges that cars bring
we simply address on some of these,negative sides of the, of the car.
And they certainly spotlighton the industry
(06:33):
at the moment because of some of these,negative impacts that it's had.
There were positives to which.
So we'll try and talk about both today.
But certainly there are concernsin terms of air quality.
And climate change, the CO2 emissionsthat are associated with transport
and cars, also problemswith, with congestion.
And so there are a series of solutionsthat we need to think about
(06:55):
when we're thinking about whata future car should be.
Yeah.
It's a word that we have put to usewhen we're talking about a thing
on wheelsthat helps us move across the land.
Some people call them automobiles, some vehicles, some people will call them a car.
But certainly
then a range of of new technologiesand solutions, are required.
So a lot of change, so rapidly evolving sector.
Some people talk it about talk about itas an evolution.
(07:16):
Something might think about it as a, as arevolution if we cast our minds back to.
So 800 years ago, a lot of people movearound on, on horseback.
Only the wealthy might have a car nowadaysthat's flipped.
So many people have a car, but really,only the wealthy might have a horse.
And the horse would be for probablya leisure would be,
a pleasuretype of kind of a journey or activity.
(07:39):
And the cars become more of a utility.
So we could look backand see there's been significant change.
Things turned on the head,and that's likely to happen again.
So moment majority of cars, at least up until the last 5
or 10 years, we've relied on fossil fuelsfor their propulsion systems.
But that's really been turnedon. Its head.
And we're looking at a future where thereare going to be battery electric cars.
(08:00):
We'll be hybrid cars as well, perhapsusing sustainable fuels or hydrogen.
But we're looking at autonomous vehiclesand connected vehicles
mobility as a service.
So maybe you don't own a car anymore, butyou get on your phone, you use your app
and the car is brought to you.
Who knows?
Who is going to be making that vehicle?
But a big change.
But it's good to remind ourselvesthat we've seen big change already.
(08:23):
In fact, if we look at the periodbeyond us moving on on horseback,
the range of propulsion systemswe were using, including steam, actually
electric cars were actually more prevalentthan petrol diesel around
100 hundred and 20 years ago.
So we shouldn't be too surprisedabout this big change.
Actually, perhaps we've got complacent,and maybe that's a time to remind
ourselves of a few examplesof these different approach.
(08:45):
So, right about timewe're recording this.
There's a film out in the cinemas.
I think we're about to mentioncalled Formula One.
But a little bit further back,there was a film called,
Ford versus Ferrari,
which gave a bit of an insightinto the different approaches
people took in, howthey went about making a car.
So the mass produced Fords or the bespoke,
Ferraris suited for different customersand different sorts of journeys,
(09:08):
and also brings to mind for methe tale of the two Henrys.
So, funnily enough, in 1908, two peoplecalled Henry's went about making cars.
So Henry Ford and Henry Royce, the Rolls Royce then
and probably now associated with luxuryand quality and reliability.
The Ford perhaps more of acan be convenient, mass produced, product
(09:28):
or commodity.
But interestingly, from an engineeringperspective, one could say that the
the Ford took a more advanced approachto the engineering of the car
because all the different componentsin the car
could have been taken from the productionline or fitted to any one of those cars.
Such was their, design and manufacturing.
Approach is the Rolls-Royce.
Everything's, fettled, interesting.
(09:49):
Like probably still those reputationsas, as they emerged in the early days
still do remain.
So if you interesting examplesof how we approach what vehicles are
but yes, I think exciting timesof all of this change.
It's a, it's an opportunity.
But of course, it requires a
new generation of people, to developthese new ways for us to move around.
(10:11):
Yeah, absolutely. So going on from that,
can you tell us a bitmore about the MSC courses available?
Yes, you'll be be happy to.
We looked aroundand saw what was happening in terms of,
group of people interested in carsbecause they might be customers,
other people interested in cars,because the legislators,
other people are interested in cars,perhaps because of some of the negative
(10:32):
environmental impacts.
And we saw this real growthin societal interest in car and transport.
Really the first time in a long timeall of those people really,
interest did into thinking aboutand talking about
cars as a, as a discussionpoint, good and bad.
We saw all of that
and thought, okay, we need to be educating
(10:54):
a generation of people,perhaps of a different set of skills.
And so we developed a portfolio
of four MSC courses actually relatedto automotive engineering.
And I'll go through them briefly now
in the context ofwho might be coming onto those courses.
So one of those for the courseis we call automotive engineering
with electric propulsion.
That's for people whose first degree mightbe automotive or mechanical engineering.
(11:18):
They've already got a backgroundin those kinds of topics,
but they want to come and specializeand go into a deep dive investigation
into some of the application
of the physics that allow new vehicletechnologies to be developed.
We can help them, help prepare themfor going into a job in industry
to do those things.
But we also recognize that we've all thischange of the kind of propulsion systems
(11:39):
that future vehicles might have,especially this shift to electrification,
that there might be other peoplethat want to come and get involved,
but hadn't really thought about thatin the earlier part of their education.
So an example I sometimes give isit could be that you've been, studying
chemical engineering or you're a chemistand you realized,
hey, cars are pretty excitingand so is this.
So might be this opportunity therefor me to come in and make, make a mark.
(12:04):
But how do I how do I get involved?
It might be difficultto get that first interview or job.
So if you come to an MSCthat's got an automotive connection,
that would help you.
So we created what we call our automotivetechnology course.
So you can come on to that if your firstdegree is science background.
But it could be for example,that you've done chemistry will help fill
in some knowledgegaps in the first semester,
(12:25):
and then you'll be able to link inwith the other students on the courses on
other, more advanced automotive topicsand be ready to go into that sector.
So two quite different streams,
allowing a much more diverserange of people to come and get involved,
which is exactly what the industry needs,is a broadening of technologies,
different propulsion systems,different kinds of connected vehicles.
So it makes sense.
(12:45):
I think, we think to allow this widerrange of people to come and get involved.
Now each one of those two courseshas a business management variant of it.
And that's what people that come fromthose different backgrounds in terms
of their educationor aspiration and experience,
but realize they're more interested,perhaps in getting involved
with the coordination, project managementor innovation management in the industry.
(13:08):
And if we think about
the different kinds of vehiclesthat the companies need to make
and the different partnerships,perhaps with different kind of sectors,
they need to get involved with, whetherit's communicate for connected vehicles,
whether it's to do with the power
generation network,for having clean energy for electric car,
it's clear that we need some real expertleadership and management
(13:28):
to come into the industry as well.
So our automotive courses have a balancebetween the technical side,
management, innovation,and so all very much needed.
One of the really exciting thingsis that once
all of these students are on thisportfolio, they're all specialized
and we have dedicated units for them,but then also come together
at certain pointswithin the course, as well.
(13:50):
And that's a good, stepping stone or experience
like a taster for how they'll be workingwhen they come into industry.
Whatever your particular areaof interest and specialization is,
you're not just going to be sitting
in a row of desks with 50 other peoplewith the exact same skills.
You'll be working with peoplewith a range of skills.
So this way the course works,and the integration of the course
allows people to work togetherwith different interests
(14:13):
and backgrounds, specializations,
and see how to make the most of that workeffectively as a group.
And as a team.
So, how does that work in practice?
Again, we've taken a new approach.
We've kind of torn upthe rulebook and said,
this isn't just about sittingin traditional lectures.
It's not the best way,we don't think to learn about engineering.
(14:33):
It's part of it, yes.
So you'll come in, whateverthe topic is, you will come to a lecture.
There is some new complicated informationwe need to make you aware of,
and we'll do that through lectures.
But you'll then come to Twitch.
You'll then come to a tutorialand tutorial.
There'll be a set of questions for youto work through, which will help you with.
But there will be a set of solutionsfor those unique solutions,
(14:56):
and you'll get feedback on that.
You'll then move on to what we calla problem based learning workshop.
That will set a challenge,but there is actually no unique solution.
We don't actually have the answer.
So we'll work with youto to go through the apps.
And the idea is you take the new knowledgefrom the lecture, you take the feedback
from tutorial questionsthat you've answered.
So you've developed some skills,but then you're applying it
(15:16):
in this more innovativeway to try and solve a problem.
We'll complement that with a setof laboratory experiences as well,
which could be computerlaboratories or physical laboratories.
And you get a chanceto get your hands on some of the hardware.
Now, it's not that we're trainingto become a technician and symbol engines
or motors,but if you do look inside the job,
it's often a good way to understandwhat they're designed in that way,
(15:38):
when you go back to the theory,it starts to make a bit more sense.
So we try to combineall of those different
things, the digital and the physical aspart of the learning, whatever the topic.
So the topics do includelooking at batteries,
looking at electric machines,looking at hydrogen fuel cells.
We'll still look at reciprocating enginesbecause they might be using
sustainable fuels or hydrogen.
(15:58):
It also look about how you connect allthat together with a hybrid powertrain.
It will look at connected vehicles.
So how do we connect those vehiclesto each other or to, a great
for avoiding congestionor for charging them up?
And we'll look at the lightweighting of the vehicle.
And it will also look at
how do we make vehicles more aerodynamicand reduce the aerodynamic drag of them.
So it's a very holistic approachto designing and developing
(16:21):
a new generation of cars and preparinga new generation of engineers.
To do so.
So we like to think about itin terms of designing
or redesigning the carfrom the inside out, but really
starting with the propulsion system,because that's where the major changes.
And at bath,it seems like a natural place to do that,
because there's a great track recordat bath with the automotive and mechanical
(16:42):
engineering departmentsand the research track record as well.
Fairly recently we've opened, 70 millionpound AI apps research facility.
So there's an AI ops communityof researchers, there's physical
building there.
And that's very much part of thethe community in which you,
our machines will be existing,and studying.
So it might be that your lectureone day, is in the AI apps building,
(17:05):
working with an OEM,developing next generation of vehicle,
and then next either in the classroomwith you helping you solve a problem.
So as you come through, in semesterone will give you, expert
foundational knowledgeas you move into semester two,
we'll give the opportunitiesto apply that, and help
you understand how to apply thatin an effective systems thinking way.
(17:28):
You'll get the chance to use specialistsoftware there, which
we have access to three appsand our industrial contacts.
And then you come to the summit
where you'll be applying thatin a really innovative way on a project.
I'll be an individual project of your own,
one of the,engineering and technical tracks,
or it'll be a business management typeof a project where you work in a group
if you're one of the business managementvariants.
(17:50):
So it's a bit of an introductionto the full courses that we have,
preparing you to become a specialist,but be able to work with other people,
be able to apply theory and exciting wayand prepare yourself for for industry.
We're working on a projectwhich in many cases
where most casesin fact is linked to industry.
So, it's a chance for, pragmatic innovation,
(18:14):
which actually is one of the thingsthe university stands for.
These courses are designedto help you do that,
which we think is exactlywhat the industry needs.
So pretty exciting times.
And if I reflect on my time in industry,where there was a period where
there was lots of hard workon on developing things, but it was quite
iterative and try to perfect technologythat was already there.
(18:34):
Whereas nowadays
we're ripping up the rulebook, as I say,lots of new things to get involved with.
So a really, genuinely exciting time.
I was seeing lots of opportunitybecause of that.
So it might have been 20 years agothat you're going for a job
and you're competing with peoplethat got decades of experience in,
for example, diesel fuel injectors,nothing against them.
Very interesting items.
(18:55):
But now you could be goingto a job interview,
and if you've doneone of these MSC courses
and you've got knowledge on, for example,what's happening with the next generation
of battery chemistry or motor designor fuel cells,
actually, when you're goingfor that interview, there won't be someone
there with decades of experienceor certainly not so likely to be.
So you've got to be more of, an even playing field.
Certainly compared to how things had been,to come and get involved
(19:16):
with the industryand make your mark on it.
We're trying to developthe next generations of of innovators
and leaders in the technological scienceand business of management.
So yeah, amazing.
So what are some of the highlightsfrom the course?
Well, there were manyI certainly think so.
But to pick a few in particular,I'll touch
just now on the summer project workour students get involved with.
(19:37):
We call those industry linkedresearch projects.
If it's on the technical side,
we call them industrylinked business consultancy projects.
If it's on the business management side, either way,
you'll be set a projectnot just by an academic
as we might traditionally have done,but a project
that's been set in conjunctionwith our contacts and industry.
So you'll have a challenge or a briefthat's been set that we've
(19:59):
discussed as academicswith our industrial partners.
You'll then come and take on that project.
There's a there's an allocation process.
So students get to choose the projects.
You will then be workingacross the summer period with the benefit
of being in the academic environmentwith all our life support networks.
But also you've got thisindustrial mentor and support.
(20:21):
So there'll be a launch meetingfor the exciting at the beginning.
So we get to meet these people in person,get to know them a bit better,
understandsomething about their background
and the background to where they've setthis challenge with us.
You'll then work on those problemsacross the summer.
You'll be meetingwith your academic support team.
So that's your lecturers,
but also PhD students who might be workingon quite similar things.
(20:43):
And so provides some a differentkind of insight for NSC students.
But you also get to be,having calls and discussions
with your industrial mentor,site visits as well occur there.
So it's almost like having a mini,placement experience or work experience
during the summer, on campus,but with access to what's happening,
(21:03):
happening in those companies.
So is the excitementof working on a real life project.
We also have an arrangement.
So all of those companies are happy
for all students to both broadcastand publicize, what they're doing.
So that means you be encouragedand in fact, supported to be writing,
blog posts, which we might,you might post on LinkedIn.
So check those out. Go and have a look.
(21:24):
Other platforms exist, but I knowthere are some of that of people
who are listening tothis. Might want to check out.
So please do go and have a look.
It's quite nice to hear studentstalking about what's going on.
Of course, I've got positive thingsto say about the course and about both,
so I think it's a wonderful placethat people might find it interesting.
Takes students like that too.
But one of the benefitsthe students of, of writing these stories
is they're able to talk about their,industrially informed
(21:48):
project work in the summer,the company that they're working with,
we'll do some, some checks on what they,what they share.
So nothing commercially sensitiveis released inadvertently.
Like,let the world know what they're doing,
which is a really good opportunityfor them in terms of, employability.
So sometimes in some respects, we think about this,
such that the MSC students come here
(22:09):
and it's as if you're workingon a startup company where the product
or what you're developing is
you you've got this network of supportfrom the academic teams,
all of the facilities here,including the physical and the digital,
but also the employability teams,the marketing
teams, the academic advisors,a whole network of people that so
so if you think about it in that way, it's
really exciting opportunityto improve your skills and yourself
(22:32):
and ready yourself,for moving into industry.
So those projects are really, kind of a halo part of the courses.
And students find it quite transformative.
Other things, like other highlights.
I mentioned a couple more.
One would be the big investmentwe've made into our laboratories,
where I think students can learnthere's a dedicated space for them.
(22:53):
So you can test an internal combustionengine with a sustainable fuel, Qantas
electric machines.
You can test things in the wind tunnel.
And now we've developed a bespokevirtual reality environment.
So welcome anyone who's doing so famouscome down Troy.
There's a real wow factor to itthat our students, report.
So we've worked with a company,one of our international partners,
(23:13):
to develop this,unique or bespoke, experience.
So, students will
put the headset on,they'll go into a, a virtual laboratory.
And in front of them,they'll see an electric motor. Now,
electric motors in a casing actuallybefore their eyes, like.
So, not always
that an exciting thing to look at,but once you're in the environment,
(23:34):
you look down, you see a control panelas if you're in a test environment.
And if you start moving the levers,I use virtual levers.
The motor will first of all becomepartially transparent in terms
of its casing.
Now you can look inside,you can see the copper windings.
You can start to see
the permanent magnets like oh okay, let'ssee what's going on inside here.
Okay. But how does that work?
(23:54):
Well, we can push another leverand it starts to slightly turn
or it will turn more quickly if you like.
So it's starting to move as it woulddo, and it's generating
useful mechanical torque.
You canthen do something which is impossible
with any other real, electric machine,which is you can turn another lever
and now the flux lines, the reactionbetween them, permanent magnets,
nice field linesand the coil windings becomes visible.
(24:18):
So you can actually finallysee how mechanical torque
or how wheels can be turned on a call,how that comes from
the electro mechanical interactionthat's going on inside a motor.
So that's a real light bulb momentfor many of our students.
It's an exciting environment to be insideand to experience that.
So the students, go so that they can taketheir own journeys walking around.
(24:39):
We will guide them.
But it's really fun for themto explore that in the way that they like.
So there's another feature therewhere you can, open the motor up.
So we'll separate components, spread out like an assembly diagram
that's been opened upor sometimes called exploded.
And then you can see all the partsmoving and separate from each other
and see more clearly.
(24:59):
And then if you like,
you can actually walk aroundand put your head inside the machine.
Look at this.
These magnets moving aroundin a completely safe fashion.
There's nothing that can hurt youphysically.
And you can put it all backtogether again,
but with the transparentand see it, move it.
So we're really exciting,really excited about this new development,
which we'd like to applyto other aspects of our teaching.
(25:22):
And perhaps one of the things I mentioned,is that because of the connection,
we have free the university
now departments with our arts researchgroup, community and building
and and connection to industryis we're able to allow our students
on the MSC course to have accessto professional, automotive software.
And that includes avioesspecialist propulsion, modeling software.
(25:45):
They're one of our, research partners.
And they helped us to developour new research building.
And so through the teaching sideof things, you have access to that.
So it's that's a really specialopportunity, we think very special.
So students on
the course will be sitting downand using software that allows them to
model how a particular vehicleand a particular part of the world
(26:07):
with a particular propulsionsystem could be electric hydrogen.
Whatever they decide,
it will allow them to to modelthat and size it so that it could complete
a journey like, and then look and seewhere how much energy was consumed.
They can then look and see, well,what is the grid intensity?
How much carbon is there in the grid?
How much energy didI use to either make this liquid fuel
or charge this electric carand and to carry out this, this journey
(26:30):
that allows them to take a scenariobased based, holistic approach to vehicle
propulsion system selection and matchingusing the same professional tools
that people are working in industry,which is so gives you a real head start
when you're applying for a job
that allows you
to really get a taste of what it's liketo work as a professional engineer
while you're on the course.
So that's something
that we're really excited about and I'mproud to be able to offer, because
(26:52):
of this track record that we built upabove and over the past decades.
So when we think about the cohort, the University of Bath, like what?
What do the students look like?
Well,that's a fascinating question, actually.
And it's a really interesting experience
for usmeeting these people when they arrive.
So we've said something
about the four different coursesthat we have,
but there's a big variety of peoplethat are going to come and take them,
(27:13):
not just because of their
background aspirations,but because of where they've come from,
around the planet.
And there's wonderful
unifying thought there, really, thatwe've got this really international sector
course being designed, made
and use all around the planet,and we've got people
coming from all around the planetto come and study with us.
So it's really fascinatingfor us to see that seen
as personal journeys,get to know those individual,
(27:35):
and it's the individuals that makethe difference in the end, when they go
and work in the industryand put their individual stamp on things.
So we welcome and support peoplefrom all around the globe.
We acknowledge that when you've arrivedhere from somewhere very different
or very far,that you might be missing home or
there might be a lot to get used to here.
So we put a lot of effortinto helping people, climates,
you know, welcome week and beyond.
(27:56):
So we hope you figure out how to movearound the transport systems that we have,
how to find the bus,how to find the campus,
how to find your lecture theater,how to find digital information,
how to get support and helpif things get tough.
All of that here as part of this supportnetwork we've got on campus.
So it's a friendly,welcoming place in terms of the staff here
and also all the other students herethat, students can learn from.
(28:18):
In fact, just recently, the students have created an automotive
specific student unionsupported, community
and society, called the auto verse,recognizing this really,
broad range of places,that these different people come to
and then the exciting different placesthat like little go on to, to help,
(28:38):
get around the planet
spreading the good word from bathand welcome the next generation of cars.
Yeah. Brilliant.
Any final key takeaways for our listeners?
I think I'll go back to one of the thingswe said earlier about this shift from
from horses actually to steam,electric, petrol, diesel
and now on to electric and hybridvehicles.
Lots of changemeans, lots of opportunity.
(29:00):
And it's really horses for courses.
So to come back to the equestrian thing,and here at bath,
we think we've got the range of expertiseto help you with that.
So we've got a research, active
experts, teacherswho also professional expert educators.
And you've got access to reallysome of the world's best facilities
in terms of hardware and software
for doing, automotive development,especially on the propulsion systems side.
(29:23):
But also how that impactsthe rest of the car.
We have guest lecturerscoming in to help deliver the course.
So you actually get to speak to people
working on propulsion systems projects,but also vehicle design projects.
How do people try and think in an originaland innovative way?
When try and solve problems?
It's a really exciting timeto get involved with the industry.
(29:44):
Lots of change, lots of,opportunities for you to get skilled up,
especially with these courses that teachyou not just some of the technical
knowledge or business managementknowledge or systems thinking knowledge,
but gives you the opportunityto apply it with all projects
and into the industrial mentors
in the summer and as much as possible,make you, career ready.
(30:06):
We like to keep in touchwith our students.
When they've left, we invite them backto come and visit the university
and speak to the current studentsexplaining their journeys,
which our current studentsfind, quite helpful, actually.
So look out for videos on our websitesand other social media,
so you can see some of our facilities,but also some of the success stories
of our students.
(30:26):
That's one of the things that motivates usand makes us get up in the morning
exciting to see these new peopledeveloping these new cars.
And in fact, we rely on them.
So I fully expect to see our studentsbecome leaders and innovators
in different parts of the industryand for myself and you and you as well,
Emily, to be running around driving, both inspired cars and things.
(30:47):
So, and if prospective students want toget in touch with you, can they do that.
Yeah. People to reach out to me.
All the social medias should work.
You can contact me through the universityor through LinkedIn or.
I think you'll share through his podcastall the ways that people connect.
And, please do reach out.
We like to have conversationswith students
before they start the course as well,to make sure they're on the right.
One of our four courses, and so that they get the maximum
(31:09):
out of the course when they hear, but it's a lovely place to be.
It's a Unesco World Heritage site.
So we like to think that we're able to mixthis blend of long standing,
principlesassociated with physics and engineering
and this wonderful,Roman bath inspired city.
But coupled to our new AIOps facilitiesand our campus facilities
is the best of modern
(31:29):
digital and physical tools as well for youto become, an automotive expert.
So, we like we like to providethat opportunity for you.
So please come and make the most of it.
Come get in touch.
Brilliant. Well,thank you so much for your time today.
Absolute pleasure.
Thanks again to Daniel for that time.
For more information on the course,you can check out the show notes
below for a full length videoversion of this episode.
(31:52):
Check out our YouTube channel at FutureYou Pod.
If you enjoyed the episode, feel freeto leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.
Thank you, as always for listening andgood luck on your journey to feature you.
Hello and welcome back to Future You.
The podcast brought to youby graduate careers experts, prospects.
I'm your host, Emily Slade.
And in this episode,I chat to Daniel Coren from the University
of Bath about the automotive MSA.
Well, good morning, Emily,my name is Daniel Carr.
I'm the director of
place for the automotive MSC coursesat the University of Bath.
Perfect. Amazing.
(00:21):
So we are here to talk about the courses,but before we get into that, let's
begin with why should we get excited aboutcars still here in the 21st century?
Well, that's a questionthat I'm happy to answer.
My short answer would be is that we,we can't help but be excited about it.
That's my belief and experience.
But to try and give you a fullerand more detailed answer,
(00:44):
I'm going to start with a legendary tale,that of Icarus.
Now, people may be familiarwith this legendary tale of the person
that flew too close to the sun,but what not everybody knows is
that it's also warnednot to fly too close to the sea.
And it's my beliefor my addition to that story,
that, halfway up,
he, realized there must be a third way,somewhere between the sun and the sea.
(01:07):
And he looked down and saw a whalerolling down a hill and became a believer
in the idea of the car.
So distracted was they did get too closeto the sun and fell to earth.
But the plus side is he became,I think, the world's first ever automotive
or car enthusiastand set the tone for the rest of us.
Now to me, from legend to a true story,
and around about 18, 19,
(01:30):
I think, Bertha Benz, wife of Calvin,manufacturer of the first car
pretty much in terms of a productioncar, decided one early morning
to go out on an adventure in his carwith her children.
So the journey was really quitean adventure.
And the fact that it was done in this,interesting way
(01:51):
without without alerting her husband,is that really, I think
one of the first, recorded journeys inthe car is effectively a joyride.
So again,setting the tone that cars are, to do
with excitement and adventure,not just utility.
If we move on again a little bit later,there was a celebration of the freedom
that cars can bring,
which is called the Emancipation Run,going from London to Brighton.
(02:14):
Since then, a whole raftof exciting kinds of technology,
has come to come to bear,that we call a car.
And it's impactedmany different areas, of our lives.
So I'll give a few examples.
So intensive, cultural references.
There was,a poet that focused on the excitement
(02:34):
of cars, encountered the motoringor the song of the engine.
If we move from poetry to song, I can think of a few examples.
So cars, first car and then car washby the appropriately named, band.
I think Rolls-Royce
perhaps is a little microcosmof the trajectory of the car that we had.
Cars wanted to go faster,and then we realized
they might need to do some cleaning upbecause of some of the things
(02:56):
that they cause.
If we look at film,
we now know that if you're a wizard,you must drive a Ford Anglia.
If you're a secret agent,have to drive an Aston Martin.
And if you want to become a time travelerin the future, will
of course be driving a Delorean.
So from
those slightly whimsical examples, we canwe can see, though, that there's,
a broad interest in vehicles,not just by people that are excited
(03:18):
by the, car conceptuallyor that lead one just for utility.
So I think there's something beyond that.
There's an innate human thirstfor adventure.
Which cars facilitate?
They allow us to guide further and faster.
And although we're in a rapidly,changing world,
with respect to the carand other things as well.
One thing that's constant is that we'restill sentient biological analog beings.
(03:41):
We're excited by my shoulder movements.
And so I think there's going to be always
a generation of peoplethat can find value in vehicles.
Now, I've come here today to talk to youabout a set of automotive MSC courses.
So it seems appropriateto finish this question with an equation.
So, I like to say that took,human beings
plus cars, equal human happenings.
(04:03):
So cars with us, for a long time,I think.
And there's going to be,
lots of exciting and positive thingswe can enjoy with them.
Now, there's more serious side as well,which we'll address today as well.
But I thought I'd start
with this, optimistic and positiveoutlook, on cars and human beings.
Yeah. Fantastic.
So how do we define a car today?
(04:23):
An interesting question.
Lots of different waysthat one could answer that.
But here's my answer.
I'll start off actually from, a formative early experience of my own
with respect to cars, and his story,I quite like to help, people,
including my students, which is thatmy first car actually was a Ferrari.
The first callthat I bought was a Ferrari.
(04:45):
Now, I usually follow that upby explaining that,
it fits in the palm of my hand.
It was a toy Ferrari.
In case it was interest,it was a metallic green Ferrari.
250 GT Luci.
So you can go check that outif you're interested.
For the reasonwhy I mentioned it, actually, is that
although it was a Ferrari,it had a tow bar on it,
which as a child, maybe I found a funnelthat was that, perhaps the intention.
(05:08):
But actually for me, it caused, intrigue.
And that's partlybecause if I ever saw Ferrari
on the road, which was not very common,it never had a towbar.
So I would ask my fatheror other people, why?
Why is my toy Ferrari?
Got a towbar?
The real ones don't seem to work for me.
It was the beginnings of tryingto think about the features
(05:29):
on a car and the purpose of a car,so sometimes it calls for utility.
Sometimes it's a luxury itemfor pleasure and adventure.
And that's, caused caused me to look moredeeply into cars and car technology.
Taken me into a career in, in industry,working on the Trabant of cars
and then in to academia to help people,develop the future cars.
(05:49):
Now, now that I do share that storywith some of my students,
I'm now informedthat actually you can buy a Ferrari
with a tow bar,which slightly, follows my story.
I think thethe general thrust of that organization
and tow bars means, I think mymy point still still remains.
So call is very much, for utilityor luxury.
(06:11):
So, it's important for us to thinkabout these things when trying to define
what a car is and in particular,what a future car, might be.
So, there is,
a set of, challenges that cars bring
we simply address on some of these,negative sides of the, of the car.
And they certainly spotlighton the industry
(06:33):
at the moment because of some of these,negative impacts that it's had.
There were positives to which.
So we'll try and talk about both today.
But certainly there are concernsin terms of air quality.
And climate change, the CO2 emissionsthat are associated with transport
and cars, also problemswith, with congestion.
And so there are a series of solutionsthat we need to think about
(06:55):
when we're thinking about whata future car should be.
Yeah.
It's a word that we have put to usewhen we're talking about a thing
on wheelsthat helps us move across the land.
Some people call them automobiles, some vehicles, some people will call them a car.
But certainly
then a range of of new technologiesand solutions, are required.
So a lot of change, so rapidly evolving sector.
Some people talk it about talk about itas an evolution.
(07:16):
Something might think about it as a, as arevolution if we cast our minds back to.
So 800 years ago, a lot of people movearound on, on horseback.
Only the wealthy might have a car nowadaysthat's flipped.
So many people have a car, but really,only the wealthy might have a horse.
And the horse would be for probablya leisure would be,
a pleasuretype of kind of a journey or activity.
(07:39):
And the cars become more of a utility.
So we could look backand see there's been significant change.
Things turned on the head,and that's likely to happen again.
So moment majority of cars, at least up until the last 5
or 10 years, we've relied on fossil fuelsfor their propulsion systems.
But that's really been turnedon. Its head.
And we're looking at a future where thereare going to be battery electric cars.
(08:00):
We'll be hybrid cars as well, perhapsusing sustainable fuels or hydrogen.
But we're looking at autonomous vehiclesand connected vehicles
mobility as a service.
So maybe you don't own a car anymore, butyou get on your phone, you use your app
and the car is brought to you.
Who knows?
Who is going to be making that vehicle?
But a big change.
But it's good to remind ourselvesthat we've seen big change already.
(08:23):
In fact, if we look at the periodbeyond us moving on on horseback,
the range of propulsion systemswe were using, including steam, actually
electric cars were actually more prevalentthan petrol diesel around
100 hundred and 20 years ago.
So we shouldn't be too surprisedabout this big change.
Actually, perhaps we've got complacent,and maybe that's a time to remind
ourselves of a few examplesof these different approach.
(08:45):
So, right about timewe're recording this.
There's a film out in the cinemas.
I think we're about to mentioncalled Formula One.
But a little bit further back,there was a film called,
Ford versus Ferrari,
which gave a bit of an insightinto the different approaches
people took in, howthey went about making a car.
So the mass produced Fords or the bespoke,
Ferraris suited for different customersand different sorts of journeys,
(09:08):
and also brings to mind for methe tale of the two Henrys.
So, funnily enough, in 1908, two peoplecalled Henry's went about making cars.
So Henry Ford and Henry Royce, the Rolls Royce then
and probably now associated with luxuryand quality and reliability.
The Ford perhaps more of acan be convenient, mass produced, product
(09:28):
or commodity.
But interestingly, from an engineeringperspective, one could say that the
the Ford took a more advanced approachto the engineering of the car
because all the different componentsin the car
could have been taken from the productionline or fitted to any one of those cars.
Such was their, design and manufacturing.
Approach is the Rolls-Royce.
Everything's, fettled, interesting.
(09:49):
Like probably still those reputationsas, as they emerged in the early days
still do remain.
So if you interesting examplesof how we approach what vehicles are
but yes, I think exciting timesof all of this change.
It's a, it's an opportunity.
But of course, it requires a
new generation of people, to developthese new ways for us to move around.
(10:11):
Yeah, absolutely. So going on from that,
can you tell us a bitmore about the MSC courses available?
Yes, you'll be be happy to.
We looked aroundand saw what was happening in terms of,
group of people interested in carsbecause they might be customers,
other people interested in cars,because the legislators,
other people are interested in cars,perhaps because of some of the negative
(10:32):
environmental impacts.
And we saw this real growthin societal interest in car and transport.
Really the first time in a long timeall of those people really,
interest did into thinking aboutand talking about
cars as a, as a discussionpoint, good and bad.
We saw all of that
and thought, okay, we need to be educating
(10:54):
a generation of people,perhaps of a different set of skills.
And so we developed a portfolio
of four MSC courses actually relatedto automotive engineering.
And I'll go through them briefly now
in the context ofwho might be coming onto those courses.
So one of those for the courseis we call automotive engineering
with electric propulsion.
That's for people whose first degree mightbe automotive or mechanical engineering.
(11:18):
They've already got a backgroundin those kinds of topics,
but they want to come and specializeand go into a deep dive investigation
into some of the application
of the physics that allow new vehicletechnologies to be developed.
We can help them, help prepare themfor going into a job in industry
to do those things.
But we also recognize that we've all thischange of the kind of propulsion systems
(11:39):
that future vehicles might have,especially this shift to electrification,
that there might be other peoplethat want to come and get involved,
but hadn't really thought about thatin the earlier part of their education.
So an example I sometimes give isit could be that you've been, studying
chemical engineering or you're a chemistand you realized,
hey, cars are pretty excitingand so is this.
So might be this opportunity therefor me to come in and make, make a mark.
(12:04):
But how do I how do I get involved?
It might be difficultto get that first interview or job.
So if you come to an MSCthat's got an automotive connection,
that would help you.
So we created what we call our automotivetechnology course.
So you can come on to that if your firstdegree is science background.
But it could be for example,that you've done chemistry will help fill
in some knowledgegaps in the first semester,
(12:25):
and then you'll be able to link inwith the other students on the courses on
other, more advanced automotive topicsand be ready to go into that sector.
So two quite different streams,
allowing a much more diverserange of people to come and get involved,
which is exactly what the industry needs,is a broadening of technologies,
different propulsion systems,different kinds of connected vehicles.
So it makes sense.
(12:45):
I think, we think to allow this widerrange of people to come and get involved.
Now each one of those two courseshas a business management variant of it.
And that's what people that come fromthose different backgrounds in terms
of their educationor aspiration and experience,
but realize they're more interested,perhaps in getting involved
with the coordination, project managementor innovation management in the industry.
(13:08):
And if we think about
the different kinds of vehiclesthat the companies need to make
and the different partnerships,perhaps with different kind of sectors,
they need to get involved with, whetherit's communicate for connected vehicles,
whether it's to do with the power
generation network,for having clean energy for electric car,
it's clear that we need some real expertleadership and management
(13:28):
to come into the industry as well.
So our automotive courses have a balancebetween the technical side,
management, innovation,and so all very much needed.
One of the really exciting thingsis that once
all of these students are on thisportfolio, they're all specialized
and we have dedicated units for them,but then also come together
at certain pointswithin the course, as well.
(13:50):
And that's a good, stepping stone or experience
like a taster for how they'll be workingwhen they come into industry.
Whatever your particular areaof interest and specialization is,
you're not just going to be sitting
in a row of desks with 50 other peoplewith the exact same skills.
You'll be working with peoplewith a range of skills.
So this way the course works,and the integration of the course
allows people to work togetherwith different interests
(14:13):
and backgrounds, specializations,
and see how to make the most of that workeffectively as a group.
And as a team.
So, how does that work in practice?
Again, we've taken a new approach.
We've kind of torn upthe rulebook and said,
this isn't just about sittingin traditional lectures.
It's not the best way,we don't think to learn about engineering.
(14:33):
It's part of it, yes.
So you'll come in, whateverthe topic is, you will come to a lecture.
There is some new complicated informationwe need to make you aware of,
and we'll do that through lectures.
But you'll then come to Twitch.
You'll then come to a tutorialand tutorial.
There'll be a set of questions for youto work through, which will help you with.
But there will be a set of solutionsfor those unique solutions,
(14:56):
and you'll get feedback on that.
You'll then move on to what we calla problem based learning workshop.
That will set a challenge,but there is actually no unique solution.
We don't actually have the answer.
So we'll work with youto to go through the apps.
And the idea is you take the new knowledgefrom the lecture, you take the feedback
from tutorial questionsthat you've answered.
So you've developed some skills,but then you're applying it
(15:16):
in this more innovativeway to try and solve a problem.
We'll complement that with a setof laboratory experiences as well,
which could be computerlaboratories or physical laboratories.
And you get a chanceto get your hands on some of the hardware.
Now, it's not that we're trainingto become a technician and symbol engines
or motors,but if you do look inside the job,
it's often a good way to understandwhat they're designed in that way,
(15:38):
when you go back to the theory,it starts to make a bit more sense.
So we try to combineall of those different
things, the digital and the physical aspart of the learning, whatever the topic.
So the topics do includelooking at batteries,
looking at electric machines,looking at hydrogen fuel cells.
We'll still look at reciprocating enginesbecause they might be using
sustainable fuels or hydrogen.
(15:58):
It also look about how you connect allthat together with a hybrid powertrain.
It will look at connected vehicles.
So how do we connect those vehiclesto each other or to, a great
for avoiding congestionor for charging them up?
And we'll look at the lightweighting of the vehicle.
And it will also look at
how do we make vehicles more aerodynamicand reduce the aerodynamic drag of them.
So it's a very holistic approachto designing and developing
(16:21):
a new generation of cars and preparinga new generation of engineers.
To do so.
So we like to think about itin terms of designing
or redesigning the carfrom the inside out, but really
starting with the propulsion system,because that's where the major changes.
And at bath,it seems like a natural place to do that,
because there's a great track recordat bath with the automotive and mechanical
(16:42):
engineering departmentsand the research track record as well.
Fairly recently we've opened, 70 millionpound AI apps research facility.
So there's an AI ops communityof researchers, there's physical
building there.
And that's very much part of thethe community in which you,
our machines will be existing,and studying.
So it might be that your lectureone day, is in the AI apps building,
(17:05):
working with an OEM,developing next generation of vehicle,
and then next either in the classroomwith you helping you solve a problem.
So as you come through, in semesterone will give you, expert
foundational knowledgeas you move into semester two,
we'll give the opportunitiesto apply that, and help
you understand how to apply thatin an effective systems thinking way.
(17:28):
You'll get the chance to use specialistsoftware there, which
we have access to three appsand our industrial contacts.
And then you come to the summit
where you'll be applying thatin a really innovative way on a project.
I'll be an individual project of your own,
one of the,engineering and technical tracks,
or it'll be a business management typeof a project where you work in a group
if you're one of the business managementvariants.
(17:50):
So it's a bit of an introductionto the full courses that we have,
preparing you to become a specialist,but be able to work with other people,
be able to apply theory and exciting wayand prepare yourself for for industry.
We're working on a projectwhich in many cases
where most casesin fact is linked to industry.
So, it's a chance for, pragmatic innovation,
(18:14):
which actually is one of the thingsthe university stands for.
These courses are designedto help you do that,
which we think is exactlywhat the industry needs.
So pretty exciting times.
And if I reflect on my time in industry,where there was a period where
there was lots of hard workon on developing things, but it was quite
iterative and try to perfect technologythat was already there.
(18:34):
Whereas nowadays
we're ripping up the rulebook, as I say,lots of new things to get involved with.
So a really, genuinely exciting time.
I was seeing lots of opportunitybecause of that.
So it might have been 20 years agothat you're going for a job
and you're competing with peoplethat got decades of experience in,
for example, diesel fuel injectors,nothing against them.
Very interesting items.
(18:55):
But now you could be goingto a job interview,
and if you've doneone of these MSC courses
and you've got knowledge on, for example,what's happening with the next generation
of battery chemistry or motor designor fuel cells,
actually, when you're goingfor that interview, there won't be someone
there with decades of experienceor certainly not so likely to be.
So you've got to be more of, an even playing field.
Certainly compared to how things had been,to come and get involved
(19:16):
with the industryand make your mark on it.
We're trying to developthe next generations of of innovators
and leaders in the technological scienceand business of management.
So yeah, amazing.
So what are some of the highlightsfrom the course?
Well, there were manyI certainly think so.
But to pick a few in particular,I'll touch
just now on the summer project workour students get involved with.
(19:37):
We call those industry linkedresearch projects.
If it's on the technical side,
we call them industrylinked business consultancy projects.
If it's on the business management side, either way,
you'll be set a projectnot just by an academic
as we might traditionally have done,but a project
that's been set in conjunctionwith our contacts and industry.
So you'll have a challenge or a briefthat's been set that we've
(19:59):
discussed as academicswith our industrial partners.
You'll then come and take on that project.
There's a there's an allocation process.
So students get to choose the projects.
You will then be workingacross the summer period with the benefit
of being in the academic environmentwith all our life support networks.
But also you've got thisindustrial mentor and support.
(20:21):
So there'll be a launch meetingfor the exciting at the beginning.
So we get to meet these people in person,get to know them a bit better,
understandsomething about their background
and the background to where they've setthis challenge with us.
You'll then work on those problemsacross the summer.
You'll be meetingwith your academic support team.
So that's your lecturers,
but also PhD students who might be workingon quite similar things.
(20:43):
And so provides some a differentkind of insight for NSC students.
But you also get to be,having calls and discussions
with your industrial mentor,site visits as well occur there.
So it's almost like having a mini,placement experience or work experience
during the summer, on campus,but with access to what's happening,
(21:03):
happening in those companies.
So is the excitementof working on a real life project.
We also have an arrangement.
So all of those companies are happy
for all students to both broadcastand publicize, what they're doing.
So that means you be encouragedand in fact, supported to be writing,
blog posts, which we might,you might post on LinkedIn.
So check those out. Go and have a look.
(21:24):
Other platforms exist, but I knowthere are some of that of people
who are listening tothis. Might want to check out.
So please do go and have a look.
It's quite nice to hear studentstalking about what's going on.
Of course, I've got positive thingsto say about the course and about both,
so I think it's a wonderful placethat people might find it interesting.
Takes students like that too.
But one of the benefitsthe students of, of writing these stories
is they're able to talk about their,industrially informed
(21:48):
project work in the summer,the company that they're working with,
we'll do some, some checks on what they,what they share.
So nothing commercially sensitiveis released inadvertently.
Like,let the world know what they're doing,
which is a really good opportunityfor them in terms of, employability.
So sometimes in some respects, we think about this,
such that the MSC students come here
(22:09):
and it's as if you're workingon a startup company where the product
or what you're developing is
you you've got this network of supportfrom the academic teams,
all of the facilities here,including the physical and the digital,
but also the employability teams,the marketing
teams, the academic advisors,a whole network of people that so
so if you think about it in that way, it's
really exciting opportunityto improve your skills and yourself
(22:32):
and ready yourself,for moving into industry.
So those projects are really, kind of a halo part of the courses.
And students find it quite transformative.
Other things, like other highlights.
I mentioned a couple more.
One would be the big investmentwe've made into our laboratories,
where I think students can learnthere's a dedicated space for them.
(22:53):
So you can test an internal combustionengine with a sustainable fuel, Qantas
electric machines.
You can test things in the wind tunnel.
And now we've developed a bespokevirtual reality environment.
So welcome anyone who's doing so famouscome down Troy.
There's a real wow factor to itthat our students, report.
So we've worked with a company,one of our international partners,
(23:13):
to develop this,unique or bespoke, experience.
So, students will
put the headset on,they'll go into a, a virtual laboratory.
And in front of them,they'll see an electric motor. Now,
electric motors in a casing actuallybefore their eyes, like.
So, not always
that an exciting thing to look at,but once you're in the environment,
(23:34):
you look down, you see a control panelas if you're in a test environment.
And if you start moving the levers,I use virtual levers.
The motor will first of all becomepartially transparent in terms
of its casing.
Now you can look inside,you can see the copper windings.
You can start to see
the permanent magnets like oh okay, let'ssee what's going on inside here.
Okay. But how does that work?
(23:54):
Well, we can push another leverand it starts to slightly turn
or it will turn more quickly if you like.
So it's starting to move as it woulddo, and it's generating
useful mechanical torque.
You canthen do something which is impossible
with any other real, electric machine,which is you can turn another lever
and now the flux lines, the reactionbetween them, permanent magnets,
nice field linesand the coil windings becomes visible.
(24:18):
So you can actually finallysee how mechanical torque
or how wheels can be turned on a call,how that comes from
the electro mechanical interactionthat's going on inside a motor.
So that's a real light bulb momentfor many of our students.
It's an exciting environment to be insideand to experience that.
So the students, go so that they can taketheir own journeys walking around.
(24:39):
We will guide them.
But it's really fun for themto explore that in the way that they like.
So there's another feature therewhere you can, open the motor up.
So we'll separate components, spread out like an assembly diagram
that's been opened upor sometimes called exploded.
And then you can see all the partsmoving and separate from each other
and see more clearly.
(24:59):
And then if you like,
you can actually walk aroundand put your head inside the machine.
Look at this.
These magnets moving aroundin a completely safe fashion.
There's nothing that can hurt youphysically.
And you can put it all backtogether again,
but with the transparentand see it, move it.
So we're really exciting,really excited about this new development,
which we'd like to applyto other aspects of our teaching.
(25:22):
And perhaps one of the things I mentioned,is that because of the connection,
we have free the university
now departments with our arts researchgroup, community and building
and and connection to industryis we're able to allow our students
on the MSC course to have accessto professional, automotive software.
And that includes avioesspecialist propulsion, modeling software.
(25:45):
They're one of our, research partners.
And they helped us to developour new research building.
And so through the teaching sideof things, you have access to that.
So it's that's a really specialopportunity, we think very special.
So students on
the course will be sitting downand using software that allows them to
model how a particular vehicleand a particular part of the world
(26:07):
with a particular propulsionsystem could be electric hydrogen.
Whatever they decide,
it will allow them to to modelthat and size it so that it could complete
a journey like, and then look and seewhere how much energy was consumed.
They can then look and see, well,what is the grid intensity?
How much carbon is there in the grid?
How much energy didI use to either make this liquid fuel
or charge this electric carand and to carry out this, this journey
(26:30):
that allows them to take a scenariobased based, holistic approach to vehicle
propulsion system selection and matchingusing the same professional tools
that people are working in industry,which is so gives you a real head start
when you're applying for a job
that allows you
to really get a taste of what it's liketo work as a professional engineer
while you're on the course.
So that's something
that we're really excited about and I'mproud to be able to offer, because
(26:52):
of this track record that we built upabove and over the past decades.
So when we think about the cohort, the University of Bath, like what?
What do the students look like?
Well,that's a fascinating question, actually.
And it's a really interesting experience
for usmeeting these people when they arrive.
So we've said something
about the four different coursesthat we have,
but there's a big variety of peoplethat are going to come and take them,
(27:13):
not just because of their
background aspirations,but because of where they've come from,
around the planet.
And there's wonderful
unifying thought there, really, thatwe've got this really international sector
course being designed, made
and use all around the planet,and we've got people
coming from all around the planetto come and study with us.
So it's really fascinatingfor us to see that seen
as personal journeys,get to know those individual,
(27:35):
and it's the individuals that makethe difference in the end, when they go
and work in the industryand put their individual stamp on things.
So we welcome and support peoplefrom all around the globe.
We acknowledge that when you've arrivedhere from somewhere very different
or very far,that you might be missing home or
there might be a lot to get used to here.
So we put a lot of effortinto helping people, climates,
you know, welcome week and beyond.
(27:56):
So we hope you figure out how to movearound the transport systems that we have,
how to find the bus,how to find the campus,
how to find your lecture theater,how to find digital information,
how to get support and helpif things get tough.
All of that here as part of this supportnetwork we've got on campus.
So it's a friendly,welcoming place in terms of the staff here
and also all the other students herethat, students can learn from.
(28:18):
In fact, just recently, the students have created an automotive
specific student unionsupported, community
and society, called the auto verse,recognizing this really,
broad range of places,that these different people come to
and then the exciting different placesthat like little go on to, to help,
(28:38):
get around the planet
spreading the good word from bathand welcome the next generation of cars.
Yeah. Brilliant.
Any final key takeaways for our listeners?
I think I'll go back to one of the thingswe said earlier about this shift from
from horses actually to steam,electric, petrol, diesel
and now on to electric and hybridvehicles.
Lots of changemeans, lots of opportunity.
(29:00):
And it's really horses for courses.
So to come back to the equestrian thing,and here at bath,
we think we've got the range of expertiseto help you with that.
So we've got a research, active
experts, teacherswho also professional expert educators.
And you've got access to reallysome of the world's best facilities
in terms of hardware and software
for doing, automotive development,especially on the propulsion systems side.
(29:23):
But also how that impactsthe rest of the car.
We have guest lecturerscoming in to help deliver the course.
So you actually get to speak to people
working on propulsion systems projects,but also vehicle design projects.
How do people try and think in an originaland innovative way?
When try and solve problems?
It's a really exciting timeto get involved with the industry.
(29:44):
Lots of change, lots of,opportunities for you to get skilled up,
especially with these courses that teachyou not just some of the technical
knowledge or business managementknowledge or systems thinking knowledge,
but gives you the opportunityto apply it with all projects
and into the industrial mentors
in the summer and as much as possible,make you, career ready.
(30:06):
We like to keep in touchwith our students.
When they've left, we invite them backto come and visit the university
and speak to the current studentsexplaining their journeys,
which our current studentsfind, quite helpful, actually.
So look out for videos on our websitesand other social media,
so you can see some of our facilities,but also some of the success stories
of our students.
(30:26):
That's one of the things that motivates usand makes us get up in the morning
exciting to see these new peopledeveloping these new cars.
And in fact, we rely on them.
So I fully expect to see our studentsbecome leaders and innovators
in different parts of the industryand for myself and you and you as well,
Emily, to be running around driving, both inspired cars and things.
(30:47):
So, and if prospective students want toget in touch with you, can they do that.
Yeah. People to reach out to me.
All the social medias should work.
You can contact me through the universityor through LinkedIn or.
I think you'll share through his podcastall the ways that people connect.
And, please do reach out.
We like to have conversationswith students
before they start the course as well,to make sure they're on the right.
One of our four courses, and so that they get the maximum
(31:09):
out of the course when they hear, but it's a lovely place to be.
It's a Unesco World Heritage site.
So we like to think that we're able to mixthis blend of long standing,
principlesassociated with physics and engineering
and this wonderful,Roman bath inspired city.
But coupled to our new AIOps facilitiesand our campus facilities
is the best of modern
(31:29):
digital and physical tools as well for youto become, an automotive expert.
So, we like we like to providethat opportunity for you.
So please come and make the most of it.
Come get in touch.
Brilliant. Well,thank you so much for your time today.
Absolute pleasure.
Thanks again to Daniel for that time.
For more information on the course,you can check out the show notes
below for a full length videoversion of this episode.
(31:52):
Check out our YouTube channel at FutureYou Pod.
If you enjoyed the episode, feel freeto leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.
Thank you, as always for listening andgood luck on your journey to feature you.
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