"You give a piece of yourself, and even though it's only on an academic level it's something the students can use. It's enormously rewarding when young people after disappearing off into industry report back that 'We could actually use what you taught us.' It's one of the most motivating things about being a teacher."
So says Lars Duggen about the driving force behind being a teacher. He also values authenticity because you do not get far without it. For him it is also important to decide on a direction for the students - even if they do not need to follow it to the letter.
He tries to involve companies and the surrounding industry in his teaching, which results in semseter projects and a form of teaching that makes sense to the students.
"Involving industry provides a kind of quality assurance in relation to what we are teaching. Of course, it's a delicate balance since we don't only do what industry says we should, but we also make sure the young people get the right academic tools to equip them in the future."
"For the students, it means that what they have learnt can be used in the companies they will be employed in later on. It makes the teaching relevant and applicable. The students feel that they are learning something which can be used in the real world, and not just because we say they should learn it."
Facts about Lars Duggen
- Teaches in Mechatronics on both the Bachelor of Engineering and the Bachelor/Master of Science in Engineering study programmes
- Supervises groups, and teaches in linear elasticity and electromechanics
- 34 years old, MSc in Engineering - Mechatronics
- Wrote his PhD on optimisation of acoustic measuring equipment which can be used to measure oil content in air
- Has worked with the development of theoretical methods for describing piezoelectrical phenomena at both micro and macroscopic levels.