LUT University will soon start training sustainable construction professionals. Civil and construction engineering was added to the university's range of programmes as a result of the decision by the Ministry of Education and Culture to expand the university's education responsibilities. LUT’s responsibilities were last expanded when the university started teaching social and communication sciences in Lappeenranta in autumn 2023.
The studies will equip students to respond particularly to future energy and environmental challenges in the built environment. The new programmes will build on LUT’s current civil and construction engineering studies. They will be organised within the LUT School of Energy Systems, which specialises in energy, electrical and mechanical engineering, and sustainability research.
"Civil and construction engineering is the missing link in our systemic approach to global sustainability challenges. Clean water, energy, and air and sustainability in business and society are mainly realised through different construction solutions," explains Rector Juha-Matti Saksa.
In 2027, 30 bachelor's students and 20 master's students will begin their civil and construction engineering studies on LUT’s campus in Lahti. Additionally, a related doctoral programme will be launched. The new programmes will initially be arranged only in Finnish, but also English-language programmes may later be organised. The goal is to have 500–600 civil and construction engineering students on the Lahti campus by 2035.
Furthermore, LUT will recruit research and teaching staff to develop and implement the new programmes. The goal is to increase the number of employees by approximately 50 by 2035. New research laboratories may also be built on the Lahti campus.
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New solutions and innovations for industries
By 2050, nearly 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities. Energy and material solutions in construction are key in the fight against climate change. Systemic, multidisciplinary, and sustainable solutions are needed for areas such as waste management, water supply, and energy.
LUT’s new civil and construction engineering education and research will seek new solutions for sustainable development and produce innovations for companies.
“Many industries have already agreed to contribute to planning and implementing the studies and offer our students projects and internships,” Saksa says.
The new education will be implemented with external funding amounting to a total of 12 million euros. The City of Lahti and all municipalities in the Päijät-Häme region are contributing approximately 10 million euros.
“We are extremely grateful for the exceptionally strong financial support provided by the City of Lahti and all the municipalities in the Päijät-Häme region. With their support, we will build outstanding, future-oriented studies that will significantly benefit the region and the entire world," Saksa continues.
In arranging the studies, LUT will collaborate with the civil and construction engineering programme of the LAB University of Applied Sciences. However, the degree programmes will remain separate, and both institutions will focus on their own areas of strength.
LUT is also involved in the European Universities Linking Society and Technology (EULiST) initiative with a number of other universities conducting education and research in civil and construction engineering.
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