The University of Buffalo, collaborating with Chicago’s UI LABS, launched its online Digital Manufacturing and Design Technology Specialization early this year, providing an education course for the IIoT. (Click here to see our coverage of the launch.)
We wanted to learn about the motivation to enroll, so we asked Mohammad Shahbaaz, 23, a recent graduate with a bachelor of engineering, to share his thoughts. Take a look…
Smart Industry: What did you learn in the program?
Mohammad: After taking the Digital Manufacturing & Design course, my greatest takeaway is understanding the digital link between the production segment and the design segment. I have a greater understanding of how data can be utilized to identify opportunities for quality improvement and efficiencies with manufacturing. The course introduced me to the transformation of a conventional manufacturing model to a digital manufacturing-and-design model, which impacts practices and processes in companies of all sizes.
Smart Industry: What are you doing now?
Mohammad: Here in India, some fresh college graduates work (unpaid) for a short term for a company while looking for a full-time, paid work. If the company likes your work, you can join them as a permanent employee. It's like a bridge between college and industries. So I'm unemployed, but I go to work to learn the role of a design engineer in a manufacturing company where the production and manufacturing had been done by conventional methods. The company recently invested in updated machinery and has started turning toward digital manufacturing. Moreover, I'm planning to pursue my master’s degree in this field in future, so I was motivated to learn more about digital manufacturing and design.
