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Leviatan – Promoting the involvement of the private sector in today’s student education – tomorrow’s engineers

A brief on BIM

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a collaborative working process, based on software solutions and planning, design, construction, and efficient management of buildings. It encompasses all available project data, making them interconnected and traceable for all project stakeholders. The implementation of BIM processes in the global construction industry has begun to become one of the primary objectives of European construction companies. In Romania, Leviatan Design is among the few companies that have successfully implemented BIM in all their processes.

BIM in the academic environment

Recognizing the advantages of implementing Building Information Modeling processes both in the design and execution phases, as well as throughout the life cycle of the built asset, has had a significant impact on how technical universities have approached the introduction of BIM courses into their own programs.

Several construction faculties in Romania have introduced BIM courses, either optional or mandatory, in their curriculum and internships, including: the Faculty of Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Construction at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (UTCB), the Faculty of Construction and Installations in Iași at the Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi”, the “Ion Mincu” Institute of Architecture and Urbanism (UAUIM), and the Faculty of Metal Constructions and Construction Mechanics at the Polytechnic University of Timișoara (UPT), the Faculty of Integrated Armament Systems, Genius and Mechatronics, construction department, genetic engineering and geomatics – Military Technical Academy (ATM) “Ferdinand I”.

Leviatan Design’s collaboration with technical universities in Romania

“We happily responded to the invitations we received from various university teachers and supported academic programs, as we believe that learning involves a constant blend of theoretical and practical notions, and the digitization and technologization of the construction process are strategic elements for increasing the level of quality and performance in this field. By supporting the academic environment, we want to show that there is an advanced level of technologization in construction in Romania, and that, beyond the concepts presented in the courses, this field operates in a modern manner. We chose to get involved in educational programs because we believe that the private sector must collaborate with teachers to present students all the benefits of a job in the field, in Romania, including the level of qualification and the skills they must possess upon graduation. Only in this way will students know what comes after graduation and will be able to adjust both their expectations and their efforts during courses,” said Cătălin Podaru, Leviatan’s CEO.

During its 10 years of activity, Leviatan Design has supported several educational events: we participated in three of the five editions of the European construction fair for students and pupils – ConstructFEST – organized by UTCB; we supported the participation of the UTCB student team at the International Seismic Engineering Olympiad in the USA (where this year the team ranked third); we sponsored the “Constructive” podcast to promote the admission campaign to UTCB, in the 2022 -2023 session etc.

The 2022 summer internship

Maria Văsi, Structures Office Coordinator in the Leviatan Design team, narrates how this summer’s internship program went. “This year again we were pleased to have students in practice and to see that for many of us we were the first option among the companies where they could register. We had three programs attended by four third-year students from FCCIA, three second and third-year students from the Faculty of Installations, and five students from the Faculty of Construction Management and Engineering. The programs were customized according to the specific faculties the students are part of.

All stages of a complex project were presented to them, and they had the opportunity to watch its evolution and development in stages, from going through and understanding the design theme, 3D modeling on all specialties (architecture, structure, installations), quantity extraction, bidding and contract execution, to coordination during execution, site monitoring and final acceptance of the investment objective, while meeting all requirements issued by the beneficiary. From year to year, we pay attention to the students’ needs and continually improve our internship program structure, based on what they want, and at the end of the internship, we invite them to send us their feedback.”

Why is the involvement of private companies in education necessary?

“In the field of construction, by presenting a realistic environment and working methods, we believe that we can influence the change of the mindset that students form during college, and the chances of choosing a career in construction, in Romania, will increase. Currently in Romania, construction work is digitized, and working conditions are similar to those abroad, both in terms of salary and technological level. We hope that by getting involved in education we managed to arouse the students’ interest in the new era of engineering, marked by the latest technologies, digitization, and automation of the design process and execution monitoring. We want our collaboration with academia to highlight the extraordinary potential of young people in Romania and to point out the high level of satisfaction this field offers. Applied education and attracting young generations to technical fields are essential steps for development, generating extraordinary satisfaction and benefits for those working in the field at the same time. We are determined to continue collaborating with academia to capitalize on the potential of new generations and, as a direct consequence, build a country and society we can all be proud of,” concludes Cătălin Podaru.

Read the full article on Construction Agenda >>> https://bit.ly/3SaaOdg