The Chair of Structural Design & Mechanics (SDM), within the department of Architectural Engineering + Technology, covers a key domain which focuses on design of load-bearing structures and the required basic structural mechanics. The Chair of SDM is expected to contribute both to the Faculty’s Bachelor (BSc) curriculum and the departments Master (MSc) programmes. In the BSc programme the Chair plays an essential role in the education of structural design and structural mechanics within the technological education program.
The Chair participates in the AE+T MSc programmes of Building Technology, Architectural Engineering and Heritage & Architecture. Within Building Technology, Structural Design is one of the main specialisms. The Professor of SDM is expected to deliver high-quality graduates within the MSc programme.
The Professor of SDM is envisioned to become internationally excellent in the area of structural design and structural mechanics. In order to achieve this, innovative research projects are mandatory, for which external funding needs to be acquired from various sources, national and international. By means of external funding, new staff and PhDs can be appointed to carry out the research and to produce scientific output, such as peer-reviewed books and journal papers.
An important factor in the Professorship’s excellence is the valorisation in the market of research and education through, for instance, publications, external presentations, cooperative research projects and other forms of exposure. The Professor of SDM is expected to play a leading role in this, for which a wide and solid network is desired and new alliances need to be established.