Brock will welcome the first class of undergraduate students into its innovative Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering next fall, now that the program has received approval from the province.
The Integrated Engineering program takes key concepts from traditional engineering fields — such as mechanical, software and electrical — and brings them together into a single coherent program where students learn about each field as well as the connections between them.
Unlike other engineering programs, the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering will provide students with a diverse and broad set of skills, preparing them to tackle some of society’s greatest challenges.
Brock is one of only three Canadian universities offering this kind of engineering program at the undergraduate level. Prospective students can apply to the program through the Integrated Engineering website.
“We’ve heard directly from industry about the significant need for highly trained engineers who have the skills necessary to work in critical areas like artificial intelligence, data mining, robot automation, manufacturing, transportation, climate change adaptation and more,” says Shahryar Rahnamayan, Chair of the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering. “We are excited to be moving ahead with this program, which will help fill such a significant need both locally and across the country. Our skilled engineering grads will be well-prepared to take on real-world, multidisciplinary projects.”
Launched in 2021 with the offering of a minor in Engineering, the program got a significant boost in 2022 with a generous $5-million gift from alumnus Yousef Haj-Ahmad and family.
Haj-Ahmad (BSc ’80, MSc ’82) launched Norgen Biotek Corp. in 1998 while he was a Professor of Biological Sciences at Brock and has grown Norgen into a world-renowned company advancing the field of biotechnology research and testing.
Haj-Ahmad retired from Brock to run Norgen full time, but throughout the years has supported the University and its students both financially and by launching the careers of countless graduates.
