KTH at the Fork

The Royal Institute of Technology KTH (in the service of humanity, for the society of tomorrow) is wrestling in agony under the pressure of the new age of the computer demanding changes in engineering education, in particular a reform of the basic mathematics education setting the frame for the entire education.

During this fall parts of the BodyandSoul reform program has been tried out in the 2nd year course Numerical Methods II as a test of functionality for the new Bachelors program in Simulation Technology planned to start in the Fall 2011.

The traditional system has met the demands of modernization in BodyandSoul with a relentless

oppression, which I have described as KTH-Gate in previous posts.

In short, the School of Engineering Sciences SCI (math, mechanics, physics) buying the course from the School of Computer Science and Communication CSC, has used the course

to kill the new program in Simulation Technology, using dirty techniques far outside rules of academic dispute, as told in KTH-Gate: The Story.

So is the deed completed? Has Simulation Technology and BodyandSoul and modernization of mathematics education been prevented to enter between the Cerberus dogs (hounds of Hell) protecting the impressive brick buildings of KTH from exterior influence?

Well, this is the question now pondered by the teachers of CSC behind Simulation Technology,

teachers which have been harassed by SCI all through the numerics course.

KTH has formally decided to start Simulation Technology in the Fall 2011, the brochures to attract students are out with applications to be submitted in April. What is missing is the formal decision of the CSC teachers to take on the responsibility to run the program.

But the teachers are hesitating: Is it worth risking physical and mental health to run the program under a continued subversive artillery from SCI?

Maybe not. But as an independent observer, you probably ask if there are no responsible persons at KTH, like the President and the Dean of the Faculty, with responsibility to both students, teachers and society, to guarantee that KTH functions properly.

Yes, the President and the Dean have this responsibility.

But the President says nothing, and the Dean says nothing. And saying nothing means doing nothing. They watch an auto-immun reaction with one part of KTH eating another, without lifting a finger. The President describes his inaction in Questions to the President from Media.

Whatever happens, and whatever decision the teachers of Simulation Technology will take, KTH-Gate is not over. During my entire academic career I have not seen anything worse, and I have seen quite a bit. Modernization of engineering education is necessary and not even Kerberos dogs can prevent it.