Mechanics of Sustainable Materials and Structures

ongoing

The Master program “Mechanics of Sustainable Materials and Structures” (MS^2) is a triple-degree diploma offered through joint training activities by TU-Dortmund University (Germany), University of Trento (Italy) and Ecole Centrale Nantes (France). MS^2 rationale builds on the evidence that the construction industry has a major impact on the global ecological footprint. With building operations accounting for 36% of global energy consumption and 39% of carbon dioxide emissions, it's no surprise that the United Nations have made sustainable development in the building sector a top priority. However, there is a shortage of civil engineers with the expertise to design and implement sustainable building practices. In this challenging context, no trans-European Master program exists tackling the problem of mechanics and sustainability in the built environment through the appropriate training of the next generations of Civil Engineers. This deficiency motivates the overall aims of the project: - The establishment of a cutting edge institutional academic cooperation between three leading European Universities to showcase European excellence in the field of the Mechanics of Sustainable Materials and Structures. - The attraction of talented students to Europe in the framework of a high-mobility trans-European Master program that will train them in developing innovative solutions for sustainability and performance in the built environment. MS^2 graduates will have raising awareness concerning the environmental performances of materials and structures in the built environment and they will know that such performances depend on several different interlinked attributes such as structural design, material choice coupled with material innovation, operation and maintenance. MS^2 will thus provide an unprecedented opportunity to train civil engineers as future leaders in developing innovative solutions for mechanics, sustainability and performance in the built environment.