Innovative Masters Program Safety of Civil Engineering Critical Infrastructures and Territories Timashev S.A., Alekhin V.N., Poluyan L.V., Guryev E.S. Ural Federal University Ural Branch Russian Academy of Sciences Yekaterinburg, Russia sec@wekt.ru, referetsf@yandex.ru Abstract The paper is devoted to describing a new innovative interdisciplinary two year Masters Program Safety of Civil Engineering Critical Infrastructures and Territories developed from scratch by the authors in the Civil Engineering Institute of the Ural Federal University. The Program is in its third year of highly successful implementation. It is given in Russian and English and is based on the newest paradigm of critical infrastructure resilience, and, via this notion, to regional resilience and safety. Keywords masters program, critical infrastructures, safety, regional resilience, technological catastrophes, risk assessment I. INTRODUCTION Civil engineers and scientists working in this field more and more often find that they lack the knowledge of fundamentals of risk-analysis and reliability, safety of critical infrastructures. By the latter, we understand systems which provide well being of the society, produce goods and ensure services and safety of the society in terms of technical, environmental, economic and geopolitical aspects. Critical infrastructure (CI) is any large distributed across a specific territory multicomponent geotechnical man-machineenvironment system which consists of many potentially dangerous objects (PDOs) and groups of people who operate and/or live near these objects. Practically, the CIs are PDOs which cannot function without each other and, hence, are interdependent, produce some sellable product or/and service. The CI must operate effectively, meet the standards of wellbeing and safety for the population, and provide environmental sustainability of the region. Civil engineers and scientists also find themselves facing opportunities for managerial responsibilities three to five years after completing their undergraduate education. Approximately three quarters of all civil engineers perform managerial duties at some stage in their careers. The civil engineering safety master s degree program bridges the gap between the current civil engineering education program and the actual needs of civil engineering and science experts in the modern society of risk. Unlike traditional civil engineering programs, a master s degree in safety of critical infrastructures and territories builds upon the technical backgrounds of training engineers and scientists and emphasizes project management skills specifically required at technology-based, project-driven enterprises, such as leadership, systems analysis, damage cost estimation, risk-based planning and logistics. The overall objective of the civil engineering safety master s program is to train individuals to lead, organize, implement, manage and successfully complete complex technical projects of local, regional, national, and international scale, taking into account all hazards and risks associated with the project in the contemporary society or risk. The acquired theoretical and practical skills and research experiences in the course of studies, allow graduates to pursue doctoral studies in the field of environmental, technogenic and fire safety, as well as in structural mechanics, reliability and safety of civil engineering structures and systems. The purpose of the program is training highly-skilled specialists able to perform a broad scope of professional activities (innovation, survey, design, productiontechnological, scientific-research, pedagogical, expert, supervision, inspection-auditing) in the fields of complex safety assurance and stable development of civil engineering critical infrastructures and territories, urban metropolitan complexes at stages of engineering surveys, design, construction, reconstruction and operation of civil engineering objects, using modern design, engineering and intellectual systems. II. EDUCATIONAL PROCESS During the educational process students learn how to develop innovative projects, to plan effectively, to use information resources efficiently, to improve skills in the English language, and to develop analytical and leadership skills, an ability to work in a team and achieve goals. During the implementation of the program the general cultural competences are also developed (including self-organization, communication skills, social responsibility, etc.) Training for
the degree is focused on the development of skill sets in following six areas. A. System Analysis and Improvement Students acquire skills in the detailed technical analysis of high risk complex operations from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Extensive use of advanced information technologies and data as a foundation for reliability and risk based process analysis and improvement is emphasized. The system approach of the Program is based on studying the latest scientific and practical achievements in the field of structural safety and resilience with respect to physical, chemical and environmental loads. Special modules deal with reducing vulnerability of modern housing and multifunctional high-rise complexes, socially significant objects and objects where people congregate (stadiums, hotels, railway stations, airports), strategically important power engineering systems (transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines). B. Risk Analysis Students develop a comprehensive set of techniques and methods that support the risk analysis process of all stages of the life cycle of civil engineering critical infrastructures at the technical enterprise (including state and municipal government, private businesses). Emphasis is placed on the collection, rigorous analysis, interpretation and effective communication of the data. C. Project Risk Management Students are engaged in traditional planning and control functions of project management. In addition, students apply advanced engineering concepts and techniques to the design, evaluation and transformation of project issues, using risk and safety analysis tools beyond the scope of cost, schedule and performance. D. Organizational Risk and Hazards Analysis Students become skilled in the language, concepts and principles related to effective integration of technical, structural and human aspects of safe organizations. Emphasis is placed on identification and solution of organizational problems at technology-based enterprises. E. Complex Mutually Dependent Civil Engineering Infrastructures Students are exposed to the state-of-the-art research and development in the application of risk analysis as related to systems engineering to address complex technical problems. Risk and safety analysis is applied through rigorous life cycle design, operation, analysis and transformation of systems to address safety problems or meet customer needs. F. Risk Management Research Students are challenged to develop essential graduate - level research skills that provide a basis for generating a wider range of solutions of technical, managerial and organizational problems related to safety and security facing technologybased enterprises. G. Resources All the lecturers and teachers involved in the framework of the civil engineering safety Master s Program are active scientists and have a degree of Doctor of Sciences (Russian) or a PhD equivalent degree. Students on-the-job training is organized on the basis of enterprises - partners from the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Universities associated with the International Science & Education Center (Ufa, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg) and the largest enterprises in the civil engineering and related sectors of the construction industry. Currently, the number of available partners of the master s program for students placement for practical training is seven. H. Disciplines The curriculum has been designed concentrated on eight core areas which are aimed to develop the skill sets identified earlier and prepare graduates to assume positions at technology-based enterprises of the construction industry. The Civil Engineering Institute developed the following eight educational-methodical modules in English, which cover the master s entire program, and allow using electronic educational resources and conducting distance learning: Obligatory Disciplines: 1. Basics of safety and reliability theory for civil engineering critical infrastructures. 2. Industrial safety of dangerous industrial objects. 3. Management of regional safety, using generalized criteria. 4. The Russian approach to risk-analysis and safety of critical infrastructures and territories. Disciplines of choice: 5. Application of geo-information technologies for increasing safety of critical infrastructures and territories. 6. Methods for quantitative assessment of risk for critical infrastructures. 7. Risk analysis of oil and gas pipelines and other transportation systems. 8. Basic principles of supervision and industrial safety expertise for dangerous industrial objects. I. Exchange Semester The program includes one exchange semester (20 ECTS) at the partner university (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University or Old dominion University) with further transfer of credits obtained if a student has passed all exchange courses with a minimum D grade or better; the cost of tuition fee for exchange semester is included into the program tuition fee; the costs of living, transportation and insurance are not included and should be covered by the student; a limited number of scholarships are available on competitive basis.
J. Internship Professional Internship (10 ECTS) is foreseen at the Ural Branch Russian Academy of Sciences. K. Program prerequisites To apply for this course, an applicant should possess a Bachelor of Engineering. L. Degree requirements All students have to complete mathematics coursework on the level of integrated calculus, matrix algebra or differential equations and calculus - based probability and statistics. To be enrolled to the master program, the candidate should have the bachelor degree of an accredited program in engineering, engineering technology or applied science with a GPA of at least 3.00 for regular admission. Students with GPA between 2.75 and 3.00 may be admitted provisionally, based on their work experience, academic training, and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required for all international students if English is not their first language. M. Program requirements and evaluation Students are required to attend seminars, participate in discussions, make cross peer reviews of their classmates papers, take a midterm quiz and make a presentation of their group project at the end of the semester, write group research papers, conduct final research and Master thesis presentation; to take a final oral exam. Each assignment is to be evaluated according to the course criteria which correspond to the general university criteria. The main specifics of the program are its systemic approach based on the latest leading edge scientific and practical achievements in the field of construction safety, resistance to loads and fractures, lowering vulnerability of modern housing and multi-functional high-rise complexes, objects of high social significance and mass accumulation of people (stadiums, hotels, railway stations, airports), strategically important infrastructures of power engineering systems (electrical transmission lines, pipelines), modern systems of safety control of certain objects. Students are given the unique possibility to assimilate the methodology of risk analysis and practical application of methods of evaluation and prediction of consequences of possible accidents at real high-risk industrial objects of Sverdlovsk Region, to conduct expertise of industrial enterprises design documentation, hazardous production objects, to develop measures aimed at ensuring the safety level of civil engineering critical infrastructures and territories, to protect the production personnel and population. N. Learning outcomes By the end of the program, a graduate will be able to perform his/her professional activity at civil engineering enterprises, in operational teams of civil and industrial objects; in entities realizing expert activity and supervision of civil engineering objects and performing the customer functions; higher and secondary schools of civil engineering profiles. Students will be able to master professions of Expert in the fields of industrial safety expertise, risk evaluation, diagnostics and evaluation of technical state of buildings and structures; to take part in performing economic contractual work, take part in international exchange programs and stage practices. O. Employability Objects of professional activity: - industrial and civil buildings, hydro engineering and environment protection structures, including unique ones (multi-functional high-rise complexes), stadiums, hotels, railway stations, airports, infrastructures of power engineering systems (power transmission lines, pipelines), etc.; - civil engineering materials, prefabs and structures; - systems of heat and gas supply, ventilation, water supply and water removal from industrial and civil buildings and nature protection objects; - machinery, equipment, technological complexes and automation systems used during construction and production of civil engineering materials, prefabs and structures; - land lots, urban territories; - methods and means of hazards evaluation and mitigating/reducing natural and industrial risks. III. CONCLUSION The program is created for training highly skilled and innovative professionals in the fields of safety assurance and sustainable development of critical civil engineering infrastructures and territories, including, but not restricted to, urban complexes of megapolises at stages of engineering survey, design, construction, reconstruction and operation, using smart design and engineering tools. This program conforms with the directions and requirements of the National science and technology policy, regarding safety of the society and national industrial assets, taking into account Natural hazards and risks of technological catastrophes: Its structure and content reflect the general opinion that the future quality of life across the globe, first and foremost, depends on the resilience and strategic preparedness of systems of interconnected and interdependent infrastructures, as they provide for the strategy of national safety and for the concept of long term social and economical development of Russia. The Program provides insights into and describes the development of science and engineering, juridical, social and economical basics of the national policy in the field of safety and security to people living close to potentially dangerous objects, territories, and the environment, based on lessons learned from large scale technological accidents and natural catastrophes with regional and global consequences.
Holders of this Masters diploma are qualified for R&D research and teaching in the field of infrastructure resilience and safety. They can also occupy positions of an expert, supervisor, inspector-auditor and developer of local and federal norms of resilience and safety of critical infrastructure systems. Students will be able to participate in the R&D conducted in the Ural Branch Russian academy of sciences, in international student exchanges and practices. The program is flexible, allowing for alterations and addenda into subjects according to actual requests of various industries. Students are given the unique possibility to absorb the theory and methodology of risk analysis and practical application of methods to evaluate and predict consequences of possible accidents in high-risk industrial objects of the Ural region. This Program is the only of this kind in the Ural- Siberia region. The acquired theoretical and practical skills and research experiences in the course of studies, allow graduates to pursue doctoral studies in the field of environmental, technogenic and fire safety, as well as in structural mechanics, reliability and safety of civil engineering structures and systems.