This module introduces professional electronic engineering skills including: 

• laboratory safe working practice
  
• effective soldering, circuit building, circuit testing
  
• design and implementation of a number of embedded systems
• giving effective presentations
  
• 3D object design and 3D printing
  
• creative group thinking and team working to complete a group project.
  

The module is supported with weekly pre-recorded mini-lectures, quizzes, live seminar and tutorial sessions, as well as electronics laboratory and 3D design and printing sessions.

This module introduces programming in C++ alongside good programming practice in a fun and engaging manner.

This module introduces the fundamentals of electronic circuit theory from Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Laws through Source Transformation and AC sinusoidal responses.  Further, semiconductor devices such as diodes and bipolar junction transistors are introduced along with operational amplifiers.  The module consists of weekly pre-recorded mini-lectures, live seminars, quizzes and tutorial sessions along with laboratory sessions supported by circuit simulation software.

Individual Scientific Project introduces the concept of a formal substantive project and poster presentation to Foundation Year students.

The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge in control engineering. This module will make extensive use of MATLAB and the control toolbox in the context of solving control engineering problems and its indicative content includes the step response of first and second order systems and the effect of varying the time constant on overshoot and settling times, the use of bode plots, root locus, Nyquist plots, error estimation. Practical control systems will be explored theoretically and practically.   

The aim of this module is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge on the materials that underpin electronic devices. This module encompasses the solid-state physical macro- and nano-scale properties of solid conductor, insulator, semiconductor and optoelectronic materials that make them useful in electronic devices, considering their structures, the behaviour of electrons, electrical conduction,  thermal conduction, how dopants are used and their interaction with light.  Understanding is applied to a variety of devices, including diodes, MOSFET transistors, photovoltaic cells and Hall probes.  Existing electronic materials as well as future developments will be explored. 

This module is designed to follow on from EE1020 Electronic Circuits and Components building on the knowledge gained on circuit elements and analysis leading to the design and application of more advanced analogue electronic circuits and systems.  Topics include small-signal (AC) analysis of transistor amplifier circuits, Field Effect Transistors (FETs), active filters, current mirrors and differential amplifier circuits.  The module is delivered through weekly pre-recorded mini-lectures supplemented by live MS Teams lectures and tutorial exercises, these are then followed by practical lab experiments that demonstrate the theory of each concept in turn.

This module focuses on sustainable engineering and professional engineers' conduct and ethics. On sustainable engineering aspect, the concept of balancing resources and materials needed for electronic product manufacturing and consumption/use with their corresponding impacts on the environment and society is explored in-depth. Specifically, students learn the nature of sustainable engineering challenges, sustainability assessment concepts, life cycle networks, logical steps for life cycle assessment study, life cycle costing and green engineering principles. Varieties of activities are adopted for teaching this aspect of the module including the use of case studies, MATLAB-based exercises, group-based exercises, lectures etc.

This module looks at how humans communicate using their voices, the nature of the sound signals that are used as well as the analysis and synthesis of speech sounds. It will include speech synthesis methods and the principles o speech recognition and hear aid design. 

In this module, you will learn about the biomedical application of engineering, specifically electronics and signal processing and how this has revolutionised modern healthcare practices.  We will look at the origin and nature of biomedical signals, such as Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electromyogram (EMG), Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) (and how to pronounce them!).  We will learn how to acquire these signals from the human body, sample and process them for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.  We will also introduce medical imaging technologies such X-Ray, Computed Tomography (CT) Scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and how image processing is used to enhance them.  Finally, we will learn about time-frequency analysis and how it can be used to give insight into the nature of the biomedical signals and inform diagnosis.

In this module you will design digital logic circuits and become familiar with the principles of hardware description languages, in particular VHDL for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) designing. You will evaluate and make decisions about specific digital system designs, taking account of constraints such as speed, power, size, etc. and interpret simulation results and modify them to complete a given practical task.

Recent years have seen a rapid growth of bandwidth intensive voice, video and data applications (high-speed internet, video streaming services and satellite communications). Microwave and optical communication technologies will be pivotal in the delivery of next generation of high-speed networks and thus critical knowledge of these systems is vital to engineers required to deliver these services in the future.  This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding in advanced communications systems, principally modern microwave, optical and broadband technologies.  At the end of this module, students will be able to analyse complex microwave systems using mathematical and computational tools, for example, estimating satellite link budgets.  Further, they will be able to breakdown and categorise different elements of a complete communication system including, for example, high-speed optical data network architectures.  Radio propagation will be studied along with the design principles of advanced microwave systems and inherent sources of degradation, distortion and losses.  Finally, students will be introduced to the latest CAD tools for the evaluation and synthesis of practical microwave systems.

The EE3100 Power Systems module:
 
- Introduces the fundamental concepts relating to the design and analysis of electrical power systems, and covers the areas of generation, transmission, distribution, conversion and power quality.  

- Develops an awareness of the technical challenges associated with the operation of such systems.

-  Develops the necessary analytical, numerical and modelling skills for handling technical challenges in Power Systems.
   

This is a major group project in which students will work on an agreed practical problem that is relevant to tomorrow's societal needs and agreed with their supervisor. The working practice of the groups will be modelled on industrial practices in terms of planning, keeping proper records of meetings and the progress of work, and students will each take on a responsibility within the team that is vital to the professional and successful running of the group project. The overall aim is to provide students with a full appreciation of mechanisms that can support professional group working and its management in engineering practice in the context of exploring and researching solutions to a topic relevant to society.

The indicative content for this module includes the study of fundamental pattern recognition in relation to supervised learning. Topics will include Bayesian decision theory, Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines (amongst others). The nature of these algorithms will be studied along with engineering techniques for developing smart applications. Further, deep learning for engineering applications (e.g. classification of electrocardiograms) will be studied. Finally, students will undertake a coursework to apply an appropriate machine learning methodology to solve a real-world pattern recognition problem.

The module extends the knowledge acquired in digital systems with advanced topics in the emergent area of FPGA based system on chip design. The module will cover state-of-the-art features available in modern FPGAs exploring their fine-grained internal architecture and embedded macro blocks such as DSP slices, IPs and hardcore/softcore processors. A design language based on C/C++ will be presented as an alternative to traditional RTL design (VHDL). High level synthesis tools will be used to compute signal processing applications.

This module is an introduction to the design needs and software/hardware solutions to modern immersive capture, storage, mixing, rendering and presentation systems. Students will learn how VR systems are constructed and the audio visual technology behind them.

This module will develop a deep understanding of the design needs and software/hardware solutions to modern immersive capture, storage, mixing, rendering and presentation systems. Students will learn how eXtended Reality (XR) systems are constructed and the audio visual technology behind them.

This module covers the fundamentals of nanotechnology and its impact in electronics.  It covers effects that become apparent when reducing electronic devices to the nanoscale and considers different strategies of overcoming these challenges.  Techniques used in the fabrication and characterisation of nano-scale electronic devices will also be explored.

EE 5002 and EE5002J: INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Module Leader: LAKIS KAOUNIDES

WELCOME TO THE MODULE:

Dear Students ,

Welcome from your Module Leader:

I am the Module Leader of EE5002 and EE5002J  and my name is Lakis Kaounides. I have over 45 years’ experience in launching , running, teaching on several master’s and  MBA programmes in leading British Universities. Please see my Bio uploaded here.

In fact , I launched the very successful MSc in Project Management in 2012 and have been its Academic Lead and Programme Director until this year. I then launched the very successful MSc in Engineering Management in 2017 and have been its Academic Lead and Programme Director until this year. You should know that both Programmes have been revalidated on the 19^{th of} April 2022 and are now offered at the LGS in London for the first time this September 2022,  and not the Egham campus. The Revalidated programmes you are taking this year are very different to the original programmes I launched and have been running until now.

Introduction to the EE5002/5002J Module:

A very warm welcome to the Module EE5002 ( for the September 2022 intake) and EE5002J( for the January2023 intake).This is a mind-expanding Module. On it you will learn many concepts and strategies that will be of tremendous importance to your future careers and lives. It is no exaggeration to say that we will cover the most important concepts, trends and forces in the world economy. These include Business Ethics, Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility , Sustainability and Climate Change, International Operations and Supply Chains. These concepts , forces and trends in the world economy will have a profound and decisive influence on your future careers and lives. Clearly you need to understand them well to be able to navigate the business world and be successful. By the end of this Module, you will have a very good understanding of all these developments . But notice , from the title , that we are examining all this from the point of view of a large industrial company or corporation engaged in international operations and businesses. Imagine working for such a company. You will be experiencing everything we will be discussing on this Module. You will know enough, if you have studied very hard and paid attention,  to be able to impress your bosses and move to higher levels of management!

The origins and component parts of the Module:

I should explain to you the origins of this Module. It is an integration , the bringing together of the two pre-existing Modules PM 5002 ( Operations and Quality Management , taught by Carl Davies) and PM 5007 ( Corporate Governance , Ethics and Sustainability, taught by Lakis Kaounides). I have taught PM5007 for nearly 10 years , very successfully, to both PM and EM students. I have also taught Operations  to the best Third Year Business Studies UGs in the UK at Cass Business School, and to the students on the MSc Construction Management , in the Engineering Faculty , of City University in London, for many years. It is essential , in my view, that you as  students know, understand, and can apply the crucial concepts of Corporate Governance, Business Ethics, Social Responsibility , and Sustainability which will shape your careers in the future.  The new EE5002 Module will be taught to the September intake PM but also to the January intake(EE5002J) PM intake, jointly in Term 2.They are found on a single Moodle Page.

The Structure and contents of the new Module EE5002.

As I have explained to you above , the new Module EE5002 and EE5002J are component parts of the MSc Project Management and MSc Engineering Management that have been Redesigned and Revalidated in April 2022. The newly Revalidated EE5002 contains elements of two pre-existing Modules. As Module Leader I have therefore redesigned the structure, the content and sequence of lectures , topics , and how each will be delivered to you so that you are able to learn a lot and understand everything. I have done this, and below is the Module you will be taking in January 2023. I explain my logic and aims below:

As always when preparing a Module and lectures, I have located, bought and am using the most UpToDate books on Operations Management . These are written by top Professors and practitioners in the field. They make some very important points and observations which are directly relevant to the Module EE5002 I have re-designed:

1^st, that Operations Management today is necessarily International and Global in Nature. Hence the title of the Module is correct.  OM Managers must address the international nature of Operations  and make decisions so that international operations contribute to corporate business strategy success.

2^nd , that today, making and implementing decisions in International Operations and Supply Chains NECESSITATES close attention to and consideration to Ethics, Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Every single decision daily must take account of these concepts! These concepts now underpin decisions in International Operations. This is a fascinating development and learning in Operations. Luckily ,these are also , exactly the concerns addressed in this Module. I have incorporated them closely into the contents and structure of the EE5002 Module which be very beneficial to Project Management.

Let me explain the logic of the structure I have devised:

I first provide, in Lecture1,  an overview of the issues facing Corporations engaged in International Operations in the world economy. The lecture is very hard hitting, in that it reviews the major problems dominating the world economy at present , including pollution, waste, the food crisis, unethical treatment of workers, farmers, pickers , children, and climate change. It provides evidence , which some of you may find shocking, to illustrate the relevance and importance of the concepts we are studying in Project Management.

I then provide rigorous foundations and the basics of what are Operations, ( Lecture2) which students need to know. I then build on these technical  foundations to develop  and enhance your understanding of International Operations. We learn the strategic options open to Operations Managers of large MNCs in shaping their international operations strategy to build competitive advantage and meet  Business Strategy.

Here (in Lecture 3), I explain and trace the dramatic developments in the world economy , industry and finance : globalisation, Trade liberalisation, GATT, WTO, the rise of the Multinational Corporation(MNCs), the rise of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) , the Global Factory, Offshoring, , Global Codes of Conduct and , regulations and laws. It is in these conditions that corporations and their international operations have to operate and succeed. I provide several case-studies of leading corporations , for example Nike , which illustrates many of these issues .I also provide a detailed case-study of Boeing and its supply chains. Red Lobster, the biggest fishing company in the world, provides another interesting case-study.

Students need to fully understand Corporate Governance , that is how companies are run in UK, USA and globally, and how strategies are formed and implemented at the Board and Committee levels. Otherwise, they know nothing and will be lost. I , therefore, provide students with the foundations of Corporate Governance , and the most important developments in the UK( the Cadbury Report) and in the USA ( the Sarbanes -Oxley Act, The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Franks-Dodd Act) which will constrain, guide the international operations of these corporations. Students cannot graduate from the programmes and this Module without understanding or knowing about these developments and Codes of Conduct. The students are ecstatic when they learn how companies are managed after the Cadbury Report, followed globally now.

Moreover, students need to fully understand the concepts of Business Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility , if they are to make the right strategic decisions in their international operations and Projects. I therefore provide solid lectures , with integrative case-studies to fix ideas  and understanding.

The Module places strong emphasis on the concept of Sustainability. But the students cannot fully understand it  without understanding the causes, nature, impacts of Climate Change ,and international negotiations ( UNIPCC) and Agreements on Climate Change , including the Glasgow Conference in November 2021 and now the COP27 Conference in Egypt November 2022 and COP28 in UAE November 2023.I therefore explain these developments in detail. Nothing will impact International Operations and your Projects more than Climate Change and the concept of Sustainability. I take students through the evolution of the concepts and the main scholars writing about them, integrate them and give them my Definition at the end.

The Module ends with two crucial concepts  of critical importance in Operations Management:

1.     The Management of Quality  (Letcure8)

2.     Lean Production , with a case-study of the Toyota Motor Corporation.(Lecture9)

These two Lectures will be given , in the main, by Richard Granger.

Below , I am providing you with the structure and sequence of lectures and Topics .

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT  OF MODULE EE5002 AND EE5002J

Lectures take place on Thursday , between 10-13:00pm, in B36 Birkbeck

LECTURE 1:CORPORATE GOVERNANCE , INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS , ETHICS, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

19/01/2023

LECTURE 2: OPERATIONS : The Foundations , Tools , Techniques, Business Strategy, Practical examples and applications. Process Design.

26/01/2023

LECTURE3: INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS : Global Conditions , The Global Factory, Case -studies , Nike , Boeing, Red Lobster

02/02/2023

 Issue Full details of  individual CW1 and Group CW2

LECTURE4:CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BUSINESS ETHICS: Coca Cola

09/02/2023

LECTURE 5:CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY :Ikea, Glaxo Smith Kline

16/02/2023

LECTURE6:CLIMATE CHANGE: Causes, Impacts , UNIPCC, Foundations of Sustainability

23/02/2023

LECTURE7:SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE: Starbucks, Fast Fashion, Fisheries

02/03/2023

LECTURE 8:QUALITY MANAGEMENT : Tools and techniques.

09/03/2023

LECTURE9:LEAN PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY CHAINS : Toyota Motor Corporation

16/03/2023

LECTURE10 SUMMARY : Sustainable Energy, case study: BP serious  lapses in its international operations. Transition to Renewables.

23/03/2023

ASSESSMENT:

CW1: Individual Coursework Assignment ( 40%) . Submission : early March 2023, Maximum 2000 words.

The Assignment tests your knowledge of the concepts taught on the Module and your ability to apply them to answer the questions. In addition, it addresses key Learning Objectives. Here I give only a brief Synopsis so that you know what to expect. Full details will be given in the Assignment Information Sheet issued in Teaching Week 3.

It is an individual Summative Assessment. You must follow instructions to the full and submit exactly on time.

The Questions:

Nike is a leading US sportswear Multinational Corporation(MNC) . The company is experiencing rising manufacturing costs in its athletic shoes in its domestic production base. However , it is considering very seriously proposals from its suppliers to supply it at much lower costs from factories in low income , poorer countries, such as Vietnam , Indonesia and Thailand. You are asked , as an Operations Manager what are the challenges and opportunities for International Operations and strategic options to improve Nike’s competitive advantage and meet its business strategy objectives?

Provide a rigorous explanation and justification for your analysis to management and your Recommendations.

To fully answer this question, you must attend all lectures , especially the first three, read Chapter 3 of the main Textbook ( no.1 below) , and consider the theoretical analysis of how large MNCs can use one or more of strategies in International Operations to build competitive advantage. Then apply your understanding to Nike. Should it locate or source its shoes from Vietnam to increase its profits? If your answer is yes , what are the dangers of doing so?

I will provide you with a structure of the answer I expect you to deliver, and the Marking Criteria , that is what I expect you to tackle in each section to get your marks. I will also offer guidance and suggestions of what issues you need to examine in each lecture until you submit. And you should feel free to contact me to ask me questions if you need more explanation.

Nothing prevents you from starting to research Nike and its markets  and international operations and supply chains from  right now.

CW2:Group Coursework Assignment (60%) . Mid- March 2023.Maximun 3,500 words.

FIRST you must self-assemble into groups of 7-10 students  and select a Group Leader who must send me the List of members of your group asap.

Toyota Motor Corporation is a leading car producer in the world automotive industry. It is the pioneer of a new Manufacturing paradigm we call Lean Production . The company developed the famous Toyota Production Management System , and introduced  Kaizen , Continuous Improvement methods , as well as Just in Time (JIT). At the same time , the company is a leader in sustainable car production and sustainable cars , in response to competition from many other car producers and the Climate Emergency. But, how can the company integrate Lean Methods and Sustainability , that is Lean Sustainability, in its International Operations and Supply Chains??

You are asked , as q Group of young  Operations Managers what are the challenges and opportunities for International Operations and strategic options to improve Toyota’s competitive advantage and meet its sustainability business strategy objectives?

Provide a rigorous explanation and justification for your analysis to management and your Recommendations to Senior Management at Toyota who may offer you an opening.

To fully answer this question, you must attend all lectures , especially the first three, read Chapter 16 of the main Textbook ( no.1 below) , and consider the theoretical analysis of how large MNCs can use one or more of strategies in International Operations to build competitive advantage. Then apply your understanding to Toyota and Lean Methods

I will provide you with a structure of the answer I expect you to deliver, and the Marking Criteria , that is what I expect you to tackle in each section to get your marks. I will also offer guidance and suggestions of what issues you need to examine in each lecture until you submit. And you should feel free to contact me and Richard Granger to ask me questions if you need more explanation.

Nothing prevents you from starting to research the Toyota Multinational Corporation  and its production processes   and international operations and supply chains from  right now.

See also item 4 in the Textbooks below.

READING :

Be careful. Do NOT try to read everything or at the same time. Await my guidance as to what is important to read for every lecture.

Please Note: Items 1 and 2 below are the key textbooks for this Module.

1.Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers, Robert Johnson ,and Alan Betts

Operations and Process Management

Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact

2^nd Edition , FT /Prentice Hall , CD with additional resources. (2009)

www.pearsoned.co.uk

2.Jay Heizer, Barry Render, Chuck Mason

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:

Sustainability and Supply Chain Management

3^rd edition , Global Edition

Pearson Education, 2020

This can be bought on Amazon for £67 if you so wish. It is a very good book to keep at home if you plan to work for a large MNC.

3.Lakis Kaounides (1995) , The American vs the Japanese System of Manufacture , Ch3

In “Advanced Materials and Corporate Strategies “ FT Management Report.

4.James Womack, Daniel T. Jones, Daniel Roos,

The Machine That Changed the World

How Lean Production Revolutionised the Global Car Wars

Simon &Schuster , 1990

Paperback edition in UK, 2007 with new Forward and Afterward

5.Y. Imai: Kaizen the secret of Japanese success.

Reading advice will be given in every lecture.

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT BOOKS
1. Andrew Crane , Dirk Matten , Laura J.Spence :Corporate Social Responsibility : Readings and Cases in a Global Context ( 2014) , Second Edition , Routledge , Library: 658.408 COR

2, Thomas Clarke , International Corporate Governance : A Comparative Approach (2007) Routledge
Library: 338.74 CLA

3. Christine A. Mallin, Corporate Governance , 5^th Edition, Oxford,,2016
4. Andrew Crane & Dirk Matten : Business Ethics , (2010) Oxford University Press , Library : 658.408 CRA

5. John Fraedrich, Linda Ferrell,O.C.Ferrell :BUSINESS ETHICS :Ethical Decision Making in Business : Amanagerial Approach  13^th Edition, South Western ,Cengage Learning,2022

6 Paul Griseri and Nina Seppala : Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (2010) , South Western , www.cengage.co.uk/griseri

7. Sir John Houghton : Global Warming : The Complete Briefing (2015) 5^th Edition , Cambridge University Press

8. A,Barrie Pittock : Climate Change : The Science, Impacts, Solutions (2009) Earthscan , CSIRO Publishing
9. UNDP : Human Development Report 2007/2008 (2007) United Nations Development Programme , Palgrave Macmillan , New York

 ========================================================

© Lakis Kaounides, 2023

I Very Much Look forward to meeting you all at 10am in Lecture Theatre B36 in Birkbeck University , for our Lecture 1. I have prepared a very large and detailed lecture 1 for you which I will make available as soon as possible on Moodle and or Teams. You do not need to read it in advance , rather keep it and study it after the lecture and just concentrate on the issues I raise during the lecture. Bring Pen and Paper and take notes of important points I make.

The module provides an in-depth understanding of technology innovation and change management.  This provides context within which projects are selected and managed. 

The module consists of ten three-hour sessions of lectures and discussions. All sessions are live; there are no pre-recorded lectures to watch.

The description of each session, shown in the column to the left, gives the exact dates, times and locations. Click on the session name for more information about that session, including the lecture materials, readings and self-assessment test.

The course intends to promote understanding of global logistics and supply chain management - from the point of view of the trader, the supplier, the manufacturer and with an emphasis on the different challenges and opportunities within global supply chains. Additionally, the relationship between emerging technologies and sustainable principles within global logistics and the wider supply chain environments is also explored.

It is widely acknowledged that technology is at the core of modern organizations worldwide and there is an ever-increasing emphasis on applying technology systems and solutions to build resilience, drive innovation, provide business value and enable organizational transformation. In this environment, good technical knowledge and skills alone do not suffice. IT professionals are more and more required to have a more holistic understanding of fundamental concepts and interrelationships between the business functions, operating environment, key governance processes and software systems.

Taking the above into account, this module aims to provide students with

(a) a broad and systematic understanding of the functional, architectural, financial, acquisition and technological perspectives of modern information systems

(b) the necessary knowledge of technology-related processes and of the associated real-world best practices.

This module covers the theory and standards of information security risk management in conjunction with governance principles underpinning the management and compliance of risk management. To this end, several risk management frameworks, particularly the ISO/IEC 270xx series of standards with a focus on ISO/IEC 27001, 27005, 31010 and selected elements of U.S. NIST SP800 series recommendations are studied following an introduction to theoretical foundations and terms. A central element of the course is methodology for risk assessment including processes and cyclical approaches for the reference frameworks. The knowledge of the frameworks is translated into compliance and compliance monitoring mechanisms for risk management standards and regulations. Alternative methods for the exploration of risks and their estimation including socio-technical aspects are analysed as well as interactions between risk perception and the incorporation of threat intelligence into risk assessments and risk management.