The energy-saving smart lighting systems at USC Moreton Bay’s new campus are among the many technologies Professor Kenneth Li-minn Ang plans to showcase to his electrical engineering students.

Professor Ang has been appointed by USC to coordinate the Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) (Honours), one of the new USC degrees exclusive to the Moreton Bay campus.

With 20 years of research and teaching in smart technologies, and a passion for emerging automations such as robotics and machine learning, Professor Ang is looking forward to partnering with industry to deliver future-focused graduates.

He plans to draw on the latest hands-on examples to share with students, starting with the built-in technology at the new campus that opens its doors to about 1,100 students on February 24.

“There are sensors integrated into the design for intelligent systems for cooling and lighting and, as the campus grows, there will be more opportunities for students and the community to gather data from those systems and engage with it,” Professor Ang said.

“We have also had an opportunity to build a program from the ground up informed by the latest research and teaching pedagogies, so we have been able to set ourselves apart from what other universities are offering.”

Professor Ang said this was an exciting time to be learning electrical and electronic engineering, as a range of global industries look towards automation and more efficient solutions.

“New and emerging technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for solving problems in engineering, health, agriculture, defence and the environment – and these include the Internet of Things, wireless sensor systems, machine learning, big data analytics, reconfigurable computing and blockchain technologies,” he said.

USC Head of School of Science and Engineering Professor Cathy Yule said the degree would integrate closely with USC’s new Computer Science course at Moreton Bay, as the two disciplines were linked so closely.

“We see the synchronicity between the two,” Professor Yule said.

“Because today’s mechanical systems so often rely on the control systems provided by computers, we have prioritised a close relationship between the courses from the outset.

“Kenneth’s years of important research into smart technologies make him the ideal person to drive this degree in the Moreton Bay region.”

Contact: media@usc.edu.au