New look Electronics stays ahead of the game

Although the latest National Student Survey ranks Electronics at Kent as the best of its kind in the UK, the Department is still working hard to ensure that current and future students will benefit from the best possible environment and facilities, as well as the best and most-up-to-date equipment.

Michael Fairhurst, Professor of Computer Vision and Head of the Department of Electronics, said, ‘The subjects we teach are fast-moving and at the cutting edge of technology. It is very important that our teaching and research environment reflects this, and we are delighted that our students will be able to study in such modern and well-equipped laboratories. The established high quality of our teaching and research can only be further enhanced by these developments.’

Steve Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Electronic Engineering, added, ‘So far, we have spent over half a million pounds refitting and installing equipment in our teaching laboratories. This includes high spec computers in our multimedia and audio-visual laboratories and state-of-the-art test equipment for our new engineering laboratory. Students will also benefit from our upgraded computing infrastructure running throughout the teaching laboratories.’

Electronics at Kent has an excellent reputation for teaching and research (the Guardian Higher Education League Tables has ranked it within the top five in the UK for Electrical Engineering). With strong industrial links, much of its research is supported by commercial organisations and there is a range of industrially sponsored prizes for best students in each year. The department offers undergraduate degree programmes in Multimedia Technology and Design, Web Computing, Computer Systems Engineering, Electronic and Communications Engineering, and postgraduate degree programmes in Information Security and Biometrics, Broadband and Mobile Communications Networks, Information and Communication Technologies, and Computer Animation and Digital Visual Effects. Research degrees are available in the areas of broadband and wireless communications; image processing and vision; embedded systems engineering; and digital media.

Prospective students are welcome to view the new look department and speak to the staff during the University’s Clearing Open Day on Saturday 19 August or during the Department’s Open Day on 7 October (when a number of talks will be held on the Department’s courses followed by tours of the facilities and labs).