The School of Engineering’s story

Jönköping University was established in 1977 with, among others, the Department of Technology. In 1994, Jönköping University merged into a foundation university with three schools, including Ingenjörshögskolan (now the School of Engineering).

After the formation of Jönköping University College in 1977, Yrkesteknisk högskoleutbildning (YTH – Vocational education programme) was built up and then, from the mid-1980s, gradually supplemented with two-year intermediate engineering programs within the Department of Technology.

The School of Engineering

In 1994, Jönköping University became a foundation university and the activities within the Department of Technology were gathered into the technical university – renamed School of Engineering in 2007.

In 1995, all engineering programmes were extended to three years and the first students in construction, computer, electrical, chemical and mechanical engineering graduated in 1998. Furthermore, the development of research in the field of Component Technology with a special focus on casting began in close collaboration with the Foundry Association in Jönköping.

From 1998, several 1.5-year programmes were given at master's level and in the year 2000 the first technology masters were examined in electrical and mechanical engineering and a few years later in computer technology and industrial organization and economics.

The School of Engineering developed nicely during the latter part of the 1990s and the number of student spots increased from about 500 in 1995 to about 1000 in 2000.

The JTH project

The business community's need for higher technical education in the region led to discussion between the Chamber of Commerce, the governor and political representatives of county councils and municipalities with Jönköping University. These resulted in the work of further developing the School of Engineering to become a technical university and in 1999 the so-called JTH project was started.

The project aimed to build up research and postgraduate education to such a level that doctoral degrees could be obtained in the field of technology. Attractive research environments with their own doctoral education in areas of technology that are important to the School of Engineering would, among other things, ensure the recruitment of doctoral teachers for a growing technical education.

The JTH Association

During the project period up to and including 2010, the region received strong support from both the private and public sectors through the Association for Jönköping’s School of Engineering (JTH Föreningen) with the County Governor acting as chairperson. The following regional organisations have also been members of the association: the Chamber of Commerce, the County Administrative Board / Regional Association, the County Council and the University Foundation.

The overall research focus became Industrial Product Development, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The research was built up in five areas with special focus on smaller companies: product development, component technology, embedded systems, production systems and information technology.

The Research Fund

To support the development of research, the business community, the public sector and the university each invested around SEK 65 million, or a total of about SEK 200 million, during the years 2002-2010 in a so-called research fund. The fund was consumed at a pace that enabled a rapid expansion of research and postgraduate education to a level that would qualify the School of Engineering to obtain the right to award doctoral degrees in the field of technology.

In 2003, Jönköping University applied for the right to award doctoral degrees in the field of technology. However, the government did not process any applications from the higher education institutions, but in 2006 appointed an inquiry into how the right to a degree at doctoral level could be granted in the future. In order not to postpone things more than necessary, Jönköping University was included in a declaration of intent together with Chalmers and KTH in 2006 for a joint development of research and postgraduate education in Jönköping, focusing on small and medium-sized companies.

Inauguration of the School of Engineering

From 2007, Jönköping University was thus able to establish the School of Engineering, based on these higher education institutions' degree rights at doctoral level. The inauguration was held on February 8, 2007.

In the spring of that year, the School of Engineering was given the right to issue the new 2-year master's degrees in technology: product development, production systems and electrical engineering.

The research fund resulted in increasing basic financing for the five research areas, which from 2007 amounted to approximately SEK 25 million and thus resulted in a research volume of approximately SEK 50 million, a level that is considered to be a minimum for a technical university with its own degree rights at postgraduate level.

Doctoral degree law

The inquiry into degree rights at doctoral level resulted in the higher education institutions from 2010 being able to apply for degree rights in narrower knowledge fields than the previous fields of science. In connection with the application for such a degree right in the area of Industrial Product Development in the spring of 2010, the research focused on the four environments: Product development, materials and manufacturing, production systems and information technology.

On 2 September 2010, the Swedish government decided to award Jönköping University, for implementation within the School of Engineering, the degree right at both doctoral level and master's level in the area of industrial product development with the doctoral subjects: machine design, materials and manufacturing processes and production systems.

The JTH project has reached its goal

When the School of Engineering reached the goal of obtaining the right to award technical doctoral degrees and thus became a full-fledged technical university, the JTH project had achieved its purpose. Both the JTH project and the JTH association were therefore terminated at the end of 2010.

Timeline

1977
YTH educations start.
1994
The technical department is organized under the university’s Engineering College and the host company operations start.
1995
The engineering education is extended to 3-year programs. About 500 students.
1998
The School of Engineering moves into newly built premises on the university campus and a master's program in technology is started.
1999
The JTH project starts and the JTH association is formed.
2000
The first technology master’s students in electrical and mechanical engineering are examined. About 1000 students.
2007
The School of Engineering is given the right to award the new 2-year master's degree in the technical areas of product development, production systems and electrical engineering.
2009
JTH become Technology Educator of the year. About 2000 students.
2010
JTH has the right to give licentiate and doctoral degrees in the technology area of Industrial Product Development.
2011
The graduate school is inaugurated.