Closing the gap between research and practice in engineering education: UTEC, a Peruvian university

Students, companies, and the society in general claim for new engineering education. Active learning, critical thinking and design thinking are elements of this new education that provides for effective results in the learning process. UTEC-Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, provides “Experiential Training in Engineering” program, where students focus on engineering projects from the beginning to the end of their studies. This paper examines the impact of the program on the perceptions of students, faculty and companies regarding competencies that new engineers achieved through the “Experiential Training in Engineering” program and proposes ways to close the gap between best practices in engineering education.