StudyQA — Master: Tribology of Surfaces and Interfaces — TRIBOS

Description Contents Requirements Funding

Tribology is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and of related subjects and practices. It incorporates a number of disciplines, including MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,MATERIALS SCIENCE, MECHANICS, SURFACE CHEMISTRY, SURFACE PHYSICS and a multitude of subjects such as surface characterization, friction, wear, lubrication, thin films and coatings, materials, lubricants, and the selection and design of lubrication systems and contact properties. It forms a vital part of the engineering sciences and is one of the key engineering areas. The field of tribology, functional surfaces and interfaces is thus highly interdisciplinary and is becoming increasingly advanced in recent times.

The key goal of the TRIBOS joint master programme is to provide the students with the high-level contemporary knowledge, required for the next generation of engineers to tackle highly-interdisciplinary tribology-related problems through an interdisciplinary and complementary joint master programme about tribological surfaces, interfaces, lubricants, lubrication, as well as wear and friction mechanisms at nano and macro scale, and computational, modelling, analytical and experimental skills that are urgently needed in fields of transport, industry, medicine and energy, and cannot be obtained in a single university or even single country at so comprehensive and advanced level.

In order to provide to the students the highest possible and contemporary knowledge required for the next generation of engineers, it seems natural to bring together complementary European leading groups in different areas of tribology into a joint European high-class educational master study programme TRIBOS. Strong connections of the partner universities to industrial and academic organisations from all over the world (5 continents, 16 countries, 24 partners) will significantly contribute to establishing new academia-commercial networks.

The consortium of four partner universities: UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, UK, UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA, PORTUGAL, AND LULEA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SWEDEN will represent an outstanding added value to teaching of tribology and surface engineering, and will consequently have large impact on the industry, transport and energy sectors, as well as implementation of novel interface nanotechnologies, tribophysics and tribochemistry science in these fields, and will contribute to environment and socio-economic aspects of quality of life.

FIRST YEAR

The first two semesters are dedicated to acquire fundamental tribology knowledge, mandatory for all students, to gain a selection of key interdisciplinary basic courses related to friction and wear mechanisms at different scales, as well as contacts and role of surfaces and lubricants, which will be obtained in University of Leeds and University of Ljubljana.

* First semester

All the students of each edition will obtain the required fundamental knowledge about lubricants and lubrication, tribochemical reactions that additives provide at different materials (surfaces), and required conditions to achieve the formation of boundary films thus, all fundamentals related to lubricants and surrounding environment conditions of the contacts, in the first semester at University of Leeds, UK, which is highly specialised in this area. The first semester will be also purposely performed at University of Leeds, an English speaking country, for the students to equal and advancing professional terminology in English in early stage of the international study programme.

* Second semester

In second semester, all the students will allocate to Ljubljana, where the group is specialising in surface wear and friction phenomena and the role of contact engineering at different scales. Students will learn about contacts and role of materials and surfaces, wear and friction mechanisms, nano and macro scale contact specifics, contact mechanics and diagnostics of mechanical components. Thus, all necessary tribological fundamentals mainly related to solid part of the contact. University of Ljubljana also provide high-level experimental equipment to develop skills in these subjects, for students being able to experimentally and theoretically, using literature and independent study, analyse, apply, select and develop ideas about required properties of tribological surfaces, lubricants and interfaces in the contact.

INTERNSHIP

After the second semester (during summer months), a number of internships will be offered to students to join one of the renown supporting and associated industrial partners of TRIBOS.

The internship is not obligatory, but is highly recommended experience and advancement of the students understanding of the subject, to link theoretical and practical skills, as well as set grounds for their employment reference.

SECOND YEAR

The second year is focused on obtaining more specialised scientific knowledge and increase the level of skills towards final competences. Students will select their preferences whether further specialise in lubrication-oriented tribology or surface-oriented tribology, which are very well defined areas, with many specifics that need to be treated separately at the level of implementation. So, we offer to students exactly these two complementary areas for continuation of study, with two highly specialised and leading groups in these fields: University of Coimbra, Portugal, with expertise in materials and coatings processing, coatings development, materials and surface characterisation, and Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, with renown and leading position in integration of lubrication to mechanical components with sophisticated lubrication technology and modelling know-how.

* Third semester

The third semester given in University of Coimbra, Portugal will provide in-depth specific knowledge on surface and materials processing and development, and their properties and characterisation for specific tribological output. In Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, however, students will gain profound understanding on lubrication modelling, and lubrication design required for specific mechanical components, which are also comprehensively studied. A part of the third semester in a larger Master thesis preparation module - will also focus on integration of so-far obtained knowledge from both fundamental-components aspects (solid-surfaces and lubricants), combined with acquired in-depth specialisation, into a definition of requirements and developing strategy toward solutions for specific tribological problem.

* Fourth semester

The fourth semester is dedicated to Project work and Master thesis, related to selected field of specialisation. Preferentially, the students will stay at the two universities of specialisation University of Coimbra and Luleå University of Technology, but each student and local mentor will closely collaborate also with mentors from University of Ljubljana and University of Leeds. Depending on projects offered each year, and students selection of topics, students could fully or partially perform experimental project work also in University of Ljubljana or University of Leeds, and have mentors from all four partner universities. Thesis defence will be performed at the university where most of the work was done. Co-mentors from other universities are envisaged in most of the thesis

A MINIMUM OF A BACHELOR DEGREE(equivalent of 180 ECTS and comparable to the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering RRP programme), with an average grade of at least 80% (grade point average GPA) in engineering, materials science, physical sciences or chemistry.Students that have not yet obtained the batchelor degree, but are able to show with a high level of confidence that by the end of July they will obtain their bachelor degree, can also apply. A dedicated form is prepared to be filled by such applicant and her/his bachelor degree Mentor or appropriate University representative, such as Dean or Vice-Dean.PROOF OF ENGLISH KNOWLEDGEwill be required for students from non-English speaking countries. Students from non-English speaking countries are required to have obtained the IELTS certificate (with a minimum score of 6.5 and no part of the test below 6.0) or TOEFL certificate with a minimum score of 92 points (internet based). A web interview can be conducted as a complementary means to prove language proficiency.SELECTION CRITERIA * Criterion 1: Academic education 50% * Criterion 2: Language skills 20% * Criterion 3: Letter of motivation 10% * Criterion 4: Previous relevant professional experience 20% English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test: 92