Nicolebakker | Master in Design Engineering

In August 2016, I’m going to start with the Master in Design Engineering (MDE) at Harvard University. This is a collaborative degree of the Graduate School of Design (GSD) and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). The program focusses on the triple point between technology, society and environment. MDE topics

“Our world faces increasingly complicated, often unpredictable issues of consequence to human lives and environments, including rapid urbanization, ecological changes, and sociocultural dynamics. Successful innovation and visionary leadership require a broad understanding of the relationships between technology and people, and the MDE program seeks to foster and develop graduates who will be able to address and tackle major challenges facing society with transformative, multidisciplinary solutions.” – Harvard University

With only 16 students admitted, the didactic model is based on the idea of a cohort. All students have different backgrounds and together we are going to work on technically deep, complex, multi-scale, and open-ended challenges. Screen Shot 2016-04-10 at 09.12.04

We are asked to develop practical, comprehensive plans to address real-world questions such as:

What would it take to convert the U.S. transportation system from its almost total reliance on gasoline to more stable, economical, and environmentally friendly alternatives?
How could the health care delivery system be transformed to yield better outcomes at lower cost?
What steps can cities take to adapt to rising sea levels and other climate change-induced environmental impacts with minimal disruption to society?
How can homes be designed to consume zero net energy by minimizing year-round heat transfer and incorporating on-site generation of energy?
In developing products that integrate into the Internet of Things, how should companies design devices and services that balance individual privacy and security with the benefits of networked intelligence?