ENGINEERING A CAREER. A Brief Insight into the Curriculum of Polytechnic Studies in Romania, 1881–1939

Talk by Dragoș Sdrobiș (seeFField Visiting Fellow) in the SNAKLAB series, organized by the seeFField project in cooperation with IOS Regensburg.

The objective of the presentation is to delineate the progression of polytechnic studies in Romania from 1881 to 1939. In an agrarian society, characterized by high levels of illiteracy, and where legal or humanistic studies dominated higher education, pursuing engineering studies was a peripheral career option for young individuals. Through a discourse analysis of key publications from polytechnics and professional associations of that era, and by delving into the memoirs of certain engineers, I aim to address the following inquiries:

1. Who comprised the student body enrolled in polytechnic schools?
2. Were there any motivating factors that influenced the attractiveness of choosing polytechnic studies in comparison to university studies?
3. Did the state implement any strategies to encourage young individuals to opt for polytechnic studies?
4. What was the admission process for aspiring engineers?
5. To what extent did the curriculum of polytechnics align with the technological advancements and professional challenges of that period?