University of Strathclyde – “The Place of Useful Learning”
Overview on the activities and strategies of a seriously committed UK university with a focus on my
own research and knowledge exchange activities.
The talk will give an overview of the activities carried out by divisions and research groups in terms
of research, knowledge exchange, and teaching, at the University of Strathclyde, as well as the
strategies and actions planned and followed to grow.
A brief description of the structure of the university will be followed by progressively more detailed
descriptions of the activities carried out within the Engineering Faculty, the Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Centre for Future Air-Space Transportation Technology,
and, finally, the Research Cluster in Uncertainty Quantification and Optimisation.
The talk will be structured to stimulate reflection on pros and contras of a typical UK university, and
to introduce some technical content on Uncertainty Quantification and Optimisation as well as
Modelling and Simulation of (Re-) Entry Objects, which will be the main topics of two following
technical seminars.
The Lecturer: Dr Edmondo Minisci, PhD
Dr Minisci is currently working at University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK) as Lecturer in Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation (affiliated to the Centre for Future Air-Space Transportation
Technology, cFASTT). He has almost 15 years of experience on the analysis and design of
mechanical/aerospace systems/devices. He is the general chair of the EUROGEN 2015 (ECCOMAS
Thematic) Conference on applied numerical optimisation and is currently involved in projects
regarding: a) global optimization of trans-atmospheric and interplanetary trajectories, b) uncertainty
based multi-disciplinary design of space transportation systems and wind turbines, and c) modelling
and simulation of (re-)entry objects (re-entry vehicles, as well as asteroids and space debris). Dr
Minisci is also founder member and former general manager of OPTIMAD Engineering S.r.l. - Italian
SME, Spin-off of the Politecnico di Torino, active in the field of fluid dynamic analysis, design, and
optimization.