What do you do if you want to learn new skills in Chemical Engineering?

In this globalised, 21st century, online courses have been acting as a blessing to entire professional community in each strata. ??As far as chemical engineering is concerned, there are various courses on the platforms like Coursera ( O&G Operations), Stanford: Basics and advance of chemical engineering. India’s NPTEL courses which provides extensive understanding of chemical engineering right from basics to advanced level. ?? also enhancing modelling simulation and optimising skills via various simulators including ASPEN. Various universities and institutes offer online simulation courses and practical experience to apply the basics of chemical engineering into real life problems.

Now that COVID has passed through our world, almost all University Programs are available online. My Law School (JD 1993), once always where the professors were in the front of the lecture hall asking questions like Professor Kingsfield in the movie Paper Chase, Syracuse University now has one of the first online interactive JD programs enjoyed around the world including our military. Reading is also a passion, and remembering that we Quantitative Modeling people learn by solving problems by working through them. Remember that reading books adds so much, and use a pencil as you go to write your ideas and comments.

Online courses serve as the most accessible platform for developing Chemical engineering skills. It helps one keep track of the market trends and new prospects in the field. Cross disciplinary skills such as Project Management and implementation of Machine learning in Chemical Engineering are to state a few among many skills which one can start to build through online courses.

University Programs teach one a great deal about a particular specialization. However, one must also actively participate in various internships and hands-on training programs during their study period to help them draw parallels between theory and practice. Considering Chemical Engineering which is already a spectrum of multi-disciplinary engineering skills, it is recommended to pursue a Master's degree in case one is interested to specialize in a particular area of Chemical Engineering. Personally, I was inclined towards Process Design and its implementation in clean energy processes and production of green fuels. A Master's degree helped me achieve that goal.

I prefer to contribute to this Chemical Engineering format on LinkedIn with a teaching and learning focus. My first Chemical Engineering degree was a B.S.Ch.E. in 1974. My joy has always been to add to that knowledge and apply it to Multiple Disciplines. That includes Quantitative Financial Models and Technology Acceleration and Communication Law. There are so many parallels that solving a complex Financial Derivative can help with a Petrochemical Derivative. I spent Easter Weekend working through MIT's Michaelis-Menton equation for determining the effect of enzyme catalysts on protease inhibitors. The drug is proposed for treating Malaria. I encourage all of you to find growth and joy in your flexible Chemical Engineering (STEM) Degree.

Enroll in relevant courses, attend workshops, and engage in hands-on projects to learn new skills in Chemical Engineering.

I cannot emphasise the importance of Research and Reading to develop new insights and gain new perspectives in Chemical Engineering. During my employment at the German Aerospace Center, I read more than 100s of research papers on green energy technologies and Power-to-X. It opened up my mind to endless possibilities of Chemical Engineering and its potential in building a sustainable and climate neutral energy economy. My work on Design and Techno-economic analysis of renewable LNG production processes would not be realized had I not dedicated significant hours in Research in the relevant field.

To cement their grasp of the fundamentals, a chemical engineer should engage in industry work to gain practical experience. While academic learning lays a strong foundation, true understanding of chemical engineering concepts requires hands-on exposure in settings like oil, gas, and petrochemical environments. Only through direct experience can one fully comprehend the complexities of equipment sizes and key variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow.

Practical Experience is a must to survive in the industry . The concept and understanding becomes much adept when one has hands on experience . It’s important to read and develop the skills, at the same time execution is necessary. For example , let’s say - one has read about the design of separators , how it is designed , its values etc . Precisely, it will be clear when all the details learnt will be executed in getting the real applications. Hence , practical experience is mandatory , at the same time keeping oneself updated and continuous development is an another criteria.

It is of utmost importance to explore varied areas of chemical engineering practice to develop a wholesome idea of process engineering and how the laws of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics manifest into real world scenarios by bringing the aspect of scalability and cost into the picture. Furthermore, real-time process control, the cascade effects of manipulating operating parameters of a chemical plant can only be realized from on-field experiences. However, on-field experiences are insuffcient to have a complete picture. One must also participate in commerical Process design projects to gain knowledge about the intricate principles, complex optimisations and logical creativity involved with building a chemical process from scratch.

1. Identify areas of interest within chemical engineering. 2. Enroll in relevant online courses or workshops. 3. Seek mentorship from experienced professionals. 4. Participate in industry projects or research initiatives. 5. Join professional organizations and attend events. 6. Practice and experiment to reinforce new skills.