Initiating curriculum review: The Chilean experience

This paper describes the initiation of a comprehensive engineering curriculum review at the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, in Santiago, Chile. This work is being led by a team from the University of Wollongong through a World Bank contract to assist UTEM in modernising its curriculum and in enhancing the 'employability and general formation of its graduates. The paper outlines the background to the project, the structured curriculum review process proposed, and the planning and outcomes of an interactive workshop used to initiate the review. It also makes note of the difficulties faced when initiating a major curriculum review through the cultural, political, procedural and professional differences that exist between Australian and Chilean higher education.