Introduction

Abstract

Engineering Education in Europe has been facing many changes, especially due to the implementation of the Bologna Declaration that did not only aim to harmonise systems of Higher Education across Europe, but also to stimulate a more studentcentred education. Anticipating the shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred education, a group of teachers at the Industrial Management and Engineering degree programme of the University of Minho (Portugal) started to transform a rather traditional first year semester into a project that was based on a theme related to the future professional practice of the students.