Quanser collaborates with the College of Engineering, Pune to make effective, hands-on engineering education more accessible globally.

MARKHAM, ON, Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Quanser Inc. announced today that it has designated the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) in southern India, as the company's first Quanser Center of Excellence.

The Quanser Center of Excellence (QCE) is designed to be a regional hub of engineering education expertise—a knowledge dissemination and collaboration point for a geographic region. A Quanser Center of Excellence starts with well-equipped laboratories that allow everything from teaching basic engineering concepts or enabling advanced research in aerospace, robotics, mechatronics, structural dynamics and electronics.

The official opening took place during a three-day event at CoEP attended by leading engineering faculty from the university and other engineering institutions in the Pune region. Opening remarks were made by Dr. Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Director, CoEP, and Keith Blanchet, Director of Sales for Quanser. Attendees took part in a three-day workshop conducted by Quanser to get acquainted with the wide array of Quanser lab workstations now available for their use at the Center of Excellence.

"The Quanser Center of Excellence at CoEP will become the focal point of creative collaboration and best practices in leading edge engineering education within southern India's vibrant high tech zone," said Paul Gilbert, Quanser CEO. "We expect it will quickly become a magnet of information and inspiration for other institutions in the region."

The region's engineering institutions will enjoy a number of benefits from the Quanser Center of Excellence. The QCE will facilitate rapid creation of innovative course materials to assist teachers in bridging the gap between theory and hands-on practice. It will act as a hub where faculty throughout the region can converge, share experiences and learn the latest educational practices and techniques. Dr. Sahasrabuddhe is eagerly anticipating the future at CoEP. "In the past, students would only study the systems theoretically and were required to undergo special training to use them in industry. Now they will receive such training in the college."

Adds Gilbert, "At Quanser we choose our partners carefully. The College of Engineering, Pune is committed to innovation and has a strong collaborative relationship with Quanser. I can't think of a more fitting first partner. "

In the near future Quanser will be inviting other universities in other parts of the world to join them in creating Centers of Excellence that will help graduate a new generation of global engineers primed to solve the complex engineering challenges that lie ahead.

About Quanser

Headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Quanser is dedicated to advancing engineering education and research. It is the world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced systems for real-time control for robotics, mechatronics, aerospace and structural engineering. With over 20 years of leadership in the field, Quanser control solutions and challenges are the first choice for thousands of universities and research laboratories around the world. For more information, visit www.quanser.com or call 1-905-940-3575.

SOURCE Quanser Inc.