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People When I realized that was
what the industry wanted,
I strengthened the
foundations”

He spearheaded a sweeping curriculum reform (“students know what
they need”), revitalized the faculty by attracting top talent (“six new faculty
members after years of stagnation”), and went above and beyond to compete
with the private sector for staff (“salaries there are five times higher”). As
he marks the end of his fourth year as dean of the Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering, Prof. Oleg Gendelman is ready for his next challenge.

 Tal Levin

hen Prof. Oleg der every school, college and uni- mote learning was successful, my
versity in the country to close their personal experience was mostly
W Gendelman be- doors. “It was March 2020, only negative. I only speak for myself, of
came the dean three days before the start of the course, but I feel that remote learn-
of the Technion’s spring semester,” he says. “Within ing negatively affects the quality
Faculty of Mechan- 72 hours we decided to switch the of learning, in the short and long
ical Engineering in late 2019, he whole faculty to remote learning. I term. In the short term, when it
had no idea that one of the biggest ran from classroom to classroom, comes to the day-to-day of study-
challenges he would face in his making sure they had all the equip- ing in our faculty, I know we failed
new role would involve a complete ment, helping lecturers convert to recreate the same level of inter-
overhaul of the teaching methods their lectures to formats that were action we have with our students
at the faculty. These were not mere compatible with remote learning, in person. I talked about it with
curriculum changes, although the making sure everyone was adapt- other lecturers, and they feel the
curriculum did change. Neither ing to the technical changes. It same way. In STEM, the learning
does this overhaul refer to adapt- wasn’t easy, but our understanding process is up close and personal.
ing the program to the rapidly of the situation improved a little You can’t become an engineer just
changing needs of the job market— each day, and as it did, our teach- from watching recorded lectures.
that is a challenge every dean must ing got a little bit better.” The online format impedes that
tackle on an ongoing basis. Rather, interaction, even if everyone has
Gendelman was the man in charge How would you sum up that pe- their webcams on. You can only
on the day the COVID-19 pandemic riod? see yourself as a scientist when
forced the Israeli government to or-
“Although the transition to re-

30 | MEgazine | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering