Participation in formative research processes as a differentiating factor of engineering graduates

Special Academic Placements (PAEs) are an educational approach used by Colombia's National University, which give students an opportunity to engage in formative research processes, and the organization of events. This research analyzes and reflects upon the impact of this strategy with reference to experiences of formative research developed in the Instrumentation, Control, and Robotics Research Seedbed – (SinCRo) at the Department of Electrical Power and Automation of the Faculty of Mines at the Medellin campus of the Colombian National University. In particular it explores the role of the PAEs as a key motivator and differentiator of students who continue formal research activities at master's and doctoral levels. The hypothesis was tested by inviting Electrical and Control Engineering graduates who had been involved with SinCRo between 2013 and 2021 to respond to a survey.