Teaching Mechanisms: from Classical to Hands-on-Experiments and Research-Oriented

Science and engineering teaching are a challenge in the modern world, and in particular in Romania. We present the steps we have taken in the last decade and in particular in the last five years, to improve Mechanisms teaching. We have gradually passed in this process from classical to hands-on-experiments and to research-oriented activities, in order to provide the proper background for each student to find personal motivation and to develop both as a specialist and as a more fulfilled person. Several student projects we have coordinated are pointed out, and our vision on a modern school of engineering is compared to and confirmed by some of the realities of the American academic system.