Communications Engineering
The mission of the Department of Communications Engineering (DCE) at TUT is to carry out high-impact scientific research and offer high-quality B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. level education in the broad field of wireless and wireline communications technologies and networking methods. Communications technologies, and their evolution, have a crucial role in the whole society and population, since the audio-visual communications between people is more and more based on communications networks. Also more and more electrical devices are networked and communicate with each other, with increasing possibilities in, for example sharing personal information (photos, location, etc.), reducing energy consumption of houses, and offering improved health-care services.
The focus areas of DCE’s research and teaching activities are networking architectures and protocols for emerging IP networks, data security, digital transmission methods and mobile positioning techniques and the related signal processing and waveform solutions, design and implementation of radio frequency (RF) circuits and systems, and radio network planning and optimization. Signal processing based technologies, including radio signal processing, is one of the key strategic research areas at TUT.
There are currently 6 professors at the Department, who are in charge of planning and implementing the research and education activities. There are typically 4-6 doctoral degrees and 30-40 M.Sc. degrees completed at the Department, per academic year.
The research activities contain four major focus areas, each having at least one or two professors coordinating the activities. Altogether the number of research staff, including researchers and research assistants, is around 60, and the research work is typically organized and implemented through research projects. Clear majority of the research projects are carried out in collaboration with other universities and research organizations as well as with key players in the telecommunications industry. Also direct and confidential collaboration with companies through contracted research is one important component and a means to interact with the society, where the outputs of more scientific basic research are applied in commercial communications devices and networks.
The education activities at the Department cover both B.Sc. and M.Sc. level degrees, as well as the doctoral degree which requires clear contributions to the scientific understanding in the field of communications engineering. B.Sc. level studies are intended for Finnish students only, whereas M.Sc. and doctoral studies are offered also for international students. Important focus areas in the education are, for example communications networks and protocols, data security, wireless communications, and communication circuits. Also wireless sensor networks as well as positioning and navigation are important areas, offered in collaboration with other departments. The amount of teaching staff at the Department is around 10, and in practice, the majority of the researchers also participate in teaching. In addition to traditional lecturing type teaching methods, various practical laboratory and project works have major role in the education.
The Head of Department is Mikko Valkama. The street address is Korkeakoulunkatu 1 (Tietotalo, G- and H-wings).