Virtual instruments are used nowadays for measurement and control, but also as educational tools for students, being well accepted and stimulating innovation in the process of exploring the real world. It leads to discover interrelations, the phenomena are easier undersold and theory is better assimilated. The tool can be used in real laboratories as well as in virtual laboratories, constituting a support for self-learning or distance learning. This article presents how virtual instruments can be used in engineering education, with examples from our Vibration Laboratory, together with a qualitative research regarding the perception of students to this issue.

The goal of this paper is to present a simple but effective stand used for demonstration of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) behaviour. The hands-on device is developed to offer experiences, previously unavailable, in order to introduce SMAs to anyone, but especially to undergraduate mechanical or materials engineering students.The experimental set-up was designed in order to test SMA active elements in the Device Designing and Robotics Laboratory of Center of Advanced Research, Design & Technology - CARDT from Eftimie Murgu University Resita,. The device features an SMA wire weight-lifter and an actuated spring to demonstrate the force magnitude exerted by the active element under the action of temperature. The set-up is used as a teaching tool and as an outreach demonstration, being an effective tackle in assisting students to learn about SMAs.Many other experiments and demonstrations, such as identifying thermal transfer functions, predicting and observing the displacement and understanding the phase transition can be derived from this setup. It is found that these demonstrations help to bridge the gap between theory and intuition during a student's learning process. These demonstrations can motivate students to pursue further studies in smart materials and structures

The paper investigates the role of adult education in fostering rural development and women's empowerment, focusing on Tunisia as a representative country for the MENA region and Hungary, with a focus on cross-regional collaboration, growth opportunities, and gender-inclusive strategies. We utilized a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data analysis of national education and socioeconomic indicators with qualitative case studies of adult education programs in both countries.

The paper presents the design of a driving kinematical joint driven by a shape memory alloy actuator, which has the capacity to ensure a control of displacements and of forces in both directions. There are presented some aspects regarding the main designing elements of the driving kinematical joint and of the actuator. The constructive solution, an original conception, presents a series of advantages. Thus, the use of electric, hydraulic or pneumatic engines or machines was eliminated, decreasing the weight and size of the driving kinematical joint, decreasing the energetic consumption, having a simple and viable construction. In order to verify the presented device functionality the numerical simulation method of specialized SolidWorks software was used.