Mr. Fujio Cho, who was the former President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA, Inc., played a crucial role in establishing a long-standing partnership between the University of Kentucky and Toyota. This event will also celebrate the decision made by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees on June 16, 2023, to honor Mr. Cho by renaming the Department of Engineering Technology at the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering (PCOE) to the “Fujio Cho Department of Engineering Technology.”
The partnership between Toyota and the University of Kentucky has evolved into a significant collaboration between the university and industry, which has greatly influenced the research and educational objectives of the PCOE. This productive relationship has brought mutual benefits to both parties, resulting in a win-win outcome.
The Lean Systems Program at the University of Kentucky has a rich history that dates back to 1994, when it was established in partnership with Toyota. Its success led to the development of the Department of Engineering Technology at PCOE to introduce two undergraduate degrees in Computer Engineering Technology and Lean Systems Engineering Technology. These programs were launched in collaboration with Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) in 2021 and have seen a strong enrollment. The Computer Engineering Technology program has now been expanded to the PCOE satellite campus in Paducah. The goal of these programs is to train engineering talent with practical skills and systems-level awareness to support the growth in manufacturing that Kentucky is currently experiencing.