Transcript Globalization and Engineering Education

Globalization and Engineering
Education
John V. Farr, PhD, PE
Professor and Founding Director
Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, New Jersey 07030
201-216-8103/8025
[email protected]
21st Century Engineering
Complexsystems
systemscharacterized
characterizedby
bythe
thefollowing
following
Complex
 Complex
systems
characterized
properties
andattributes:
attributes: by the following properties and
properties
and
attributes:
Technology
»»Technology
» Technology
  Constantly evolving technology and related standards
 Constantly evolving technology and related standards
Multitude
Multitudeofofinterfaces
interfaces(hard
(hardand
andsoft),
soft),distributed
distributedprocessing
 Multitude
of interfaces (hard
and soft),
distributed processing
processing
notes and
platforms,
security implications notes
notes
and
platforms,
security
implications
and platforms, security implications

Information and knowledge intensive
 Information and knowledge intensive
» Business
Business
»
Constantlychanging
changing
scope,
business
processes,
 Constantly
scope,
business
processes,
requirements, and
requirements, and expectations
expectations
Globalrelevance,
relevance,
scope,
application
 Global
scope,
andand
application
Evolvingmarketplace
marketplace
and
related
vendors
and suppliers
 Evolving
and
related
vendors
and suppliers
» Organizational
 Numerous stakeholders, with conflicting preferences
 Legacy organizational structures impose constraints
21st Century Engineering
Mechanical Engineering and the Automobile
1950 - Designed solely by ME mainly using handbooks
1980 – More complex designs because of CAD but still essentially mechanical system
with minimal electrical content designed almost completely by MEs.
2000 – Designed by interdisciplinary teams and is moving towards an information
technology platform with moving parts.
2020 - The automobile of tomorrow will contain more and more composite and polymeric
materials and increasingly be powered by hybrid gasoline / electric or fuel cell technology.
These moving IT platforms will require a multi-disciplinary design team.
Engineering education must evolve
What Do I Think - Some Parting
Thoughts
% Very Important
Attribute
90%
Communication and interpersonal skills
87
Ability to work within a team
86
Analytical and problem-solving skills
81
Ability to drive results
74
Leadership potential
73
Fit with the corporate culture
65
Strategic thinking
46
Original and visionary thinking
26
Entrepreneurial skills
15
Social and environmental issues
Taken from a Wall Street Journal article on what MBA
recruiters rated as important, Sept 9, 2002.
21st Century Engineering
Systems
Complexity
Agricultural Age
• Agricultural
• Civil
• Mining
1700
1800
Information Age
• Computer
• Systems
• Biomedical
Manufacturing Age
• Mechanical
• Chemical
• Electrical
• Petroleum
• Materials
• Industrial
• Environmental
1900
1970
2000
?????? Age
• ?????
2050
Time
Engineering Enrollments
Engineering Enrollments
Chemical Engineering
0.00%
-10.00%
00
20
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
19
93
-5.00%
Civil Engineering
19
% Change Fron 1993
5.00%
Electrical Engineering
Industrial/Manufacturing
Engineering
-15.00%
Mechanical Engineering
-20.00%
Metallurgical/Materials
Engineering
-25.00%
Other Engineering
Year
Engineering Has Become a Less
Popular Option
Which of the following majors
graduated less students in 2002
than engineers?
Engineering Degrees Awarded by Academic Year
120,000
80,000
Bachelors
60,000
Masters
40,000
20,000
0
19
49
19
71
19
75
19
79
19
83
19
87
19
91
19
95
19
99
Number
100,000
Academic Year
a) Communications
b) Visual and performing arts
c) Psychology
d) English
What Does All of This Mean?
Number of PhD Students
7000
6000
Number
5000
Number of
Doctorates
Male Student
4000
3000
2000
US Citizens
1000
0
Academic Year
What Do I Think?
• Engineering will prosper in the 21st Century
• Engineers of tomorrow must be conversant in technical fields outside of their major
discipline
• Where the 20th Century was the area of specialization in engineering, the 21st century will
require engineers to be integrators of technology
• Engineers will need a flexible perspective, from seeing a big picture with the
interrelationships of the many technical and social issues relevant to a problem to
supplement their technical knowledge
• Profound advances will be made in science – engineers will be the implementers
• Diminished comparative advantage in high-tech will create a long period of adjustment for
US workers/companies
Off-shoring of
service jobs to India
High-tech production
in Pacific Rim
Multinational R&D facilities in
developing countries