The Normal Engineer

1
The Normal Engineer ST Policy

• Elizabeth L. Morel, Motorola Foundation Scholar
• George Mason School of Law
• October 19th, 2006

2
What is a Normal Engineer?

• Definition
• A person with an engineering degree who works
  in either industry or academia, but has no
  professional duties associated with public
  policy.
• (NOTE There is no normal engineers as this is
  a function of the context (time, location, etc.)
  but the above definition will be assumed for this
  presentation.)

3
Responsibilities the Normal Engineer?

• Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the
  public interest.
• - Society of Professional Engineers, Professional
  Obligations Statement
• Social responsibility - Large potential effect on
  public
• Airplane design and manufacturing
• Chemical plant operation
• Product safety - i.e. non-hazardous materials
  used in consumer goods, etc.
• Scientists and Engineers BENEFIT from an
  understanding of ST policy and policy making
  procedures.
• Shape company practices and models
• Educate public and mentor future scientists and
  engineers
• Offer technical expertise to policy makers
• ADDITIONAL REFERENCES The Existential Pleasures
  of Engineering, 2nd Ed., Samuel C. Florman

4
Public Understanding of Science the Mass Media

• Television is a large influence on both Americans
  and Chinese2-4
• 340 million TVs in China
• 83 of Chinese learn about ST issues through TV
• 41 of Chinese learn about ST issues through TV
• Television Programming Comparison

5
Public Understanding of Science the Mass Media

• Government Focus
• Law of the PRC on Popularization of ST
• Medium-to-Long Term Plan
• CAS IPM Suggestions to CCTV
• 1. Interactions of scientists with public
• 2. Communication through the mass media
• Training programs and areas of study at
  universities
• 3. Development of interaction mechanisms -
  harmony
• Implementation? Effectiveness? Results?
• Enrollment rates in science and engineering
  programs
• Education system
• Distributions of effects i.e. West vs East China

6
SOE Industrial RD

• State-Owned Enterprises (SOE)
• Changing Focus
• Historically - development of heavy industry
• Currently - high-tech innovation for sustainable
  economic benefit
• Consistently used to serve national interests
• not economically attractive investments in the
  short term, cost intensive investments
• Influential Government Institutions
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
• Knowledge Innovation Program (govt spin-offs)
  (KIP)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences Shareholding Company
  (CASH)
• State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration
  Council (SASAC)
• Entrepreneur Associations and High Tech Zones

7
SOE Industrial RD

• RESULT Changing Definition of SOE
• Ownership and Management
• Organizational Structure
• Government Support - seed money
• Minying Enterprises,quasi-SOEs

Distribution of the number of firms and ST
personnel by size and type (200), from China ST
Indicators, 2002.
8
Questions?

• If you do not change direction, you may end up
  where you are headed.
• Lao Tsu

9
Sources

• Title Slide Image Shell Refinery, Martinez,
  California USA, http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image
  ShellMartinez-refi.jpgfilelinks
• Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
  2004. News audiences increasingly politicized.
  Online news audience larger, more diverse.
  Biennial Media Consumption Survey.
  http//people-press.org/reports/display.php3?Repor
  tID215. Accessed May 2006
• Landreth, Johnathan. "China Changing Channels."
  The Hollywood Reporter 30 Aug. 2005. May 2006
  lthttp//www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/internat
  ional/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id100105061
  5gt.
• The United States. Division of Science Resource
  Statistics. The National Science Foundation.
  Television and Other Forms of Popular Culture
  Influence What Adults Know and Think About
  Science. Feb. 2006. May 2006 lthttp//www.nsf.gov/s
  tatistics/seind06/c7/c7s1.htmgt.
• People's Republic of China. CAS News Office.
  Chinese Academy of Sciences. Achievements Notched
  by KIP Pilot Project of Past Four Years. 10 Aug.
  2006 lthttp//english.cas.ac.cn/english/news/detail
  newsb.asp?InfoNo20931gt.
• http//www.sasac.gov.cn/eng/eng_index.htm

10
Policy and Engineering Links

• The University of Kansas School of Engineering
• www.engr.ku.edu
• The National Science Foundation Research
  Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
• http//www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id55
  17fromfund
• The Washington Internships for Students of
  Engineering (WISE) Program
• www.wise-intern.org
• The American Institute for Chemical Engineers
  (AIChE)
• www.aiche.org
• The American Chemical Society (ACS)
• www.acs.org
• The Institute for Electrical and Electronics
  Engineers (IEEE) Todays Engineer (TE)
• www.ieeeusa.org
• Society of Professional Engineers
• http//www.nspe.org/
• George Mason School of Law, National Center for
  Technology and Law
• www.law.gmu.edu/nctl/stpp