Globalization and Engineering Education

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Globalization and Engineering Education
John V. Farr, PhD, PEProfessor and Founding
DirectorCharles V. Schaefer Jr. School of
EngineeringStevens Institute of
TechnologyHoboken, New Jersey 07030
201-216-8103/8025jfarr_at_stevens.edu
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21st Century Engineering

• Complex systems characterized by the following
  properties and attributes
• Technology
• Constantly evolving technology and related
  standards
• Multitude of interfaces (hard and soft),
  distributed processing notes and platforms,
  security implications
• Information and knowledge intensive

• Complex systems characterized by the following
  properties and attributes
• Technology
• Multitude of interfaces (hard and soft),
  distributed processing notes and platforms,
  security implications
• Business
• Constantly changing scope, business processes,
  requirements, and expectations
• Global relevance, scope, and application
• Evolving marketplace and related vendors and
  suppliers

• Complex systems characterized by the following
  properties and attributes
• Technology
• Constantly evolving technology and related
  standards
• Multitude of interfaces (hard and soft),
  distributed processing notes and platforms,
  security implications
• Information and knowledge intensive
• Business
• Constantly changing scope, business processes,
  requirements, and expectations
• Global relevance, scope, and application
• Evolving marketplace and related vendors and
  suppliers
• Organizational
• Numerous stakeholders, with conflicting
  preferences
• Legacy organizational structures impose
  constraints

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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
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What Do I Think - Some Parting Thoughts
Very Important 90 87 86 81 74 73 65 46 26 15
Attribute Communication and
interpersonal skills Ability to work within a
team Analytical and problem-solving
skills Ability to drive results Leadership
potential Fit with the corporate
culture Strategic thinking Original and visionary
thinking Entrepreneurial skills Social and
environmental issues
Taken from a Wall Street Journal article on what
MBA recruiters rated as important, Sept 9, 2002.
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21st Century Engineering
Systems Complexity

• ?????? Age
• ?????

• Information Age
• Computer
• Systems
• Biomedical

• Manufacturing Age
• Mechanical
• Chemical
• Electrical
• Petroleum
• Materials
• Industrial
• Environmental

• Agricultural Age
• Agricultural
• Civil
• Mining

2000
2050
1700
1900
1970
1800
Time
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Engineering Enrollments
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Engineering Has Become a Less Popular Option
Which of the following majors graduated less
students in 2002 than engineers?
a) Communications b) Visual and performing
arts c) Psychology d) English
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What Does All of This Mean?
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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

Multinational RD facilities in developing
countries
Off-shoring of service jobs to India
High-tech production in Pacific Rim