Engineering & Education
Duderstadt Urges Revolution in Engineering Education
Speaker urges revolution in engineering education
“America faces the very real prospect of losing its engineering competence in an era in which technological innovation is the key to economic competitiveness, national security and social well-being,” said Duderstadt, who is president emeritus of the University of Michigan, where he is a professor of science and engineering.
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In an address titled “Engineering for a Changing World,” Duderstadt pointed to warning signs of daunting challenges for engineering.He cited the off-shoring of engineering jobs, inadequate investment in long-term engineering research, inadequate innovation in engineering education and declining interest among students in careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
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Even more, it must expose engineering students to varied aspects of a well-rounded liberal arts education. More education in the humanities and social sciences is necessary to produce young engineers with a deeper comprehension of the cultural and historical forces within which scientific and technological advances have emerged.Such an expanded educational horizon will provide students with the ability to see their engineering pursuits as part of a larger picture of the sociological, economic, political and environmental dynamics that are shaping the 21st century.
Giving students an understanding of the impact of science, engineering and technology on shaping the quality of life in the world will “infuse them with a new spirit of adventure” for engineering research and practice, he said.
Duderstadt said the nation’s universities must be committed to “creating a new breed of engineer that is better able to respond to the incredible pace of intellectual change” and to thrive in the modern global knowledge-based economy.
For the United States to maintain an edge in engineering innovation, it’s also critical to “elevate the status of the engineering profession,” he said. That will require engineers to take on more visible roles in influencing public policy through leadership in government and business.
Related: Engineering for a Changing World - NSB Report on Improving Engineering Education - Engineering Education Study Debate - Changing the Face of Engineering Education - Innovation Through Engineering Education - Science and Engineering in Global Economics
