Ronald Uhlig of the National University School of Engineering and Technology (SOET) was at Ground Zero of the engineer shortage crisis this past fall, when he travelled to Hungary to attend the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2009 Global Colloquium.
Dr. Uhlig, associate professor and chair of SOET’s Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, was in Budapest to present a paper he co-authored with fellow SOET faculty member Dr. Alireza Farahani regarding the use of tablet PCs to generate class discussion and facilitate deeper understanding. He was also on hand to hear the latest from world leaders regarding the dramatic dearth of engineering students in The United States, Canada and Europe.
A statement by President Obama, regarding the shortage of engineers, was quoted at the Colloquium’s opening session. "We know that the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow," he said, contrasting the growing gap between the People’s Republic of China, where 36 percent of new graduates are being trained as engineers, and the United States, where only five percent of graduates have a background in engineering. The overall total for North America is six percent, and the total for the European Union is seven percent.
Dr. Qidi Wu, Chairperson of the Accreditation Committee for Engineering Education in the Peoples Republic of China, presented 2008 figures that reveal more than one in three Chinese students in higher education pursuing a degree in engineering. According to Professor Uhlig, China has a total of 7.7 million engineering students today, and close to 78 million total engineers in their workforce.
“That equates to around 26 percent of the total population in the United States,” Dr. Uhlig added.
Although the topic of ASEE’s Global Colloquium fell primarily into the realm of SOET subject matter, the shortage of engineers and solutions to address that shortage may also affect curricula in the School of Education, the School of Media and Communication, and even the School of Business and Management.
In response to a question about what the Chinese are doing to produce so many engineering students, Dr. Uhlig said that Dr. Wu attributed her country’s success to an abundance of math and science curricula in elementary and secondary education. China’s education system is placing a strong emphasis on engineers as future drivers of innovation.
An emphasis on Math and science alone, however, may not be enough to meet modern industrial demand. According to Dr. Uhlig, Paul Gilbert, the CEO of a relatively small Canadian engineering firm, stressed something that SOET faculty have heard over and over during the past three or four years; namely that proficiency in technology is not enough for today's engineers. When Gilbert hires new engineers, Dr. Uhlig said one of the first questions he asks is whether applicants are willing to leave their desk for a day and help pack boxes to ship product to a customer. This is his way of emphasizing how critical teamwork is.
“Engineering systems are increasingly complex, and complex systems require collaboration and communication,” Dr. Uhlig adds. “These skills are just as important as technical skills. Collaboration and communication must be taught along with math and science. Engineers need to be able to talk not only with each other but also with collaborative elements in government, finance, business and law.”
Dr. Uhlig is quick to note that the same points are discussed his WCM 612 class (Wireless Economics Topics). He developed that course, based upon his previous experience as a Vice President of Qualcomm for Russia and Eastern Europe.
Finally, Dr. Uhlig shared discussion from the Colloquium that the engineering professions must improve the manner in which they market themselves. As some recently noted at a National University-sponsored career panel, there are few television shows or films that glorify or positively portray engineers. Thoughtful collaboration with the marketers of Madison Avenue and the dream makers of Hollywood and the entertainment industry may go a long way toward glamorizing a once highly-desirable and sought after professional path.
Whereas Sputnik and the race to the moon in the 1960s captured the imagination of America’s youth, created a national urgency to excel in math and science and elevated astronauts and engineers to the status of role models and heroes, such a galvanizing issue has been lacking now for decades. As China rises to challenge and compete with the United States for economic, political and scientific preeminence, perhaps that country will reignite our national appetite for innovative leadership, education and exploration in engineering.
