Engineering Education for the 21 st Century Charles

Engineering Education for the 21 st Century Charles M. Vest President, National Academy of Engineering ASEE Annual Conference Pittsburgh, PA June 23, 2008

A Summary of Sorts

When I started teaching in 1967, our concerns were: • How to make the first year exciting, • How to communicate what engineers actually do, • How to develop an understanding of business processes, and • How to get students to think about ethics and social responsibility.

Today, in 2008, our concerns are:

Today, in 2008, our concerns are: • How to make the first year exciting, • How to communicate what engineers actually do, • How to develop an understanding of business processes, and • How to get students to think about ethics and social responsibility.

And to this we must add: • • • Nano-Bio-Info Large Complex Systems An entire new life-science base Astounding computation and storage capabilities Globalization Innovation Leadership Teamwork across disciplines, fields, nations and cultures Experiential Learning: Conceive / Design / Implement / Operate. Entrepreneurship Product Development and Manufacturing Sustainable Development

Oh, And Our Graduates Must Be Global Engineers • Technically Adept • Multilingual • Broadly Knowledgeable • Culturally Aware • Innovative and Entrepreneurial • Able to Understand World Markets • Commercially Savvy • Professionally Flexible and Mobile

WHY?

Because the world is changing.

Context and Goals for Technological Education • A New Century • New Innovation and Enterprise Models • New Technological Frontiers • Engineering Grand Challenges

It’s a New Century

A New Century • 20 th Century: – Physics, Electronics, and High-Speed Communications and Transportation • 21 st Century: – Biology and Information, – but also Energy, Water, and Sustainability

With New R&D Investments R&D Expenditures and Share of World Total Data for 2002 Source: Science and Engineering Indicators, NSF 2008

U. S. R&D: On Top / Losing Share • The U. S. leads in R&D investments • The U. S. is among the leaders of the pack in R&D/GDP. • However, our global share declined in every category from 1986 to 2003. – Domestic R&D -9% – Sci. Publications -8% – S&E BS Degrees -10% New U. S. Patents -2% Sci. Researchers -8% New S&E Ph. Ds -30% Source: Competitiveness Index, Council on Competitiveness Nov. 2006

With New Players Where the Expertise is Source: Competitiveness Index 2007, Council on Competitiveness, Washington, DC

Where the Expertise will be …

First Engineering Degrees (China Rises. ) China Japan US Source: Science and Engineering Indicators 2006, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC

It’s not all about numbers, but …

It’s not all about numbers, but … • “Venture capital is the search for smart engineers. ” --Floyd Kvamme Kleiner-Perkins

It’s not all about numbers, but …. s r e v l o s • “Venture capital is the search for m e l b smart engineers. ” o r p --Floyd Kvamme e v i t a Kleiner-Perkins re c e r a s r e e n i g n E

With New Speed

A New Century with New Innovation and Enterprise Models

With New Jobs U. S. % Employment by Sector History and Projection Source: Stuart Feldman, IBM Research, Presentation at Carnegie-Mellon University, 29 June, 2005

With New Connections Location No Longer Matters. • “The World is Flat” -- Tom Friedman – In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down, and Microsoft’s Windows went up. – $1. 5 trillion worth of optical fiber connects the world. – Globalization has “accidentally made Beijing, Bangalore, and Bethesda next door neighbors. ” – Many jobs are now just a “mouse click” away from anywhere. .

With New Debates Location Does Matter. • The power of regional innovation clusters • Proximity of small companies and corporate labs to universities • Venture capital networks

Both are correct. But in any event, … Globalization is the new reality.

With New Innovation Models • Open Innovation (Henry Chesbrough, HBS) – Companies today must integrate the best ideas, no matter where they originate. • In other countries • In other companies or laboratories • Even in competing organizations. – New, dynamic business models are needed for an open, connected world. • Licensing • Partnering • Joint Venturing

With New Enterprise Models • The Globally Integrated Enterprise (Sam Palmesano, CEO IBM) – Supercedes the multinational corporation – Driven by globally shared technologies and standards built on global IT – Focus shifted from products to production – New borderless strategy, management, and operations for integrated production and value delivery.

Service Enterprises will look like this: Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4 Country C Country A Country D Country B Function 5 Function 9 Country H Function 8 Function 6 Function 7 Country E Country F Country G Country I

Manufacturing Projects already look like this.

Manufacturing Projects already look like this. • But with many more boxes and countries!

Manufacturing Projects already look like this. • But with many more boxes and countries! • For example, the new Boeing 787

Manufacturing Projects already look like this. • But with many more boxes and countries! • For example, the new Boeing 787 – Reportedly has 132, 500 engineered parts

Manufacturing Projects already look like this. • But with many more boxes and countries! • For example, the new Boeing 787 – Reportedly has 132, 500 engineered parts – Produced in 545 global locations.

With New Importance of Small Companies Small and Medium Firms Drive Job Growth Net change in employment +3, 000 -2, 000 1990 1994 1998 2002 Source: Competitiveness Index, Council on Competitiveness Nov. 2006

A New Century with New Technological Frontiers

With New Engineering Frontiers Bio Info Nano Smaller and Smaller Faster and Faster More and More Complex

Engineering Frontiers Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics Larger and Larger More and More Complex Great Societal Importance

Frontiers and Synergies Natural Science Nano Bio Info Science and Engineering Are Merging. Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics

Frontiers and Synergies These engineering systems need social science, management, and humanities / communications. Nano Bio Info Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Social Science Logistics

Frontiers and Synergies Must be reflected in university education. Macro Natural Science Energy Environment Nano Health Care Bio Info Manufacturing Communications Social Science Logistics

The Payoff will come from Bridging the Frontiers Bio Info Nano Bio-based materials Biomemetics Personalized, Predictive Medicine Synthetic Biology Biofuels Etc. Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics

The Payoff will come from Bridging the Frontiers Our students must be prepared to do this. Bio Info Nano Bio-based materials Biomemetics Personalized, Predictive Medicine Synthetic Biology Biofuels Etc. Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics

The Payoff will come from Bridging the Frontiers Our students must be prepared to rdo e. this. e h t Bio Info Nano e p a h s Bio-based lpmaterials e Biomemetics h s r Personalized, Predictive e e Medicine n i Synthetic Biology g n E Biofuels Etc. u t fu Macro Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics

In this New Century Engineering is Dynamic with Exciting Frontiers and Grand Challenges

Engineering is not static. • 20 th century Stovepipes: – Scientists discovered. – Engineers created. – Doctors healed.

Engineering is not static. • 21 st century science, engineering, and medicine are: – Totally interdependent – Blending together in new ways

Engineering is about Systems • From nanobiological devices • To large scale infrastructure • To the earth itself

And Engineering Systems include, interact with, and serve: • • • People Economies Business Law Politics Culture …

Grand Challenges for Engineering • Proposed by a committee of amazingly accomplished and innovative people. • Extremely challenging and important. • Deemed to be doable in the next few decades.

Grand Challenges Committee • • • Bill Perry, chair Sir Alec Broers Farouk El-Baz Wes Harris Bernadine Healy Daniel Hillis Calestous Juma Dean Kamen Ray Kurzweil • • • Bob Langer Jaime Lerner Bindu Lohani Jane Lubchenco Mario Molina Larry Page Rob Socolow Craig Venter Jackie Ying

Engineering Grand Challenges Announced Feb. 15, 2008 • • • Make Solar Energy Economical Provide Energy from Fusion Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods Manage the Nitrogen Cycle Provide Access to Clean Water • • Engineer Better Medicines Advance Health Informatics • • • Secure Cyberspace Prevent Nuclear Terror Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure • • • Reverse Engineer the Brain Enhance Virtual Reality Advance Personalized Learning Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery •

Engineering Grand Challenges See the NAE website. Energy Environment Global Warming Sustainability Improve Medicine and Healthcare Delivery Reducing Vulnerability to Human and Natural Threats Expand Enhance Human Capability And Joy

Think about these Challenges • Some are imperative for human survival. • Some will make us more secure against natural and human threats. • All will improve quality of life. • Most are of global scale.

Subtext of the Challenges • The public and policy makers need to understand what engineers do and can do. • And don’t forget why young women and men chose NOT to study engineering …

Subtext of the Challenges • The public and policy makers need to understand what engineers do and can do. • And don’t forget why young women and men chose NOT to study engineering … They’d “rather go into a field where they can help people and make the world better”!

Subtext of the Challenges , h t l a e h • The public and policy makers need to r u o o t understand what engineers do and can l a ti n e. do. s s y e t e s f i a g ds n i r n e a e , • And gdon’t why young women and in forget s s n e E chose in NOT to study engineering … men p p a h “rather go into a field where they They’d can help people and make the world better”!

In Closing Some Personal Views about Engineering Education

Some Personal Views and Questions • What is important in Engineering Education? • Innovation in Teaching and Learning • The Need for Research and Assessment of Teaching and Learning • The Meta University

What is important in Engineering Education Making universities and engineering schools exciting, creative, adventurous, rigorous, demanding, and empowering environments is more important than specifying curricular details.

What is important in Engineering Education Making universities and engineering schools exciting, creative, adventurous, rigorous, demanding, and empowering environments is more important than specifying curricular details. That’s what I learned at MIT.

Innovation in Engineering / Technology Education • There is a lot out there: – – – – – Experiential learning Projects Computer-assisted learning CDIO Business Plan Competitions UROP, UPOP Studio Learning Web. Lab Second Life …… etc. Entire new schools like Olin College

Innovation in Engineering / Technology Education • There is a lot out there: – – – – – Experiential learning Projects Computer-assisted learning CDIO Business plan competitions UROP, UPOP Studio Learning Web. Lab Second Life …… etc. Entire new schools like Olin College • But we don’t assess or propagate them! (NIH? )

Digital Resources for Education • Cyberinfrastructure • Inexpensive, Limitless Memory • Digital Archives – JSTOR, ARTstor, Ithaka, Public Library of Science, Google Library, … • Platforms / Pedagogy – SAKAI, OKI, Open Learning Initiative (CMU), Connexion (Rice), Digital Chemistry (Berkeley), VUE (Tufts), Lionshare (Penn State), …

And the Open Content Movement • MIT Open. Course. Ware – Teaching Materials for 1800 courses – Free of charge to Anyone, Anywhere OCW Traffic OCW Movement

The Meta University A Personal View What we are observing is the early emergence of a Meta University -- a transcendent, accessible, empowering, dynamic, communally-constructed framework of open materials and platforms on which much of higher education worldwide can be constructed or enhanced.

Thank you for your attention.

n o ti a s r ct e j e ro v : P f o n ng y i r s o e e Thank coyou for your attention. e n urt i C ng s E e f ge o h a t ss my e e g M ad d c n i l. A Re a g on n i t a a N h A C