EDUCATING ENGINEERS FOR A GLOBAL WORLD

1. EDUCATING ENGINEERS FOR A GLOBAL WORLD James L. Melsa President American Society for Engineering Education ECEDHA

2. Outline of Presentation • Little background on ASEE • Why globalization is important • Results of survey of deans • What is ASEE doing • Suggestions ECEDHA

3. ASEE • Founded in 1893 • Over 13, 000 individual members • Profession members currently at 9,614 up from 7,469 in 1993 • 400 colleges of engineering and engineering technology • 700 global online members • 100 corporations, professional organizations, governmental agencies ECEDHA

4. ASEE Mission Statement • Further education in engineering • Exercise worldwide leadership • Foster the technological education of society • Influence corporate and government policies • Recognize outstanding contributions • Encourage youth to pursue careers in engineering • Influence the recruitment and retention of young faculty and underrepresented groups ECEDHA

5. Globalization • In Search of Global Engineering Excellence “The ability to live and work in a global community is an important requirement for engineering graduates. They need to have broad engineering skills and know-how, and to be flexible and mobile, and able to work internationally.” • Need has been largely unaddressed in the US until recently ECEDHA

6. Globalization • “In the new mental geography created by the railroad, humanity mastered distance. In the mental geography of e-commerce, distance has been eliminated. There is only one economy and only one market.” -- Peter Drucker • We in engineering education must understand the reality of one economy and one market. We must learn to think globally but act locally; that is, we must both acknowledge the importance of a global perspective and take action to ensure that our local environment satisfies this need for our students. ECEDHA

7. Flat World • The world is becoming flat – economic competition between industrial countries and emerging market countries can no longer be separated • A flat world requires US engineers to be capable of working in a global context ECEDHA

8. The Engineer of 2020 • Makes a number of important conclusions stating that the engineer of 2020 must be internationally cognizant • “Advances in communications, travel, and economics have created a world where no country is untouched by any other. In the United States the oceans that bound our coasts no longer insulate us from other nations. In this dynamic global economy and political environment, engineering must adjust to a new world view.” ECEDHA

9. ABET’s Engineering Criteria 2000 • No specific requirement for international experience, but international experiences enhance a number of criteria • How to use international experience to meet ABET criterion is currently an active area of study ECEDHA

10. Engineering Criteria 2000 • Criterion 3.c … an ability to design … within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political... • Criterion 3.h … understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context. • Criterion 3.j …a knowledge of contemporary issues. ECEDHA

11. Informal Survey • Conducted to understand the state of international opportunities for engineering students • Quantify how engineering colleges are addressing globalization • Surveyed approximately 300 US engineering programs, with a response rate of approximately 15% ECEDHA

12. International ExperienceIs Important • All colleges agree on importance • Some colleges report that a lack of faculty support or financial problems do not allow a program • Initiative often begins at administrative levels but needs faculty support ECEDHA

13. Programs to Increase International Experience • 53% have a combination of university-wide and engineering-specific programs • 34% rely completely on university-wide international programs • 9% have only engineering-specific programs • 4% have no study-abroad programs ECEDHA

14. Motivation • The need for engineers to be globally capable • Provide students with the opportunity to study abroad • Help counter the under-representation of science and engineering students in study-abroad programs • Opportunity to enroll in courses not available at a home institution or impossible to replicate ECEDHA

15. Academic Models • Standard student exchanges • International learning communities • Bi-national dual degree programs • International summer programs • International project experiences • International design projects • In-country resident programs ECEDHA

16. Industrial Models • Industry-sponsored academic and work experiences • Industrial design projects • Industry-sponsored master programs • International faculty-industry collaborations ECEDHA

17. General Issues • Match experiences with needs • Funding • Students must be high quality and flexible • Visa and work permits • Academic calendars • Housing • Pay • Culture and language ECEDHA

18. Effectiveness of Programs • Many universities administer surveys that are anecdotal in nature • Feedback is positive - study abroad is a “life changing” experience • A “real” assessment is “an elusive goal” • Research with respect to the benefits of globalization in engineering is just beginning • Must search for ways to enhance international education in the US ECEDHA

19. What Percentage Had an International Experience? • 14% of engineering undergraduate students have had an international experience at graduation • Engineering international programs are new and/or rapidly expanding ECEDHA

20. Major ASEE Activities • Global Colloquia • International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) • Indo-US Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) • International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE) • Engineering for the Americas (EftA) ECEDHA

21. Global Colloquium • Target -- approximately half of the attendees from host country/region • Less than half of the remaining attendees from the US • Lots of opportunity for networking • Strong industrial presence • Some special local events ECEDHA

22. ASEE Global Colloquia • 2002 – Berlin • 2003 – Nashville • 2004 – Beijing • 2005 – Sydney • 2006 – Rio de Janeiro • 2007 – Istanbul • 2008 – Cape Town • 2009 – Budapest • 2010 - Singapore ECEDHA

23. International Federation of Engineering Education Societies • Inaugural meeting in Rio de Janeiro • www.ifees.net • 31 Founding member societies • Second meeting was held at the ASEE Global Colloquium in Istanbul • Next meeting will be at the ASEE Global Colloquium in Cape Town ECEDHA

24. IFEES Vision To foster an active global community of stakeholders empowered to advance engineering education worldwide ECEDHA

25. IFEES • Enhance and Improve • Engineering education infrastructure • R&D and entrepreneurship • Student attraction and success • Lifelong learning ECEDHA

26. Indo-US Collaboration • First meeting in India – June 2007 • Follow up meeting in Washington, DC – August 2007 • 2008 Summer program • Thrust Areas • Curriculum development • Entrepreneurship and innovation • Industry and academia • Quality and accreditation • Research and development ECEDHA

27. Suggestions • Leverage your university’s programs if any • Make your programs multi-faceted • Investigate NSF support • Utilize your industrial partners • Explore support from foreign government programs • Stop talking and do something! ECEDHA

28. THANK YOU!Questions? James L. Melsa www.asee.org melsa@iastate.edu ECEDHA