White Paper on Engineering Leadership Education
Posted on November 3, 2009 Comments (4)
Engineering leadership education is emerging as a topic in engineering institutions worldwide. But the review of international “best practices” in engineering leadership education says a lack of resources, expertise, and formal networks in the nascent field is causing concern in a profession threatened by a diminishing focus on the notion of the “engineer-as-doer.”
Commissioned by the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program, the new white paper, Engineering Leadership Education: A Snapshot Review of International Good Practice, reveals that the vast majority of engineering leadership education programs are based within the U.S. and most are relatively new (developed in the last five years). The white paper highlights the distinct divide between the U.S. and the rest of the world in both attitude and approach to engineering leadership education.
“As a sub-discipline, engineering leadership education is not yet on the radar of most engineering education experts outside the U.S.,” said Dr. Edward Crawley, Director of the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program. “Certainly for many of the programs outside the U.S., there’s some discomfort with the notion of ‘leadership education’, as they feel this concept runs counter to their educational culture of inclusiveness and equality.”
The report was conducted by Dr. Ruth Graham in a series of interviews between September 2008 and March 2009. Dr. Graham investigated more than 40 programs, seeking to provide an insight into current practice, highlight international variations in approach, and identify examples of good practice.
One major
current
trend
in
engineering
leadership
education
is
the
development
of
the
students’
global
awareness
and
their
ability
to
work
on
complex
cross‐national
projects
–
which
is
seen
by many
as
the
environment
within
which
the
engineering
leader
of
the
future
will
need
to
operate.
Many
of
the
programs
which
were
most
highly
rated
by
interviewees
incorporate
some
global
elements
either
through
international
travel,
remote
link‐ups
with
overseas
universities/companies
or
project
briefs
involving
an
international
or
cross‐cultural
context.
The trend
towards
a
more
‘global’
view
of
leadership
education
was
seen
by
many
of
the
interviewees
as
one
that
would
continue.
Launched through a $20 million gift by The Bernard M. Gordon Foundation, the Bernard M. Gordon – MIT Engineering Leadership Program is a new educational initiative at MIT whose goal is to help MIT’s undergraduate engineering students develop the skills, tools, and character they will need as future leaders in the world of engineering practice.
Related: Educating Engineers for 2020 and Beyond – Global Engineering Education Study – USA Losing Scientists and Engineers Educated in the USA – International Engineering Education Data: USA, China, India – House Testimony on Engineering Education
Categories: Education, Engineering, Universities
Tags: engineering education, MIT, open access paper, undergraduate education, Universities
4 Responses to “White Paper on Engineering Leadership Education”
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November 3rd, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
To further explain the goals of the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program: It isn’t about being an entrepreneur. We leave that to other qualified programs, both at MIT and elsewhere.
In some ways, the Gordon-MIT ELP responds to input from engineering industry professionals who–after having employed and worked with many MIT graduates–recommended that we teach real leadership: The kind that starts when students are first employed by a company and that is manifested by having the students learn to deliver a product on time, to budget and to spec… Not focused on how to *run* a company when they first graduate.
November 10th, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
That is encouraging to see that a major current trend is the global awareness and their ability to work on complex cross‐national projects.
December 3rd, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
I’m a hands on sort of person, with a couple of degrees in Civil & Structural Engineering. Being based in the UK, I saw fit to leave the engineering profession, due to significant short-falls in the UK’s Engineering jobs market. With the ability to manage significant construction projects and solve problems on the ground, I found most of my time spent on low pay as a number cruncher/ design engineer. Prospects for Graduate Engineers in the UK are poor at best, with most opting for the financial sector as a suitable and more gratifying alternative. There’s a significant skills shortage in this country, simply due to a severe lack of structuring by relevant Chartered institutions and their associated employers.
However, I now find myself in a position to use my skills to their fullest, unfortunately in a somewhat different professional- running my own business recycling business waste. Ironic that such a skillset would come in extremely useful in an emerging industry!
Richard Tanfield-Johnson
BEng (Hons), MSc (Eng)
December 21st, 2010 @ 12:52 am
@Richard
I have faced a similar kind of experience from the surrounding regarding a computer science degree in Pakistan , in my experience it took me a little time to get good pay and by the time was able to start up with own business, (WebMarketerz). engineers are of the most respected professionals, the point is if you pursue just one engineering field the I am sure that you will have a market worth after some time. its just about comparing a guy with 5 years experiences in five different fields of engineering and the one with 5 years experience in just one thing.