24 August 2001
Copyright © 2001 World Expertise LLC – All rights
reserved
A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,
edited by Russel C. Jones, PhD., P.E.
Presidents of Iranian universities and research institutes
have warned that attacks by the authorities on students and professors are
leading to the departure of large numbers of educated people from the country.
According to an article by Burton Bollag in the Chronicle of Higher
Education, the Presidents call the brain drain a national crisis. Their
statement was issued shortly after the second anniversary of a bloody attack by
police and vigilantes on a student dormitory at the University of Teheran. Last
winter, Iran’s parliament passed a law that would bar police from entering
universities without permission from both the university president and the
government, but the group of conservative theologians and jurists that must
approve all legislation rejected the bill. See http://chronicle.com/2001/08/2001081703n.htm
The Russian Academy of Sciences has quietly rescinded a
controversial directive requiring its 55,000 researchers to report their foreign
contacts to the RAS governing body. According to an article in the 10 August
2001 issue of Science by Andrey Allakhverdov and Vladimir Pokrovsky, the
rule was intended to protect Russian intellectual property. It has been replaced
by one that simply seeks to help institute directors keep tabs on their more
western-oriented researchers. The new rule is expected to calm the fears of
scientists who saw a return to Soviet-style authoritarianism. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Nigeria’s government is planning to establish a separate
university for graduate studies, according to a note in the Chronicle by
Wachira Kigotho. The education minister said the decision to set up the new
university was made to give graduate researchers a conducive working
environment, which is absent on Nigeria’s current higher education system. It
will probably be located in the nation’s capital, Abuja, and will be the
country’s 43rd university. See http://chronicle.com/2001/08/2001082010n.htm
The United Kingdom has decided to conduct a review of the
supply of scientists and engineers in the UK, in response to concerns that
innovative businesses there sometimes find it difficult to recruit the skilled
researchers that they need. In addition to looking at the numbers of scientists
and engineers in the UK and the jobs they do, the study will examine the skills
needed by businesses for their R&D activities, and at the skills gained by
graduates. A major focus will be to investigate how businesses and universities
communicate and collaborate in providing relevant training to students. See http://www.treasury.gov.uk/docs/2001/scientists_2006.html
Two major
universities in Japan plan to start their own on-campus incubation centers, to
support university-based start-up companies, according to a note in the Chronicle
by Michael Chan. The centers, to open in 2003, will be based at Tokyo and
Waseda Universities, Japan’s most prestigious state and private universities,
respectively. The centers, sponsored by the Education Ministry, will allow
private companies to work with university scientists to commercialize R&D
efforts. Student entrepreneurs and researchers hoping to start new ventures will
also be able to use the facilities free. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001080906n.htm
China’s top graduates in technology are finding success
with high-tech startups in Silicon Valley, according to an article by Junko
Yoshida and George Leopold in Electronic Engineering Times. Several
thousand graduates from Tsinghua University of Beijing, China’s most
prestigious engineering school, are working in a string of startups funded by
Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Observers credit the relentless drive that
separates Tsinghua graduates from their contemporaries for their success. See http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010807S0046
The Arabic publishing scene is a desert, according to an
article in the Chronicle by Daniel del Castillo. Writers and scholars
have difficulty getting their books printed, distributed and read. According to
critics, the quantity of books published in the Arab world is small, especially
relative to the region’s population. There are 275 million Arab speakers in 22
countries, but for Middle Eastern publishers print runs of 5000 are considered
large. The region is plagued by literacy rates, and by not having proper
distribution of the few books that are published. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i48/48a05501.htm
Canadian universities experienced a 15.7% increase in
revenue for the 1999-2000 academic year, according to a note in the Chronicle
by Doug Payne. The $ 9.7-billion revenue figure was a record high, and
marked the third consecutive rise. Grants and contracts from three levels of
government, providing 55% of the total revenue, were up 15.1%. The surge in
government funds follows years of cutbacks during the 1980’s and 1990’s. But
other statistics may point to financial problems for Canadian higher education.
The Association of Colleges of Canada has issued a report saying “real per
capita provincial spending on postsecondary education fell for the second
consecutive year in 2000-01”. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001081307n.htm
African countries and other poor areas will be helped to
use information technology for economic and social development, according to an
article in the 16 July 2001 Wall Street Journal by David Bank. Resources
and expertise have been pledged by the technology consulting firm Accenture Ltd,
a United Nations agency, and the Markle Foundation. The commitments accompanied
the release of a report by the three parties that analyzes the ways that Brazil,
Costa Rica, Estonia, India, and Malaysia are effectively using technology
exports, Internet connections, and telecommunication services to try to create a
‘digital dynamic’ of sustainable development. See http://www.wsj.com
New Zealand universities are being encouraged to play a
greater role in supporting the needs of local companies, according to academic
and business leaders at a major conference convened by the country’s
government. As reported in an article by David Cohen in the Chronicle, nearly
500 business and education leaders attended a three day gathering, which ended
with 142 proposals meant to assist political leaders in drafting a national
innovation strategy designed to improve New Zealand’s economic
competitiveness. Speakers said that time was running out for the country to
upgrade its scientific and technological capacity by increasing specialized
programs at universities. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001080607n.htm
Students in Japan will be able to apply to Japanese
universities via the Internet next year when an association of 120 private
universities introduces an experimental online-application system, according to
a note in the Chronicle by Michael Chan. Universities hope to lower
application fees for students and reduce administrative costs for processing
applications. They also hope to secure stable enrollments of students by
strengthening their ties with high schools through the system. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001080701t.htm
Ireland has taken a major step in shoring up the basic
research end of its R&D pipeline, according to a report by John Pickrell in
the 10 August 2001 issue of Science. Science Foundation Ireland, the
country’s nascent grants agency, has announced that 10 scientific stars will
share $67-million, as a down payment on an ambitious effort to stem the
country’s accelerating brain drain problem. The foundation will also provide
another $530-million over the next 5 years to retain Irish talent and lure
senior researchers to its shores. Ireland’s economy is booming, and high tech
companies have fueled a 7.5% average rise in annual gross domestic product over
the past 5 years. But that prosperity has not extended to academia. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Syria has legalized private higher education, and may allow
US colleges to open branches, according to a note in the Chronicle by
Daniel Del Castillo. The move by President Bashar al-Assad is part of an effort
to strengthen public higher education through cooperative ventures and
competition. The first private venture is the High Institute for Business
Administration, which is scheduled to open next year, with classes taught in
English by faculty members educated in Europe. The American Cultural Center, a
division of the US Embassy in Syria, hopes to explore possibilities for linking
American universities with Syrian universities. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/08/2001082206n.htm
Iraq is pushing to increase university enrollments,
according to a note in the Chronicle by Daniel del Castillo. The Iraqi
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced that 100,000
new undergraduates will enroll in Iraqi universities this fall. The increase,
nearly doubling the previous 120,000 undergraduate student population, is
attributed to government efforts to compensate for the large brain drain of
academics and educated professionals who have been fleeing over the past decade
as a result of the Persian Gulf War and international sanctions. See http://chronicle.com/daily/200l/08/2001081704n.htm
“Bush on the World Stage” is the cover story of the
September 2001 issue of World Press
Review. In his recent international
trips, Bush has created a swirl of controversy over the proposed anti-missile
system, his rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, and his chilly stance toward
China, according to the Review. Articles cited from various parts of the
world raise concerns about the new President’s postures. From Sao Paulo,
Brazil, a writer states that a new wave of anti-Americanism is sweeping the
world. From a Saudi owned paper in London, a writer critiques the new
administration’s backing away from its major role in the Middle East peace
process. From a paper in South Korea, a writer notes a new toughness toward Asia
– particularly China. See http://www.worldpress.org
President Bush’s decision to support the use of existing
embryonic stem cell lines surprised many and angered some, according to an
article by Gretchen Vogel in the 17 August 2001 issue of Science. Ending
months of speculation, Bush told a national TV audience on August 9th
that he would allow federal funding for limited research on embryonic stem
cells, But his compromise has sparked a new round of scientific questions,
including exactly how much research the new policy will permit. His assertion
that some 60 ES cell lines would be available for research is more than twice
the number most scientists would cite. Bush’s announcement does not affect
research in the private sector. See http://www.sciencemag.com
Though layoffs are striking the US technology sector,
corporate America is still going overseas to attract skilled workers according
to the latest analysis of Immigration and Naturalization Services figures.
According to an article by Terry Costlow in the 30 July 2001 issue of Electronic
Engineering Times, H-1B visa applications are up 12.5 percent over last
year, making it likely that the maximum of 195,000 visas will be issued before
the September 30th cutoff. Last year, H-1B visas were capped at
115,000. The influx of current workers, many of them programmers and other
skilled technical employees, comes as US layoffs continue across the high tech
sector. Surveys show varying degrees of concern about the influx of immigrant
workers, along with acknowledgement that they are a necessary part of the
technical work force. See http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010726S0057
Congressional spending for the academic pork barrel
ballooned by 60% this year, to the largest total ever, according to a note in
the Chronicle by Jeffrey Brainard and Ron Southwick. For the 2001 fiscal
year, Congress directed federal agencies to award at least $1.668-billion to
projects involving specific universities. That total is $624-million higher than
last year’s, and more that five times the 1996 sum of $296-million. The Chronicle
has prepared a package of articles, charts, tables, graphics, and a
searchable database of academic earmarks since 1990. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001080601n.htm
The National Science Foundation is linking supercomputers
at four sites across the country to create a powerful new system for
researchers. According to an article in the 17 August 2001 issue of Science, the
new $53-million TetraGrid network should be operational by 2003. It promises
benefits to researchers working on everything for drug discovery to climate
forecasting. The institutions linking supercomputers are: the University of
California at San Diego, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the
California Institute of Technology, and Argonne National Laboratory. The winning
institutions were the only entrants in what was scheduled to be a competition,
working against a very tight three-month deadline. See http://www.sciencemag.com
A wave of consolidation is hitting for-profit higher
education in the US, according to an article by Anne Marie Borrego in the Chronicle.
Small companies can not compete while larger operations seek new markets,
and are often being bought up by large, publicly traded, for profit companies
– such as Education Management Corporation, Corinthian Colleges, and Career
Education Corporation. Some buyers are familiar names that have only recently
started to run degree-granting institutions, such as Sylvan Learning Systems and
Kaplan Colleges. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i48/48a04201.htm
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology has
been appointed Secretariat for the Washington Accord for 2001-2003. The
Washington Accord was first signed in 1989 by accreditation organizations in
Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the Unites
States. Since then Hong Kong and South Africa have joined, and Japan has
recently been granted provisional status. As the Secretariat, ABET will be
responsible for facilitating and recording exchanges of information between the
signatories, as well as advising signatories and others of the policies and
procedures of the Accord. New policies and procedures addressed during the June
2001 meeting of the Accord in South Africa included: procedures for application
to gain provisional signatory status; guidelines for scheduling for systematic
monitoring and verification of signatories; and principles of good practice for
accrediting agencies working internationally. For more information e-mail eadan@abet.org
A consortium that promotes overseas study is planning to
use distance education to reduce the culture shock felt by American students who
study abroad, according to an article in the Chronicle by Jeffrey Young.
Beginning this fall, the Institute for International Education of Students will
offer an introductory course that students can take online before they leave for
the consortium’s study abroad program in Dublin. The course will provide an
introduction to Irish culture, and will explore student’s preconceptions about
Ireland. If the experiment goes well, the Institute hopes to offer similar
online courses for other countries. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001080601u.htm
Britain is getting into the online-education business with
National e-University, according to an article in the Chronicle by Sarah
Carr. The e-University project will bring together an assortment of distance
learning programs and courses to be sold to students all over the world. Only a
few universities will offer courses in the first year, but government plans call
for all higher education institutions in Britain to be members of the holding
company that owns and administers the project. Few details have yet been
released about the venture, which is one of the world’s few government
sponsored attempts to create a national university. See http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i49/49a02701.htm
A longtime US professor is helping to guide Greece’s new
distance learning institution, according to an article in the Chronicle by
Daniel del Castillo. After spending 25 years teaching at California State
Polytechnic University at Pomona, Spyros Amourgis returned to his native Greece
to help establish the Hellenic Open University, of which he is now vice
president. The new distance learning university is taking a radically new
approach to learning in a country with an archaic approach to higher education.
Now in its second year of operation, the university has proved to be widely
popular with adult students, many of who have been locked out of highly
competitive state universities. Last year more than 50,000 people applied for
the university’s first 5000 slots. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001081001u.htm
Distance education administrators are realizing that
putting programs on line does not necessarily bring riches, according to an
article by Sarah Carr in the Chronicle. They are learning that the costs
of expanding online courses are, in some cases, considerably greater than had
been anticipated. Some are slowing or stopping their expansion into online
learning until they get a better sense of costs and profitability. The twin
issues of cost of online education and its potential profitability have been
analyzed in detail by studies commissioned by the Sloan Foundation, a six
universities that have received grants from the foundation’s Asynchronous
Learning Network. Two broad conclusions were drawn from the studies: The
universities are not losing a lot of money on distance learning, but they are
not making much either – at least yet. And how well the programs appear to be
doing depends, in part, on how their costs and revenues are defined. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i23/23a04101.htm
Tunisia is planning a national online university, according
to a note in the Chronicle by Daniel del Castillo. The Tunisian Virtual
University is one element of a larger plan to provide life-long learning
opportunities for Tunisians, while at the same time employing and promoting new
technologies in the country’s educational sector. The government has invested
heavily in computer training, technology, and online services, making Tunisia
one of the most wired countries in North Africa. The country also has one of the
highest per-capita Internet access rates in the Arab world. Projections call for
the virtual university to account for 20% of the total number of university
students in Tunisia by 2006. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001082201u.htm
The Australian government plans to spend more than
$100-million over the next five years on bringing education and skills training
to developing countries, according to a note in the Chronicle by Geoffrey
Maslen. The plan pursues an idea proposed by the president of the World Bank,
James Wolfensohn, an Australian expatriate, during a visit last year. Tens of
thousands of teachers, students, and officials in developing countries will
receive training in specific skills over the Internet, becoming ‘virtual
students’ in Australian Universities. The new program represents Australia’s
most ambitious foreign-aid effort in decades. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001080801u.htm
Engineering students are still finding good jobs, although
it takes a little longer and they are fielding fewer offers than last year,
according to an article by David Bindley in the September 2001 issue of Prism.
Over the past year, US manufacturers have laid off 675,000 employees, and
dying dot-coms alone have put an estimated 100,000 people out of work. High tech
has suffered the most, but the effects of a slowing economy are rippling through
every sector – making it a little tougher for new engineering grads. The
slowing economy has impacted students in computer science and electrical
engineering fields significantly, but most of the other fields have not been
much affected. The optimistic view is that the economy is only going through a
mild slowdown, and that it will pick up by the end of the year. See http://www.asee.org
For the fifth straight year the national average ACT score
remained stable, even as record numbers of students took the exam, according to
a report in the Chronicle by Eric Hoover. The average stayed at 21 out of
a possible 36, for the nearly 1.1 million students in the graduating class of
2001 who took the exam. Given the growing and increasingly diverse pool of
students taking the test each year, ACT officials said this year’s scores are
good news. The tests, which many colleges use in the admissions process, measure
performance in four areas: English, reading, mathematics, and science. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001081502n.htm
College enrollment continues its seven-year increase,
according to a report from the Department of Education noted in the Chronicle
by Dana Mulhauser. A record
15.3 million students are expected to enter colleges and universities in the US
this year, a 2% increase over last year. The report forecasts an increasing
majority for women in higher education, currently just under 57%. Over the next
ten years, private colleges are projected to grow by 17%, with public ones at
15%. Graduate enrollment is projected to increase by 12% over that decade, with
undergraduate enrollment increasing by 16%. The projections are based on a
number of economic and demographic factors, the most significant of which is the
projected increase in the population of 18- to 24-year-olds from 27.3 to
30.5-million. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001081701n.htm
Skipping live classes and catching up later via video has
become popular at Harvard University, as described in an article by Leila Jason
in the 22 August 2001 Wall Street Journal. Playing hooky at Harvard has
never been easier, thanks to a new university service that downloads videotaped
lectures and serves them up on a private Web site. The Instructional Computing
Group videotapes about 30 classes per semester and makes them available over the
University’s internal Web site within hours of class. ‘Hits’ for the
service are up, with about 2000 undergraduates accessing lectures during the
1999-2000 academic year. It was intended to allow students to fill in any
portions of a class that they missed or did not understand, but anecdotal
evidence is that absenteeism is on the rise as students sleep in or do other
activities at class time and catch up later via video. See http://www.wsj.com
Drexel’s voluntary, penalty free program of post tenure
‘renewal’ is popular with faculty there, according to an article in the Chronicle
by Ana Marie Cox. The system was crafted by faculty themselves rather than
imposed from above. It is a three-year process tailored to individual faculty
needs, and gives the professors the tools – such as personal attention and
travel to conferences – to meet professional goals. At the end of the
three-year process, successfully participating faculty are given a raise in base
pay. But critics point out that the system is not post-tenure review, in that
nonvolunteers and laggards are not challenged, and the students may be the
ultimate losers. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i49/49a00801.htm
Running an engineering department can be one of the
toughest jobs around, according to an article by Linda Creighton in the
September 2001 issue of Prism. Most people who become department heads do
not know what they are stepping into, and there is typically no training for
faculty who take on administrative roles. The post of department head is the key
link between a university administration and its faculty and students in
developing a vision and direction for a department, but trying to implement that
vision by building consensus among those constituencies can be very difficult.
Department heads must resolve faculty and staff disputes, deal with personnel
problems, and handle denied promotions and tenure situations. See http://www.asee.org
A Harvard professor, Richard J. Light, has become a guru on
helping students, according to an article by Alex Kellogg in the Chronicle. Colleges
nationwide are turning to his new book, “Making the Most of College; Students
Speak Their Minds”, to stimulate their own faculty members to be more student
sensitive. The book is based on 1600 interviews with Harvard students conducted
by Mr. Light and his team of researchers. The basic recommendations in the book
are: Encourage collegial work. Urge students to get involved in extracurricular
activities. Foster and promote diversity. Get students to form study groups. See
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i49/49a03301.htm
The University of Florida expects its Black freshman
enrollment to decrease by almost half this fall, according to a note in the Chronicle
by Susannah Dainow. The drop from 12% Black in last years class to an
estimated 7% this fall appears to be due to Governor Jeb Bush’s One Florida
Plan, which bars affirmative action in public university admissions. To help
compensate for the loss of affirmative action, One Florida instituted the
Talented 20 plan, which guarantees the top 20% of each high school’s
graduating class a place in Florida’s public university system. The theory is
that if the top 20% of graduates of mostly minority high schools is guaranteed
admission, then institutions will maintain diverse student populations without
affirmative action. Governor Bush’s supporters point out that minority
admissions at Florida’s 10 other public universities have increased. 36.85% of
students admitted in the Florida system were minorities in 2000, and that number
increased to 37.85% in 2001. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001081402n.ht
The National Academy of Engineering has launched a web site
to spark interest in engineering among girls. It covers a wide range of topics,
including ‘why be an engineer’, ‘great achievements’, ‘ask an
engineer’, and guidance on education and careers. Featured examples include
space, medicine, environment, and communications. Links are provided to other
relevant sites. See http://www.engineergirl.org
The US Department of Education will award a total of
$27.2-million in grants to improve academic programs at 102 colleges that serve
disadvantaged or minority students, according to a report in the Chronicle by
Michael Blasenstein. The grants are being made under two programs: the
Strengthening Institutions Program which awards funds for higher-education
development and planning, and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement
Program which aims to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of
science and technology by supporting department level improvements. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/08/2001081606n.htm
for a list of awards.
The July 2001 issue of the ASEE Journal of Engineering
Education contains 16 major papers and 4 educational briefs, as well as
several book reviews. Several of the papers focus on engineering design,
cooperative learning, and capstone courses. There are also interesting papers on
faculty participation in industrial outreach, and on mentoring engineering
students. See http://www.asee.org
The September/October 2001 issue of Foreign Affairs includes
a very interesting article entitled “Toward Universal education”, written by
Gene B. Sperling of the Brookings Institution. The author cites the goal that
resulted from the World Education Forum in April 2000, with 180 countries
including the US participating: providing quality education for all the
world’s children by 2015. He points out that a similar declaration was made in
1990, and that its decade long goal was not achieved. He asks how the world can
make such a promise, and keep it. The author does cite some bright spots. UNICEF
recently launched a Girl’s Education Initiative, spurred on by a growing body
of research showing that investments in education – particularly for girls –
in the world’s poorest countries produces impressive health benefits and high
economic returns. The 2000 declaration called for recipient countries to devise
plans showing how they might actually meet the stated educational goals. But
there is no mechanism to assess such national plans, nor any assurance that the
country will actually receive aid to help implement the plan. The author
suggests directions to resolve these shortcomings. See http://www.foreignaffairs.org
From the Chronicle of Higher Education:
Ø Queens University, Canada, Dupont Canada Chair in Engineering Education, 7/27/01
Ø Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, 7/27/01
Ø University of Missouri at Kansas City, Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Computing, 8/10/01
Ø University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, 8/10/01
Ø University of Rhode Island, Dean, College of Engineering, 7/27/01
Ø Southeastern Louisiana University, President, 7/27/01
Ø University of South Carolina at Columbia, President, 7/27/01
Ø University of Vermont, President, 8/10/01
Ø Colorado State University, Provost/Academic VP, 8/9/01
Ø University of Toledo, Provost, 8/10/01
Ø Clemson University, VPAA/Provost, 8/3/01
Ø University of Maine System, Chancellor, 8/10/01
Ø
University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse, Provost/Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs, 8/3/01
From the September 2001 Prism:
Ø Cleveland State University, Dean of Engineering
Ø North Carolina State University, Department Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ø University of Texas at Tyler, Chair, Electrical Engineering
Ø University of Alabama, Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ø University of Colorado at Denver, Dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Ø Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Chair, Department of Civil Engineering; also Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Ø Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff, Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Ø Santa Clara University, Dean, School of Engineering
Ø
University of Arkansas, Head, Chemical Engineering
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