INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION DIGEST

31 March 2003

A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,

edited by Russel C. Jones, PhD., P.E., with Bethany S. Oberst, Ph.D.

International developments

Kofi Annan challenges world’s scientists
British higher education financial problems
Migration of nuclear experts?
Protests against war in Iraq
Canadians lure elite students
Trends in European higher education
French science budgets cut
Egyptian human rights case
Academic job market goes global
US engineering schools go abroad
Arab-US relations damaged by war
World Bank report cites benefits of tertiary education
Academic competition in Kyrgyzstan
Bombs hit Iraqi university

U.S. developments

Virtual migration speeds up globalization
Preparing students for civic responsibility
Academic inputs to homeland security
Policy issues at Virginia school
High-tech jobs lost in US
Review of Olin College of Engineering
State science and technology efforts cut
Time to graduation study results
EPA releases proposal information
Academics protest Iraq war
Students and faculty demonstrate against war
NAE president charges engineering education out of touch with practice
Results of affirmative action debated
Three top engineers honored
Diversity impacts examined

Distance education, technology

DeVry adds medical dimension
Sylvan focuses on higher education

Students, faculty, education

Encouraging faculty international involvement
Early intervention programs in Canada
Engineering school perspectives on affirmative action
Attrition rates studied
Combined engineering-business program at CMU
International visitor system criticized
Order of the Engineer promoted by ASCE

Journals

International Journal of Engineering Education
IEEE Transactions on Education

Meetings

Ibero-American Summit on Engineering Education
Association of International Education Administrators

International developments

1) In an editorial in the 7 March 2003 issue of Science, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has issued a challenge to the world’s scientists. Stating that science has contributed immensely to human progress and to the development of modern society, he argues that the scientific community is an indispensable partner of the United Nations. Annan cites scientific and technology contributions to solving challenges such as food security, diseases, pollution, and the proliferation of weapons. He notes that recent advances in areas such as information technology, genetics, and biotechnology hold extraordinary prospects for mankind in the future. But he also points out that there are clear inequities in the way scientific endeavors are pursued around the world. Developing countries, for example, generally spend less than 1% of gross domestic product on R&D, while rich countries devote 2 to 3%. Developed countries, which contain one-fifth of the world’s population, create 95% of the new science – and much of that science neglects the problems that afflict most of the world’s people. See http://www.sciencemag.org

2) In a comprehensive summary of the financial state of British institutions of higher learning, Kate Galbraith of the Chronicle of Higher Education focuses on the fallout from the UK ’s attempts to broaden participation in higher education over the past couple of decades. The major effect has been to impoverish the institutions because of the lack of increased public funding for that access. On the table are both a plan to increase public funding to British universities and to permit a large increase in tuition. The reality facing the academic world is that the UK dedicates only 1.1% of its GDP to higher education while the 30 industrialized nations in the OECD spent a weighted average of 1.6% and the US , 2.3%. Increasing public funding and tuitions are only part of the remedies being examined. A more diverse funding base, less emphasis on research, and more differentiated types of institutions are all parts of the debate. Despite a plan to make the higher tuition payable after graduation, students are up in arms about the increases and have made that point clear in demonstrations. No easy solutions are in sight. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i28/28a04001.htm

3) Western observers have long feared that so-called rogue nations would lure impoverished nuclear experts from ex-Soviet republics to help them develop weapons. According to an article by Richard Stone in the 7 March 2003 Science , Georgia ’s President Eduard Shevardnadze has confirmed such activity, claiming that several nuclear experts from a breakaway region in the Caucasus are working in Iran . Western experts are also worried about the security of nuclear materials in the region. See http://sciencemag.org

4) With the attack on Iraq by the US-led coalition, anti-war and pro-peace demonstrations broke out around the globe. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s reporter Beth McMurtrie writes that in the Middle East, protests were organized at the American University in Cairo, Al-Azhar University, also in Cairo, the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, Birzeit University in the West Bank, and elsewhere. Britain ’s role in the US Coalition has incited demonstrations in many UK universities. Japan ’s Waseda University , despite being on spring break, was the site of a demonstration. Meanwhile, US study abroad programs took stock of their situation, a familiar exercise since 9/11. Few programs had to be shut down in the Middle East because few remain. Most universities report that there have not been many departures of students because of the war, but that they are again guiding students to conduct themselves with particular care. Reports indicate, however, that even where political feelings run strongly against the US stance, individual citizens make a distinction between the US government and US students studying abroad. An added dimension of the war is the threat it poses to the priceless artifacts and archaeological sites of Iraq . As early as last January leading scholars met with Pentagon officials to pinpoint the location of the most valuable sites, in hopes of sparing them the worst effects of the war.

See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003032103n.htm

5) The Canadian government has unveiled a program to lure elite students into science PhD. Programs on their way to becoming university professors and government researchers, according to an article by Wayne Kondro in the 28 February 2003 Science. The Canada Graduate Scholarships program will offer fellowships of $23,100 a year – double the size of current federal awards – to some 4000 students. Canadian officials expect some 5000 professors a year to retire over the next decade, and the new program is seen as a way to refill the pipeline. The 2003-04 Canadian budget, which is showing a healthy surplus, also contains 10% hikes for the country’s three research granting councils, and a permanent $150-million a year program to pay universities for the cost of supporting research. See http://sciencemag.org

6) The European Union recently issued a report, “Key Data on Education in Europe , 2002,” which contains important data on twenty-five year trends. In that period, women originally represented 40% of the students, now, with the exception of Germany , they are the majority, and in some cases, the large majority. Over all, the number of students involved in higher education in Europe has doubled in the past quarter century. The largest increases have been in the EU candidate countries surveyed, such as Hungary , Lithuania , and Slovenia . Only in Malta , Bulgaria and Cyprus have there been no increases in enrollment. Burton Bollag wrote this article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003030305n.htm

7) French scientists, still reeling from budget cuts last autumn, are again being asked to tighten their belts as part of government austerity measures to revive the sagging economy, according to an article in the 21 March 2003 Science by Barbara Casassus. Union sources say that most institutes have had between 25% and 40% of their operating budgets frozen for this year, in addition to an immediate cut of about $125-million. The research minister disputes those allegations, but does admit that 30% of operating and investment credits have been frozen. Research center directors say that such cuts will make it extremely difficult to maintain the quality of their research. See http://www.sciencemag.org

8) In a carefully watched case, Egypt’s highest court acquitted Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim of accusations that he had brought dishonor to the state, thus ending a three-year legal battle which struck at the heart of the issue of academic freedom in that country. Mr. Ibrahim, who holds both Egyptian and US citizenship, was a professor of political sociology at the American University in Cairo , at the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies. That institute tackled controversial issues related to human rights and democracy and ran askance of some government officials. The AUC is looking forward to welcoming Mr. Ibrahim back to its faculty ranks. Daniel Del Castillo wrote the article for the Chronicle of Higher Education. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031903n.htm

9) The job market for academic scientists has gone global, with job seekers routinely sending applications across borders, according to an article in the 21 March 2003 Science by Dennis Normile. But few Westerners make the move to Asia . Now a new breed of Asian schools and institutes hopes to increase that flow by offering English-language instruction and attracting faculty members and students from outside their home countries. Such new schools are being developed in Okinawa , Japan , in Seoul , South Korea , and in Taipei , Taiwan . Attracting sufficient numbers of foreign faculty members and students to provide an international flavor is a challenge, but backers of the new schools believe that failing to educate their students to world-class standards leaves them no choice but to try. See http://www.sciencemag.org

10) US engineering schools are gradually venturing into the global marketplace, according to an article by Alvin Sanoff in the March 2003 issue of ASEE Prism. A growing number of students realize that an engineering career is global and that they need to be properly prepared, and a few US engineering schools are venturing into the global marketplace. Three US engineering schools are visibly engaged in foreign ventures, having established master’s degree programs abroad: Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University , and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor . The Georgia Tech program is oldest, having been started in 1990 in the Lorraine region of France . It has grown to having 240 students in two master’s degree programs, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering. Carnegie Mellon and Michigan are in the early stages of their involvement – the former in Greece , and the latter in China . See http://www.asee.org/prism

11) Arab intellectuals in the Middle East , some educated in the US , are attempting to stop the invasion of Iraq . Daniel Del Castillo of the Chronicle of Higher Education summarized the efforts of those who feel strongly that the future of US-Arab relations has been seriously jeopardized by the war. While intellectuals largely do not support totalitarian regimes or Islamism, neither can they support the war. So far, those intellectuals who are academics affiliated with American-style universities in the Middle East have been successful in maintaining the distinction between their opinions, however strongly held and articulated, and the institutions where they teach.

http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003032601n.htp

12) The World Bank has released a new report, “Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education”, which highlights the importance of investing in modern, high-quality tertiary education in order to close the growing knowledge gap between middle-income countries and industrial nations. According to the report, released in Moscow in March, good quality tertiary education promotes economic vitality, improves people’s health, and encourages open and cohesive societies. In a global economy which becomes faster and more powerful each year, better education can transform the development prospects of developing and transition countries around the world, reducing poverty and inequality, and boosting economic growth. See http://www1.worldbank.org/education/

13) Byron MacWilliams, reporting in the Chronicle of Higher Education, reported on a different kind of battlefield where war is being waged for intellectual control of a portion of Central Asia . The contenders in this case are the US , Russia and Turkey , the land is Kyrgyzstan , and the battle is being fought in the universities. Each of the three above-named countries has invested in creating an institution of higher learning which they hope will sway the next generation of leaders to think favorably of the country providing support to their education. Competition is intense and uncollegial. Linguistic politics involving Russian and Kyrgyz, academic and generalized corruption, educational philosophies, and competing tuition policies all are fronts in the war between the three universities. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i27/27a03901.htm

14) In the first days of the Iraqi war Al-Mustansiriya University , founded in 1233, was struck by a bomb, according to Daniel Del Castillo writing for the Chronicle of Higher Education. While the damage was serious, no fatalities were reported since classes were not in session at the time. Law and literature are the most important courses of study there. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003032504n.htm

U.S. developments

15) Virtual migration is speeding up globalization, according to the lead article in the March 2003 IEEE-USA News and Views by Terry Costlow. Until the past decade, physical migration was the only way that nations extended their reach. Now we have virtual migration of labor, where workers at offshore firms work in the US market via the Internet. One prominent example is an airline reservationist, who can now access the same computer and answer phone calls from an office in Bangalore , Brussels , or Boise . In engineering, the cost savings for US corporations that hire foreign workers in low-wage nations keeps them competitive in the world market. Many observers predict growth for international 24-hour-per-day engineering programs. But some note that neither globalization nor telecommunications will alter the time-tested technique of designing a product in a space where engineers can interact freely face-to-face. See http://www.ieeeusa.org

16) The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recently issued a report on a three-year study. According to Megan Rooney, writing for the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Educating Citizens: Preparing America’s Undergraduates for Lives of Moral and Civic Responsibility” concludes that US colleges generally fail to educate their students in these responsibilities, although some institutions attempt to integrate civic responsibilities into their curricula. Moral education teaches traits such as open-mindedness, concern for truth, and tolerance for others. Suggestions for strengthening civic education include designing more out of class and extra curricular activities that touch civic problems. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003030603n.htm

17) Writing in the 28 February 2003 issue of Science, Richard Colton and John Russel state that the job of homeland defense and security rests not only with government agencies but also with the scientific, engineering and medical communities that develop new technologies. Counterterrorism strategies being developed by the new US Department of Homeland Security are relying on scientific and technical professional societies to sponsor workshops and conferences on research challenges and opportunities in homeland security. Topics covered in recent conferences include technologies for chemical and biological decontamination, personal protective gear, detectors, and prevention techniques such as refitting buildings for blast mitigation. See http://www.sciencemag,org

18) The Chronicle of Higher Education, in several related articles written by Megan Rooney and Peter Schmidt, reported on actions taken in a closed-door session of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Tech. The visitors voted to stop considering race and gender in admissions decisions, to ban from the campus speakers with extreme views, and to modify the university’s antidiscrimination stance so that it no longer covers discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Within days, the Virginia State Attorney General rejected the policy restricting political speech. In anticipation of an April meeting of the Board, the Virginia Tech administration will continue to follow the old policy. Seer http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/3/2003031201n.htm, http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/3/2003031302n.htm, http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/3/2003032404n.htm

19) The United States lost 560,000 jobs in the high-tech industry in 2001-02, according to a March 2003 report by the American Electronics Association. As reported in IEEE-USA News by Chris McManus, during that same period some 799,700 new or renewal H-1B visas were issued. The unemployment rate for electrical and computer engineers has more than doubled since 200, going from 1.3% to 4.2% last year. For computer scientists the jobless rate jumped from 2% to 5%. IEEE has asked the US Congress to limit the number of H-1B visas, and to ensure that more of the visa fee revenue is used to address the specialized instructional needs of unemployed engineers and other high-tech professionals. See http://www.ieeeusa.org

20) The newest engineering college in the US , the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham , Massachusetts , received extensive coverage recently in the Chronicle of Higher Education, in an article written by Katherine S. Mangan. The program, and the facilities in which students and faculty work and study, have been purpose built around the concept of integrating theory and practice, the liberal arts and engineering principles, and a widely diverse student body. Thanks to a gift of US$400,000,000 from the F. W. Olin Foundation, each of the founding freshmen is enjoying a full-tuition scholarship. In return they also enjoy a low student-faculty ratio, and the opportunity to have substantial input into the design of the curriculum. For the second freshman class, 90 students will be accepted from the 596 applicants, and work will continue on the design of the third and fourth years of the program. By 2005, the school will apply for accreditation. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i28/28a03601.htm

21) Rising state budget deficits have apparently doomed a state-based initiative in science and technology in New Jersey , according to an article by Jeffrey Mervis in the 21 March 2003 issue of Science. Two years ago the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology provided $25-million to universities and high-tech companies, stimulating the state’s growing economy. Now the governor has ordered the operation closed by the end of June, laying off the eight person staff and pulling the plug on 20 projects in a 5-year pipeline of funded grants. Rocked by the current economic downturn, governors across the US are pruning science and technology programs aimed at fostering economic development. Major cuts are also occurring in states such as California , Michigan , and Alaska . See http://www.sciencemag.or g

22) The Higher Education Research Institute of the University of California at Los Angeles updated a 1989 survey on time to degree in US institutions and found that in the intervening years the percentage of students obtaining their undergraduate degrees in four years had declined, from nearly 40% to 36.4%. Substantial variations appeared between male and female students, and between students of different races. Researchers also found a positive correlation, according to Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Megan Rooney, between good academic preparation as evidenced by high school grades and timely progression to degree achievement. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031901n.htm

23) Some elements of the Environmental Protection Agency have allowed public access to rejected research proposals, much to the chagrin of researchers who submitted them. According to an article in the 7 March 2003 Science by Rebecca Renner, EPA’s decision to grant such requests puts the agency at odds with other federal research agencies. The National Science Foundation, for example, keeps grant proposals confidential. One researcher involved in the EPA release said “I proposed something fairly novel in the grant proposal; I would hate to think that this is a way for people to get ideas from other researchers”. See http://www.sciencemag.org

24) Even before the first attacked made by the US-led coalition against Iraq , 14,000 intellectuals ran an advertisement in the New York Times condemning the war, on the grounds that it was morally unacceptable in light of insufficient proof of a threat to US security. It is estimated that between 90 to 95 percent of the signatories were academics. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031202n.htm

25) The day after the war against Iraq broke out, Katherine S. Mangan of the Chronicle of Higher Education wrote a major article covering the mostly anti-war reactions of students and faculty on US campuses. From east to west and north to south anti-war demonstrations ranged from teach-ins, to physical confrontations, to acts of civil disobedience, and to frustrated attempts to organize significant acts within a short time frame. In the midst of all this activity, the University of Michigan ’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching posted on their website guidelines for professors in discussing the war in their classes. See http://chronicle.com/daqily/2003/03/2003032101n.htm

26) The President of the National Academy of Engineering, William Wulf, has published an article entitled “The Urgency of Engineering Education Reform” in the July-December 2002 issue of the Journal of SMET Education. In the article, Wulf states that engineering education is out of touch with the practice of engineering. He observes that reports from bodies such as the National Research Council, the National Science Foundation, and the American Society for Engineering Education have studied the topic or reforming engineering education to death, but little of what those reports recommended has actually been implemented. His presentation focuses on six topics: the complexity of the design space, the complexity of the constraint set, the fallacy of the possibility of precision, the expanded role of engineers in industry, the globalization of industry, and the pace of change. He suggests changes in the areas of length of the degree program, curriculum, faculty rewards, and diversity, and cites the need for technological literacy in the general public. See http://www.jsmet.org

27) With the US Supreme Court shortly to begin hearing two lawsuits challenging race-conscious admissions policies at the University of Michigan, spring issues of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research and The Public Interest published the results from a study which indicates that as the number of minority students increases, all students feel that the quality of their education decreases. The three primary researchers claim that previous surveys were biased in support of findings that would support the notion that diversity enhances the educational experience of all students. The results of this study are now being used to counter the effect of the influential Gurin study which draws on findings from a national database to prove that students who were educated on more racially diverse campuses were, five years after graduation, more likely to be living or working in integrated communities. This report for the Chronicle of Higher Education was written by Jeffrey Selingo.

See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031701n.htm

28) Three engineers whose pioneering work is found in the Global Positioning System and in the creation of artificial organs have captured the nation’s two top engineering honors, according to a report in Engineering Times. During National Engineer’s Week last month, the National Academy of Engineering awarded the 2003 Charles Stark Draper Prize to Ivan Getting and Bradford Parkinson for the Global Positioning System, and the 2003 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize to William Kolff for his life-changing construction of artificial organs. Each prize carries a substantial financial award. See http://www.nspe.org

29) Sara Hebel provided readers of the Chronicle of Higher Education substantive analysis of the effects of the programs which California , Texas and Florida began after affirmative action was abolished. In order to maintain the diversity of the students in higher education in those states, percentage plans were designed to grant automatic admission to any students who graduated in the top percentage of their high school class. Since 1996, these programs have demonstrated numerous failings and deficiencies, including falling minority enrollments and perverse incentives to already under-performing public schools. Where these plans have been the least harmful is in institutions where funding has been available to increase public school outreach, scholarships and academic support services. But still the results are disappointing, and are showing particularly negative impact on diversity in graduate programs, which are disproportionately white. The percentage based plans are also potential targets for further anti-discrimination lawsuits. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i28/28a02201.htm

Distance education, technology

30) DeVry Inc. recently outbid competitors to successfully purchase Ross University which runs programs in medicine and veterinary medicine on the Caribbean Island of Dominica. The sale price, US$310-million cash, was considered high, but DeVry’s owners have confidence that this will be another profitable venture in the area of higher education and on-line training. They plan to build on DeVry’s strength in technology and management, add to it Ross’s experience in medicine, and offer new curricula in fields such as bioinformatics, according to Goldie Blumenstyk, writing for the Chronicle of Higher Education. DeVry’s owners are also expected to take advantage of their established on-line delivery systems to build profitable continuing education programs for medical professionals. With revenues of over US$648-million each year, DeVry is the US ’s second largest higher education company. See

http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003032105n.htm

31) Sylvan Learning Systems recently announced that it would shed all its K-12 units and focus its business entirely on higher education. This is in the wake of its recent acquisition of the National Technological University . Sylvan is a relatively new player in this business front, having made its first purchase of a higher learning unit (Cantor & Associates) in 1997. By 1999 higher education ventures accounted for 35% of Sylvan’s revenues, but company officials are predicting that for 2003, that percentage will jump to 63%. Industry analysts foresee increased competition in the proprietary higher education sector. While Sylvan now operates 24 overseas campuses, it is not difficult to speculate on how soon the company might want to acquire US campuses as well. This article was written by Goldie Blumenstyk for the Chronicle of Higher Education. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003031204n.htm

Faculty, students, education

32) “Ten Ideas for Encouraging Faculty International Involvement” are presented by Rhonda Collins and Linda Edwards in an article on the IIENetwork. The authors state that ‘an internationally involved faculty who believe in globalizing higher education is often the missing link among the many elements that comprise the international education thrust at US colleges and universities’. Faculty involvement is the backbone of international education. Faculty act as mentors to US students, encouraging them to study abroad, to participate in organizations that encourage a global outlook, and take foreign language classes. In addition, faculty researchers play an important role in developing linkages with their colleagues at universities abroad, often resulting in opportunities for faculty and student exchanges. Ten strategies for encouraging international involvement by faculty are presented in the article, at http://namerica.iienetwork.org/

33) The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation recently published findings from a study it commissioned from the Institute for Higher Education Policy on how to design the best early-intervention programs to encourage participation of more at-risk students in higher education. The study found that the most effective programs are ones that are based on partnerships between various kinds of organizations, provide multiple types of support to students, and engage former participants as mentors and tutors. Will Potter, writing for the Chronicle of Higher Education, says that programs of this sort have proliferated rapidly in the past decade. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/2003030301n.htm

34) Where do US engineering schools stand in the renewed debate over affirmative action? An article by Kenneth Walsh in the March 2003 issue of ASEE Prism looks at some of the issues. Academic leaders point out that engineering schools have a harder time bringing in underrepresented minorities because engineering is not the first thing many minority students think of when they assess possible careers. Many have utilized special programs to attract and support minority students – and with some success. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has reported that US institutions enrolled 8552 African American engineering freshmen in 2001, an increase of 4.4% over 2000. One observer pointed out that people will self-select out of competition if they feel the competition is unfair; and ending affirmative action will send a cultural signal that certain kids not apply. See http://www.asee.org/prism

35) Attrition rates in six US states was the focus of a recent study done by Stanford University . Increasing numbers of students aspire to get into college, but the number of graduates is significantly smaller. The reason for this discrepancy is a serious disconnect between high schools and colleges in terms of curricula and expectations. All too often students arrive in college not realizing that their hardest work is still ahead of them. They are frequently stuck in remedial classes, and frustrated by their lack of progress. This study was the last report of the Bridge Project, a six-year effort to improve the transition of students between high school and college. The article was authored by Megan Rooney for the Chronicle of Higher Education. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003030502n.htp

36) Carnegie-Mellon University will break new ground by offering an integrated engineering and business program starting with the 2003-04 school year, according to a note in the March 2003 Engineering Times. The five-year program will allow students to earn an undergraduate degree in one of five engineering majors plus an MBA degree from the university’s business school. Students will take only engineering courses for the first six semesters, then take both MBA and engineering courses in the remaining four semesters. It is aimed at focused and motivated students who do not want to wait to get an MBA after several years of work. See http://www.nspe.org

37) Michael Arnon, reporting for the Chronicle of Higher Education, added another chapter to the on-going saga of SEVIS (the US Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). The Department of Justice recently strongly criticized the former INS for not fulfilling its mandate to fully implement the new system, and most particularly, use it to detect fraud. Lack of personnel, lack of training, and political distractions account for many of the delays. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003032401n.htm

38) The American Society of Civil Engineers is embracing the Order of the Engineer, according to an article in the March 2003 ASCE News. Members of the Order wear a plain stainless steel band on the little finger of their working hand, as a tangible reminder of the solemn responsibility that the engineering profession imposes and of the wearer’s pride in that profession. The Order of the Engineer is a 30-year old confederation of engineers in the US , patterned after an older system in Canada . Membership in the Order is open to graduates of ABET accredited engineering programs and to licensed professional engineers. ASCE plans to offer opportunities to join at its national and regional meetings. See http://www.asce.org for the article, or for more information on the Order see http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org

Journals

39) The International Journal of Engineering Education has released its first 2003 issue, a special issue on the “Social Dimensions of Engineering Design”, edited by Clive Dym and Langdon Winner. Some 30 major papers are contained, covering the following topics: social issues and themes in design, collaboration in design, the many meanings of design, engineering design education, product and process design, institutional issues, design in and for a complex world, and what have we learned/what do we recommend. See http://www.ijee.dit.ie

40) The February 2003 issue of the IEEE Transactions on Education contains some two dozen papers on a wide variety of topics. Included are papers on computer vision education, learning improvements for female students, mobile robot experiments, teaching compiler construction, tutoring on the World Wide Web, distance learning, software engineering education, industrial control systems, and consumer product benchmarking. See http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/es/

Meetings

41) The Ibero-American Summit on Engineering Education was held at the Universidade do Vale do Paraiba in Brazil from 24-27 March 2003, with some 200 engineering educators participating. The conference aimed at defining the “Engineer of the Americas ”, a professional who will help to establish an engineering workforce in every country in the hemisphere prepared to contribute to the Americas engagement in the global economy. The conference program was developed around four interrelated themes: university-industry interaction, curriculum development, funding mechanisms, and accreditation in engineering education. Plenary sessions examined engineering education around the world, developments in engineering education in several specific countries, and the current status of organizations in engineering education in the Americas . Workshop sessions discussed the four major themes in detail, and a final plenary session defined a road map for the process forward toward the Engineer of the Americas . The three accreditation agencies from North America ( Canada , US, Mexico ) proposed the establishment of a Western Hemisphere Partnership which would lead to accreditation systems in each country in the hemisphere, and toward mutual recognition of graduates of accredited programs across national borders. The Summit was sponsored by many interested organization, including Hewlett-Packard and iNEER. See http://www.univap.br/iasee

42) The Association of International Education Administrators held its annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , form 12-15 March 2003. One session of interest covered the preparation of engineering students for international practice, with panelists from the US and Brazil describing approaches currently being used. Policy issues related to US university programs in international education were also addressed. Post-911 barriers are discouraging international students from trying to come to the US , and countries like the UK , Australia , Germany and Canada are aggressively taking advantage of the situation to gain market share for their programs. Also, anti-American attitudes around the world due to the Iraq war are making many areas hostile to Americans abroad – including students. See http://wings.buffalo.edu/intled/aiea/

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