INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION DIGEST

June 2005

Copyright © 2005 World Expertise LLC – All rights reserved

A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,

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

CONTENTS

1 - International developments

2 - US developments

3 - Distance education, technology

4 - Students, faculty, education

5 – Employment

6 – Journal

7 - Meetings

 

 

 

1 - International developments

Debt relief for poorest countries – The Group of Eight countries have announced a deal to provide $40-billion in debt-relief to 18 of the world’s poorest countries, according to a report in the June 13th USA Today. The pact calls for scrapping 100% of the debt the 18 nations owe to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the African Development Bank. Fourteen of the countries affected are in Africa . Africans and global aid groups praised the rich countries for forgiving the debt but said that more could be done and that the challenge is to get the poorest people to benefit from the help. As many as 20 other countries could be eligible for similar treatment if they meet strict targets for good governance and tackling corruption, which could eventually boost the total debt relief package to more than $55-billion. (See http://www.usatoday.com)

Political crisis puts Europe’s research ambitions in doubt – The recent European Union  political summit that failed and plunged the EU into disarray has dealt a severe blow to aspirations for European science policy, according to an article in the June 24th Science by Martin Enserink. Disappointed researchers say the fiasco shows that politicians are only paying lip service to the so-called Lisbon strategy which aims to revamp Europe ’s economy through research, innovation and economic reforms. In April the European Commission had rolled out a proposal for Framework 7, a €73-billion 7-year program that would have doubled the EU’s annual expenditure on research and innovation. Proposals to try to balance the broader EU budget would grow research at a much slower pace. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)

Africa moves to top of global agenda – At a time when the continent is barely hanging on to the fringe of the global economy, Africa is moving to the forefront of the international agenda according to an article in the June 9th Wall Street Journal by Roger Thurow. Amid a global push for democracy and concern about terrorism and other ills bred by failed states, the continent is to be a central issue for world leaders at a series of coming meetings – the Group of Eight leading nations, the United Nations General Assembly, and the World Trade Organization. Together, the summits will aim to provide a massive blast of money and trade opportunity to propel Africa ’s best performing – but still sputtering – countries forward. They will also seek ways to alleviate widespread poverty and the rapid spread of HIV and AIDS. Britain ’s Prime Minister Tony Blair is taking a leading role, pressing the rich nations to increase total contributions to African development by $25-billion a year. (See http://www.wsj.com)  

A broader view of higher education in India – In contrast to many of the recent articles on higher education in India which focus on the institutions which feed the high tech and services industries of that country, an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Shailaja Neelakantan takes a broader view and describes persistent problems stemming from the schism between most Indian universities and the world of work.  Overall only 17% of students in Indian universities are enrolled in professional programs such as engineering.  Most  Indian education still relates to the old British colonial system of producing clerks and bureaucrats; universities are frequently corrupt and politicized; and students are pushed too early into narrowly defined specializations, with no opportunities to venture outside of their majors.  Moves are underway to change this orientation, and to refocus higher education toward useful employment and higher quality learning. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i39/39a03201.htm)

Mondialogo engineering awards granted – In a ceremony in Berlin , Germany , Daimler Chrysler and UNESCO have honored 21 project teams from 28 countries with Mondialogo Engineering Awards and associated prizes totaling €300,000. In a unique worldwide contest, international project teams have worked together over the past year to produce engineering proposals to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in developing countries. An international jury assessed project ideas for sustainability, feasibility and quality of intercultural dialogue within the project group. More than 1700 young engineers and students from 79 nations registered for the contest, forming 412 project teams. (See http://www2.mondialogo.org)   

Study examines dynamics of brain drain in central and eastern Europe – The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published an article on scientific brain drain from the central and eastern European countries which just a year ago joined the European Union.  Reporter Colin Woodard underscores the critical underfunding of research, but also suggests that some of the decline in funding for basic sciences is being offset by increased funding for applied research.  Some insiders say that in many countries that were formerly under the Soviet influence, there is a belief that money should be given to everyone, and that researchers should not have to develop fund-raising skills and contacts with industry, as their counterparts do in the west.  On a hopeful note, it was pointed out that researchers who left their countries for better opportunities abroad can sometimes be attracted back even with less than optimal support for their research, based on their desire to be home again. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i37/37a03401.htm)

Violence comes to campus – Once havens of tolerance, Iraq’s universities are becoming battlefields in an escalating civil war, according to an article by Aparisim Ghosh in the June 6th Time. A recent rocket attack on an engineering college in Baghdad killed 2 students and injured 17 others. Bombs have been found at several colleges, leading many universities to institute full-body searches at their gates. Radical religious groups have infiltrated many student bodies, intimidating both students and faculty members. This climate of fear at Iraq ’s universities comes at a time when the country needs them most. The university system is slowly being rebuilt, with the aim of educating the country’s best and brightest to reconstruct a society shattered by tyranny, sanctions and war. (See http://www.time.com) 

AUB seeks to regain its stature in Middle East in a more peaceful Lebanon – The American University of Beirut , once the leader in higher education in the Middle East , is now fighting to regain its position of preeminence.  The fifteen years of civil war in Lebanon (1975 – 1990) saw the decimation of its faulty,  its administrators killed and kidnapped, and the destruction of parts of its campus.  But now, with its new US accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the AUB has outlined a stronger future for itself, including new programming in areas such as medicine, water and agriculture to serve the region, and the faculty and facilities appropriate to those new programs, writes Burton Bollag in The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i40/40a03001/htm)

China ’s tech revolution – The June 2005 issue of IEEE Spectrum is dedicated to a special report on  developments of interest in technology related areas in China . Articles cover the future of the people of China, where its 1.3-billion people live and work, how technology is stimulating its economy, bringing western-style education into its classrooms, internet censorship, intellectual property rights, electric bicycles, clean air, chip making, etc. (See http://www.spectrum.ieee.org)

More flexible visa arrangements between US and China – Under a new agreement between the governments of the US and China , students and scholars now can obtain one year visas which  allow for multiple entries, making academic exchanges easier.  This change had been promoted aggressively by US higher education leaders.  At the same time, Kelly Field writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the number of Chinese applying for study in the US is already rising.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/06/2005061505n.htm)

New World Bank chief says aiding Africa is top goal – Upon becoming the 10th President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz says Africa will be his top priority. According to an article by Elizabeth Becker in the May 31st New York Times, Wolfowitz will travel to Africa this summer to underline that commitment. Surveying the array of issues tied up in the goal of reducing poverty, Wolfowitz says he will emphasize finding solutions in partnerships with the countries involved; ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men; restoring the bank’s role of building structures like roads, ports and bridges in poor countries; and coordinating the bank’s efforts with other donors and institutions. (See http://www.nytimes.com)

Mexico wants to prosecute those responsible for student killings – The Mexican government, under President Vincente Fox, is moving to prosecute university and government officials implicated in student massacres during the 1960s and 1970s, reports Marion Lloyd for The Chronicle of Higher Education.  The former president Luis Echeverria appears likely to be charged with responsibility for a 1971 killing of eleven students, and might also be implicated in the 1968 killing of over 300 people including many student protesters.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/06/2005061607n.htm) 

But will they have a football team? – A new model of international education is emerging in Qatar , according to Georgetown University .  A school of foreign service , run by Georgetown , will be offering degrees for programs offered in Doha , Qatar , according to writer Scott Jaschik, in Inside Higher Education. The lure of these programs is that they will offer authentic US university degrees to students who never have to set foot in the United States .    Previous assumptions about how long American faculty would stay abroad teaching in such programs have sometimes proven untrue.  Virginia Commonwealth University in Doha has faculty in their fourth and fifth years.  And increasing numbers of Middle Eastern parents want their children to enjoy the benefits of a US education, without the risks of sending – in particular – their daughters overseas.   So far, all these programs are professional, but the possibility exists that liberal arts programs might follow the model.    (See http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/05/18/foreign)

 

2 - US developments

US group joins critique of treatment of scientists by Bush administration – The American Civil Liberties Union has joined such organizations as the Union of Concerned Scientists in condemning the administration of US President George W. Bush for actions that may end in thwarting US efforts to retain its leadership in science and technology, writes Devin Varsalona in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  The ACLU issued a report called “Science Under Siege” which details actions taken since the September 11, 2001 attacks, calling them “excessive, unnecessary, and ineffective.”  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/06/2005062202n.htm)

Visa reforms proposed to boost competitiveness – A group of 40 leading academic, science and engineering organizations has urged the US government to accelerate its efforts to reform the visa process for international students, scholars and researchers, according to a statement released by the Association of American Universities. While noting that progress has been made in the past year, the group said that additional steps are needed to help dispel the “misconception that our country does not welcome these international visitors, who contribute immensely to our nation’s economy, national security, and higher education and scientific enterprises”. The groups made six recommendations for reducing or eliminating barriers that they said cause undue hardship for the kind of visitors who for decades have helped sustain the nation’s leadership in science and innovation. (See http://www.aau.edu/homeland/05VisaStatement.pdf) 

The reality of falling enrollments in computer science – Why are students bailing out of computer science as a major at US universities?  Because jobs are being outsourced, because of the dot-com bust, because students don’t have strong enough math skills?  Whatever the cause, figures show the collapse is real: between fall 2000 and fall 2004, the number of newly declared computer science majors declined 32%. Only .3% of women in 2004 expressed interest in computer science, reflecting an 80% decrease over six years.  At the same time, writes Andrea Foster in The Chronicle of Higher Education, hiring officials say that jobs may go begging because some computer science students lack the “soft skills” needed in industry.  (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i38/38a03101.htm)

Restoring US competitiveness – Declaring that “the time has come to sound the alarm” over the United States’ lagging performance in science and innovation, Congressman Frank Wolf has announced that a “National Conference on Science, Innovation and Manufacturing” is to be held in the Washington DC area as early as this fall. As reported in the May 20th Manufacturing and Technology News, up to $1-million is available for this “Innovation Summit” thanks to language inserted by Wolf in an appropriation bill recently signed by President Bush. The language directs the Secretary of Commerce to “convene a national conference on science, technology, trade and manufacturing”. According to Wolf, the aim of the conference is to “bring together the nation’s best and brightest to help develop a blueprint for the future of American science and innovation”. (See http://www.manufacturingnews.com)  

Positive changes for holders of US J visas – The US government recently released new regulations extending to five years the J visas given to people under the Exchange Visitors Program.  Holders of these visas will now have the right to enter and exit the US as often as they like for the five-year period.  Once the visa has expired, however, they will have to wait two years to obtain a renewal.  This change responds to some, but not all, of the concerns of many college officials, reports Kelly Field in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/05/2005052604n.htm)

NASA chief can’t promise space station completion – New NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has thrown further doubt on the future of the International Space Station, according to an article in the June 21st USA Today by Traci Watson and Dan Vergano. Griffin said that he could not promise that all the pieces needed to complete the orbiting laboratory would make it into space. He indicated that NASA was still developing a plan on what the space station would ultimately look like. NASA had planned at least 28 more shuttle flights to the station, 18 to finish building it and 10 to provide supplies or support research. But that plan will not now work, since President Bush declared last year that the shuttle would retire in 2010, limiting the number of flights. (See http://www.usatoday.com) 

Debate in US about funding of studies of Middle Eastern languages – The US government’s latest strategy for developing language expertise in Arabic, Farsi and other less-taught languages calls for a new program of scholarships for students who make a commitment to work for intelligence agencies after graduation.  According to Kelly Field in The Chronicle of Higher Education, this has attracted criticism from those who think that connecting languages and intelligence work suggests that academics working abroad are spies.  Furthermore, it could lead to more government activity on university campuses.  Behind these current arguments lies a persistent conflict between those who believe that US universities have too long waged war against scholarships linked to defense and intelligence, thus making the US vulnerable, and those who think that universities are best served by remaining entirely independent of the government. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/06/2005060201n.htm)

NSF budget cut – When congress approved the final appropriations bill for the 2005 fiscal year, the National Science Foundation lost 1.9% of its 2004 spending levels – a $105-million reduction. According to a note in the June 2005 IEEE-USA today’s engineer by Sharon Richardson, NSF’s largest programmatic cuts were $98-million from the Education and Human Resources Directorate, and $30.8-million from its Research and Related Activities account. (See http://www.todaysengineer.org)  

Animal rights groups seen to be stepping up attacks on university labs – US university research labs are increasingly the targets of vandalism inflicted by the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front, according to US officials.  In the past five years there have been 1100 acts of vandalism for which these two groups have claimed credit, writes Jeffrey Selingo in The Chronicle of Higher Education. While violence to date has not been directed toward people, that may be changing.  One of the most serious results of such activity is to threaten the openness of university campuses. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/05/2005051903n.htm)

Air Force Academy staff found promoting religion – An Air Force panel sent to investigate the religious climate at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs found evidence that officers and faculty members periodically used their positions to promote their Christian beliefs and failed to accommodate the religious needs of non-Christian cadets, according to an article in the June 22nd New York Times by Laurie Goodstein. The panel said that it had found no “overt religious discrimination”, only “insensitivity” – and that that several incidents widely covered by news organizations were overblown. Among the recommendations are that commanders should schedule operations to accommodate diverse religious holidays and rituals, and develop curriculum to increase awareness and respect for different religious beliefs. (See http://www.nytimes.com) 

 

3 - Distance education, technology

Broadband beat- down – From the 1960’s until the start of the Bush administration, the US led the world in Internet development, according to a critic cited in an article by Dan Mitchell in the June 25th New York Times. But according to a report by Thomas Bleha in Foreign Affairs, the US no longer is the world’s leader in Internet innovation. The Bush administration’s policies, or lack thereof, have allowed Asia to catch up and pass the US in the development of broadband and mobile phone technology, according to Bleha. Japan , South Korea , and other Asian countries are poised to leap ahead of the US in areas such as teleconferencing, telecommuting, remote medical services, distance education, and multimedia entertainment. Japan has instituted a policy that provides incentives for expanding broadband and wireless technology to the general population; it is well ahead of the US in the percentage of homes on broadband, and offers such service at about half the price and 16 times the speed of that in the US . (See http://www.nytimes.com)

Connecting rural India to the Internet – An international consortium, including Indian and American companies and the World Bank, is planning to establish thousands of rural centers in India to bring government, banking and education services to isolated villages in India . According to a note by John Markoff in the June 16th New York Times, the project is intended to bring Internet-based services to individuals who now must often travel long distances for such services. The project, subsidized by government, will serve rural villages with populations of more than 5000. It will include money to train residents in computer skills. (See http://www.nytimes.com)

Technology plays major role in University of Phoenix operations – As a result of heavy investment in technology over an extended period of time, the University of Phoenix today uses technology to make admissions decisions, conduct degree audits, run credit transfer, teach courses and conduct employee training, writes Jeffrey Selingo in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  The information technology system has been built to handle one million students: the university now enrolls 200,000. One of the main problems the university now faces is faculty recruiting, since its current yield in faculty interviewing is less than 30%.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/06/2005050601t.htm)

 

4 - Students, faculty, education

Harvard report issued on women in engineering – Following the controversy created by remarks by Larry Summers, President of Harvard University, two task forces were appointed to identity issues related to the recruitment and retention of women faculty.  One of those was the Task Force on Women in Science and Engineering.  The report of that group addresses the pipeline issues as well as lifespan career issues, reports Piper Fogg in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  The task force recommended creating summer undergraduate research institutes for science students, and, on the faculty side, better mentoring opportunities for post docs and junior faculty. Support is also recommended for scientists who have “dependent-care responsibilities.” Finally, the members of the task force recommended a program on diversity for the university’s leadership retreat this year.  Harvard is frequently looked to for leadership in higher education, so progressive ideas endorsed by that institution can have significant clout. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/05/2005051701n.htm)

Exploding myths about women in science and engineering – The June 2005 issue of MentorNet News debunks several myths: “Math=Science”, “Women don’t participate because they can’t achieve”, and “Girls don’t have the right background” – based on analysis by sociologist Kimberlee Shauman of the University of California at Davis. The article goes on to explore potential sources of the gender gap, and helping women to persist in science. (See http://www.mentornet.net/news)

Foreign graduates in US up – The percentage of foreign graduate students in engineering in the US has risen steadily since 1999, according to statistics compiled by Michael Gibbons in the Summer 2005 ASEE Prism. Master’s degrees earned by foreign nationals have risen steadily from 39.7% in 1999 to 45.1% in 2004. Doctoral degrees for foreign nationals have also risen steadily, from 45.6% in 1999 to 57.2% in 2004. Bachelor’s degrees have remained steady over the same period, at about 7.8%. (See http://www.asee.org/prism)

Diversity and the Ph.D. – A recent report by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation indicates that while the numbers have been increasing, still only a small fraction of doctoral degrees go to blacks or Hispanics – about 7% in 2003, compared to 32% of doctoral-age US citizens from those groups. Despite extraordinary support within and beyond academia for affirmative action admission programs, court challenges have had a significant chilling effect, resulting in a dilution of resources and a weakening of institutional will. The report includes a series of recommendations including research and communications between institutions on what works, vertical integration with K-12 education, intellectual support and mentoring for minority graduate students, and leadership from federal government agencies. (See http://www.woodrow.org)

The bad and the worse in scientific misconduct – The well-known journal Nature published a study on scientific misconduct that revealed both good and bad news. The bad news is that around 15% of those scientists surveyed admitted to having deliberately mis-stated authorship of papers, tossed out problematic data, tailored their studies to meet a sponsor’s interest, or other such activities.  The good news is that very few actually engaged in misconduct or plagiarism.  The Washington Post reported on the study in its June 9 issue, and writer Rick Weiss revealed that there appears to be a link between  low-level deceit and the individual researcher’s perception of unfairness in the peer review process. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com)

In US, part-time and for-profit faculty on the rise – A close examination of figures about faculty hiring in the US shows that the lion’s share of new jobs has gone to part-time faculty and faculty teaching at for-profit institutions, according to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  For example, for-profit institutions had 36,000 faculty in 2001 and 52,000 in 2003.  Technical and non-professional staff dropped by 4% between 2001 and 2003.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/05/2005052002n.htm)

Collaborative adult-education programs in US meet with success – A new model for higher education is thriving in the Washington DC suburb of Shady Grove , Maryland ( USA ) where the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University have established satellite campuses and enabled growing numbers of  working adults, many associated with the biotechnology industries in the surrounding area, to obtain degrees. Jennifer Lenhart, writing for the Washington Post on May 19 says that graduate and undergraduate degrees are offered in areas including engineering, computer science, health sciences and education.  Care is taken to build cohorts of students who follow the same curriculum over time, thus creating learning communities of students who will support each other.  Plans for the Universities at Shady Grove began about twenty years ago when leaders invited the two institutions to establish campuses in the area.  Land was set aside for both academic buildings and industries.  Statistics about the diversity of the student population are impressive: 58% are minorities; 68% work and pay taxes in the area; and students are of all ages.  The universities promote strong ties between neighboring industries and agencies, resulting in their graduates being able to find jobs quickly after graduation.  The Maryland government is impressed enough to have passed legislation authorizing the campuses to grow over the coming years, adding buildings including a library and recreational facilities.  (See http://www/washingtonpost.com)

Engineers among winners of prizes for mentorship – The US National Science Foundation awarded $10,000 US to each of nine professors who had demonstrated leadership as mentors for under-represented people in science, math and engineering, reports Kellie Bartlett in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Among the recipients were four professors of engineering.  (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/05/2005051804n.htm)

New reports provide metric for internationalization of campuses – The American Council on Education recently published four new studies containing an “internationalization index” which measures the extent of internationalization on a college campus.  The index contains six factors: the institution’s articulated commitment, academic offerings, organizational infrastructure, external funding, support of faculty and international students, and international programming.  The studies were prepared by the Center for Institutional and International Initiatives at the ACE and are available on its website free of charge. (See http://www.acenet.edu)

British-born US engineering educator profiled on British television – An Oxford educated electrical engineer teaching at the University of Wisconsin is once again featured in a British television follow up to a project that began in 1964, when fifteen children from various social classes were selected to be profiled for a longitudinal study attempting to determine the impact of class on life patterns.  W. Nicholas G. Hitchon was a farmer’s son in Yorkshire back in 1964, and in ensuing follow-ups was pictured in his rural background.  He was an exception to a pattern of class-determined life choices: he obtained a Ph.D. in physics at Oxford , then took a job in Wisconsin , where he has taught for the past 22 years.  Although he is uncomfortable in exposing his life to public scrutiny, he has accepted to be followed over the years, and even thinks that having a television crew descend into his life when he was six might have played a role in his opting to explore the world outside of his rural home valley, writes Lila Guterman in The Chronicle of Higher Education.  (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i38/38a04801.htm)

 

5 – Employment

Cutting here, but hiring over there – Even as it proceeds with layoffs of up to 10,000 workers in Europe and the United States, IBM plans to increase its payroll in India by more than 14,000 workers, according to an article by Steve Lohr in the June 24th New York Times. These numbers are telling evidence of the continuing globalization of work and the migration of some skilled jobs to low-wage countries like India . To critics, IBM is a leading example of the corporate strategy of shopping the globe for the cheapest labor in a single-minded pursuit of profits, to the detriment of wages, benefits and job security in developed countries. An IBM executive explained that the buildup in India was attributable to surging demand for technology services in the thriving Indian economy and the opportunity to tap the many skilled Indian software engineers to work on projects around the world. (See http://www.nytimes.com)

Where the engineers are – The US still leads the global pack in the number of young engineers who could work successfully at a multinational company, according to statistics reported in the June 27th Fortune by Peronet Despeignes. Many engineers are not prepared for work with multinational companies due to inadequate foreign language proficiency, lack of practical skills, unwillingness to move for a job, and limited or no access to transportation networks. The supply of suitable engineers available from 2003 statistics is: United States , 540,000; China , 160,000; India , 130,000; Germany , 100,000; Philippines , 60,000; Russia , 50,000; Poland , 40,000; Hungary , 15,000; and the Czech Republic 10,000. (See http://www.fortune.com)

Engineering starting salaries top the charts – Recent graduates with engineering-related degrees hold seven of the top ten highest paid positions, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. As reported in the June Engineering Times, 2004-05 graduates in the following majors had the highest average salary offers: chemical engineering, $54,256; electrical/electronics and communications engineering, $52,009; computer engineering, $51,496; computer science, $51,292; mechanical engineering, $51,046; aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering, $50,701; industrial/manufacturing engineering, $49,541; accounting, $43, 809; information sciences and systems, $43,732; civil engineering, $43,462. Compared with last spring, chemical engineering starting salaries were up 4.3%, electrical engineering up 2.5%, mechanical engineering up 4.1%, civil engineering up 4% -- and computer engineering graduates saw a 2% drop in average salary offers. (See http://www.nspe.org) 

Iranian graduates seek fortunes abroad – Brain drain is alive and well in Iran , according to an article in the Khaleej Times on June 1, 2005 .  It is estimated that about 150,000 college graduates leave Iran each year to seek better jobs, better paying jobs, and more individual freedoms.  Someone with a graduate degree is in a particularly bad situation: Ph.D. stands for “Pizza Hut Delivery,” it is reported.  Job creation plans drafted by the government have all fallen short, leaving few options to young people.  One of the serious issues is the continued domination by the government, which controls 80% of the economy. (See http://www.khaleejtimes.com)

India ’s top export – headed back home? The Indian Institutes of Technology have graduated some 140,000 people to date – and roughly 40,000 of them have moved to the US for jobs. According to a note in the June 13th Fortune by Oliver Ryan, the presence of these graduates in the US has created 150,000 jobs and $80-billion in market value. But among IIT graduates there is a growing sense that the US is losing its edge – to India . Many of the current graduates do not want to travel to the US , and some of the best who moved earlier want to go back to India . For example, one-third of the employees at the GE Technology Center in Bangalore moved back to India from the US . (See http://www.fortune.com)

The latest in out-sourcing – Veteran US humorist Art Buchwald has suggested that in the interest of correcting the balance of payments and saving money personally, people should consider outsourcing their vacations.  Here is how it would work.  You order the vacation you have always dreamed of taking, for example, a trip to India to see the Taj Mahal or to Mexico to inspect the Aztec ruins, and the agent hires a local in those countries to do the sightseeing and send you back photos of what you would have seen.  Cheap and safe. This column appeared in the Khaleej Times on June 4, 2005 . (See http://www.khaleejtimes.com) 

 

6 – Journal

European Journal of Engineering Education – The May 2005 issue of EJEE contains some 13 articles on topics including service learning, graduates’ perceptions of their preparation for industry, student creativity, capstone courses, a year-in-industry scheme, peer tutoring, attracting tomorrow’s engineers, computer assisted learning, and international co-operation. (See http://www.tandf.co.uk)

 

7 – Meetings

ASEE Annual Meeting – The annual meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education was held in Portland , Oregon from 12 to 15 June 2005 . President Sherra Kerns opened the meeting by observing that globalization is occurring rapidly in engineering education, and asking how ASEE should respond. Executive Director Frank Huband announced that over 1500 papers were submitted for this meeting, a new record. He also noted that ASEE was establishing a new electronic journal on engineering education, to be edited by Eli Fromm of Drexel University . The opening plenary session highlighted two perspectives on engineering education requirements in a rapidly changing global environment. Wayne Clough of Georgia Tech  described studies being conducted by the National Academy of Engineering on the likely shape of engineering in the year 2020, and how engineering education should be preparing graduates for that environment. Dwight Streit of Northrop-Grumman described industry perspectives on infrastructure issues in engineering education, including offshoring, pipeline and immigration issues, and the shape of the future engineering workforce. The two keynote presentations are being posted on the ASEE web site. (See http://www.asee.org/conferences)

Nelson Mandela Institution launched – Meetings at the World Bank in Washington on June 28th and 29th launched the Nelson Mandela Institution for Knowledge Building and the Advancement of Science and Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Institution has been conceived by African scientists and professionals to foster the development and economic growth of Sub-Saharan Africa through the promotion of excellence in science and engineering and their applications. A key component of the plan is establishment of the African Institute of Science and Technology, a world class institution to produce the critically needed mass of outstanding scientists and engineers to ensure their continued supply to accelerate the development of the African Region. Four campuses are planned, in central, eastern, western and southern Africa , with the first one to accept students by 2007-08. (See http://www.nmiscience.org)

WFEO World Congress on Engineering Education – The 7th World Federation of Engineering Organizations education congress, focused on “Mobility of Engineers”, will be held in Budapest , Hungary from 4 to 8 March 2006 . Main tracks will be accreditation, substantial equivalence, regional agreements, licensing, mobility in industry, and curricular issues to promote mobility. Registration information is available at http://congress.mti.bme.hu.

 

 

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