Educating the Engineer of 2020: Malaysian scenario

Abstract

Abstract: The role of the future engineer in these technically developed societies is becoming more challenging because of the globalization of industry and engineering practices. Our society today faces significant challenges including international competition, the global environment, an increasingly diverse population, and a rapid growth in the population. Hence, there will be a fierce challenges and competition growth for engineers. As a result, the engineering education system for the future (2020) should be broad-based engineering programs for easy mobility, flexibility and adaptability to the new changing technology and environment. Thus, a more dynamic curriculum for the engineering education is needed. Realizing the importance of producing a highly competence engineers of the future, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has put a considerable pressure to the universities to produce engineers who are competitive in the marketplace. This paper discusses the universities’ response towards the assignment of developing a highly competent engineer to accommodate the future needs and the growing realization among the engineering educators in Malaysia that a new vision for the engineering education is needed, a vision based upon the needs of engineering of the 2020. It examines how a university charts its route towards this direction through its implementation of engineering education. This paper also investigates the needs for the new engineering education, the main drivers for the change, main obstacles or barriers towards the change, desired characteristics of the graduates for 2020 and programs emphases to develop these characteristics. A key conclusion of this research is that Malaysian universities need to evaluate its engineering education strategies, identify model of change through which change might occur and identify the role of academic staff development towards achieving the much desired improvement in the new engineering education system in the country. 1.0