Cultivating T-shaped engineers for 21st century: Experiences in China

Abstract

The dynamic society calls for changes on engineering and its workforces; and thus triggers a transformation on current engineering education. This paper begins with concerns on social demanding and then introduces a new workforce called T-shaped engineer embraced by the academic and industrial field. This new profile is generally defined as broadly learning and weaving across disciplines (top of the T) and going deeply into understanding engineering concepts (vertical branch of the T). Though T-shaped talents are much better preparing for the 21st century, this new profile can hardly be created by traditional education. The paper analyzes the situation of China specifically, indicating an ill-structured model T-narrow vertical bar, shallow horizontal line and with its whole T not solid enough. In response, China is pacing up to evolve in a number of ways that qualify graduates and build a stronger T, among which the "Advanced Honor Class of Engineering Education" (ACEE) launched by Zhejiang University (Zhejiang Province, China) serves as an example on how to build T-shaped engineers. Based on the case, ACEE presents a feasible way on how to build T-shaped engineers, including solidify the professional foundation, concentrate on engineering management, emphasis on engineering design and practice, which is worthy promotion nationally and even abroad. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.