Nanotechnology in engineering education

Abstract

Nanotechnology is the science, engineering, and application of submicron matters that tie together unique biological, chemical, and physical properties of nanoscale materials in essentially new and beneficial ways. Nanoscience and nanotechnology involve the ability to see and to control individual atoms and molecules. The interest in nanotechnology arises from its potential to significantly affect numerous fields, including information technology, energy, healthcare, the environment, homeland security, national defense, and agriculture. Nanotechnology can be used across many fields, such as physics, chemistry, biology, material science, and engineering. This field will serve to trigger the next wave of the technology revolution. As nanotechnology is emerging and beginning to impact many aspects of our lives, the opportunities for careers are expanding rapidly. A major challenge of this field is the training and education of a new generation of skilled workers. This paper studies different approaches that are used by different institutions of higher education to integrate nanotechnology concepts into their curriculum.