"The Expanding World of Engineers"

From the article, I agree with Professor Seeram Ramakrishna views on the changing face of engineering. This is due to the engineering tertiary education system, which is design in such a way that is helps to train the mind of engineers to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic approach for designing solutions.

These trainings help engineers prepare themselves to face real problems at their workplace. Problems like making sure the final product or solution is cost effective, user friendly, is the product environmentally friendly, can the production be done or solution to the problem found in the given time frame. Problems will keep arising as globalisation continues to take place and to deal with these problems, engineers must come into the picture and play their role.

All the training is provided by the university as they want future engineers to excel in their respective fields. The university provides the infrastructure, services and support needed for the student to build and master their core engineering knowledge and then carry out practices at laboratory work where students are required to use their knowledge and put to practical work. Then there are also industrial attachment programs where one get to encounter real time problems and feel how is the life of an engineer like. As this will give them sufficient experience and would be able to design proper solutions.

Having core engineering knowledge is important but soft skills are equally important as well. Since engineers work in groups, they should be able to interact, share their idea and thoughts, work as a team, teams' should have good leader who can motivate and drive their team to perform in their task.

Once one is an engineer he or she has to keep upgrading themselves with new set of skills for their respective line and also with the latest technology advancement. This would help an engineer's mind to analyze complex information and apply better designing solutions relevant with time. With all this benefits or gains, it would not be surprising that tertiary engineering education would be become the next "' liberal arts education' of today and tomorrow" (Ramakrishna, 2007).

Ramakrishna, S. (2007, August 5). The expanding world of engineers. The Sunday Times, p. 25.