Engineering the twenty first century educational architecture

• Published in: 2012 IEEE International Conference on Engineering Education: Innovative Practices and Future Trends (AICERA) pp. 1 - 4
• Main Author: Valsamma, K. M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.07.2012
• Subjects: burgeoning economy; Computers; cookie cutter approach; Educational institutions; Engineering education; Explosions; global challenges re-inventing; Knowledge engineering; Knowledge-explosion; scaffold for innovation; Technological innovation; transnational
• ISBN: 9781467322676; 1467322679
• DOI: 10.1109/AICERA.2012.6306724

In the wake of a virtual explosion of knowledge in information technology and other frontier areas of knowledge, manifesting itself in a convergence of biotechnology and nano technology, engineering education all over the world is undergoing a quick transformation that was never before anticipated in the past. In the context of Globalization this knowledge explosion has a special significance and meaning, not merely for developing countries like India and China but also for technologically advanced countries like the USA, Japan and Germany. With an accelerated growth rate of the order of 9% per year, Indian economy is now at the inflection point and poised to take off to an unprecedented height in the growth trajectory towards positioning India as a global technology leader. A critical factor in this will definitely be the success of the engineering education in India. The current trend in Engineering Education places a premium on reinventing and retrofitting itself for the sake of "capacity building" commensurate with the industrial capabilities and man power requirements of a burgeoning economy.. At a time when the world is rapidly transitioning from the age old formulation of nationally differentiated organizations and cultural identities to one of institutions of transnational character, an engineering education suited to meeting the challenges is only too relevant and timely. The change that is taking place all over the world is having a profound influence on national and international systems of commerce, education and governance. As for the current technology that is in place, it provides a scaffold for future innovation. Engineering education in India was started during the British era and the Rao committee report entitled "Revitalizing Technical Education", AICTE Review Report 2003, gives peep into it. The spadework for the higher technical education was laid once the Sarkar Committee report came out with recommendation for the establishment of technical institutes on the model of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the four regions of India. Thus the first 5 IITs adding an extra one over and above the recommendation had its genesis in Sarkar committee report. Now that the world is facing challenges like climate change,we will require a sophisticated work force to address a growing list if complex and interdependent global challenges such as sustainability, security, and economic development. Climate change related problems also figures in the list of grand challenges. Engineers whether working abroad or at home may play a critical role in addressing these and other global challenges. In India and elsewhere there is a growing criticism that institutions are adopting Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen might have called a "cookie cutter approach" in churning out more in numbers than ensuring quality.