The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century
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| Audience/Grade: | College Freshman - Graduate |
| Discipline(s): |
Design Engineering Ethics General Engineering, Engineering Science |
| Special Topic(s): |
Engineer 2020 |
| Learning Resource Type: | Reference - General |
| Author(s): | National Academy of Engineering |
| Description: | In the past, changes in the engineering profession and engineering education have followed changes in technology and society. Disciplines were added and curricula were created to meet the critical challenges in society and to provide the workforce required to integrate new developments into our economy. Today's landscape is little different; society continually changes and engineering must adapt to remain relevant. But we must ask if it serves the nation well to permit the engineering profession and engineering education to lag technology and society, especially as technological change occurs at a faster and faster pace. Rather, should the engineering profession anticipate needed advances and prepare for a future where it will provide more benefit to humankind? Likewise, should engineering education evolve to do the same? This report is the result of an initiative of the National Academy of Engineering that attempts to prepare for the future of engineering by asking the question, "What will or should engineering be like in 2020?" Will it be a reflection of the engineering of today and its past growth patterns or will it be fundamentally different? Most importantly, can the engineering profession play a role in shaping its own future? Can a future be created where engineering has a broadly recognized image that celebrates the exciting roles that engineering and engineers play in addressing societal and technical challenges? How can engineers best be educated to be leaders, able to balance the gains afforded by new technologies with the vulnerabilities created by their byproducts without compromising the well-being of society and humanity? Will engineering be viewed as a foundation that prepares citizens for a broad range of creative career opportunities? Will engineering reflect and celebrate the diversity of all the citizens in our society? Whatever the answers to these questions, without doubt, difficult problems and opportunities lie ahead that will call for engineering solutions and the talents of a creative engineering mind-set. The report looks at both the technological drivers (e.g., bioengineering, biotechnology, information technology, MEMS and nanotechnology, miniaturization, advanced materials and photonics, complex systems, smart products, and the environment as well as socio-technical transformations, such as technology for an aging population, changing demographics, mass customization, the pace of technology, the information explosion, and the social, global and professional contexts of engineering practice. Engineering aspirations and attributes for 2020 are summarized and four scenarios are provided to stimulate scenario-based planning. |
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| Related ABET Criteria: |
(c) Design a system, component, or process (f) Understand professional and ethical responsibility (h) Understand global, economic, environmental, and societal context (j) Integrate knowledge of contemporary issues (k) Use modern engineering tools in engineering practice |
| Use of Resource: |
Stimulate Discussion and Strategic Thinking The engineer of 2020 and beyond will face a bewildering array of new technologies, appearing at a rate that will bring his or her professional qualifications constantly near obsolescence. The engineering community will face a world which is more connected than today, requiring both social and political acumen to navigate the changing world conditions. The particular factors that will dominate engineering practice and require reform of engineering education are not predictable, although an array of possible factors is already evident. This report lays out those factors the committee deemed most plausible to have an impact and thus creates a framework of issues that it believes must be considered in a discussion of the action steps for engineering education. That discussion is the subject of Phase II of this project. A vision of the future engineer is provided by the aspirations and attributes listed in Chapters 3 and 4. These aspirations describe engineers who are broadly educated, see themselves as global citizens, can lead in business and public service, as well as in research, development and design, are ethical and inclusive of all segments of society. The attributes include strong analytical skills, creativity, ingenuity, professionalism, and leadership. We believe that engineers meet these aspirations and evidence these attributes today. The issue is how we can ensure that the engineering profession and engineering education adopt a collective vision including these aspirations and encouraging creation of an environment that promotes these attributes and aspirations in the future. |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | December 2004 |
| Platform/Format: | WWW |
| Cost: | Free |
| Download URL: | http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091624/html/ |
| Copyright and Use Restrictions: | Web and pdf versions are available for dissemination with appropriate attribution. A hard copy version can be purchased at the NAE website at: http://books.nap.edu/v3/makepage.phtml?val1=options |
| Metadata: | IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
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