Engineering Education and the Challenges of the 21st Century Charles M. Vest President, National...

Engineering Education and the

Challenges of the 21st Century

Charles M. Vest

President, National Academy of Engineering

Samuel Ginn Lecture in Engineering

Auburn University

September 22, 2009

Engineering Education and Challenges

1. 21st century Engineering and Science

2. Globalization

3. Grand Challenges

4. Innovation

5. Engineering Education

21st CenturyEngineering and Science

New FrontiersInterdisciplinary

InterrelatedUse-Inspired

Frontiersof Technology

Frontiers of Technology

Macro SystemsEnergy

EnvironmentHealth Care

ManufacturingCommunications

Logistics

NanoBioInfo

Tiny Systems

Macro SystemsEnergy

EnvironmentHealth Care

ManufacturingCommunications

Logistics

NanoBioInfo

Social Science

Natural Science

Tiny Systems

Frontiers of Technology

The Payoff will come from Bridging the Frontiers

MACRO SYSTEMSEnergy

EnvironmentHealth Care

ManufacturingCommunications

Logistics …

TINY SYSTEMS

BioInfo

Nano

Bio-based materialsBiomemeticsPersonalized, Predictive MedicineSynthetic BiologyBiofuelsEtc.

Interdisciplinary

GenomicResearch

Biology

GenomicResearch

Clinical Insight

RoboticsAnd

Automation

Biology

Microfabrication

CombinatorialMathematics

GenomicResearch

Interdependent

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

BrainResearch

CellBiology

ComplexSystems

Computation

MicroSensors

Imaging

BrainResearch

CellBiology

ComplexSystems

Computation

MicroSensors

Imaging

IncreasinglyUse-Inspired

No Yes

Yes

No

Pure BasicResearch

(Bohr)

Pure AppliedResearch(Edison)

Research is inspired by:Consideration of use?

Quest forFundamentalUnderstanding?

Adapted from Pasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, Donald E. Stokes 1997

R&D is increasingly performed in “Pasteur’s Quadrant”

No Yes

Yes

No

Pure BasicResearch

(Bohr)

Pure AppliedResearch(Edison)

Research is inspired by:Consideration of use?

Quest forFundamentalUnderstanding?

Adapted from Pasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, Donald E. Stokes 1997

R&D is increasingly performed in “Pasteur’s Quadrant”

Use-inspiredBasic Research

(Pasteur)

No Yes

Yes

No

Pure BasicResearch

(Bohr)

Pure AppliedResearch(Edison)

Research is inspired by:Consideration of use?

Quest forFundamentalUnderstanding?

Adapted from Pasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, Donald E. Stokes 1997

R&D is increasingly performed in “Pasteur’s Quadrant”

FormerUniversityPresidents

(Vest)

Use-inspiredBasic Research

(Pasteur)

Globalization

R&DHigher Education

Movement and Integration

Globalization of

R&D and Talent

New R&D Investments

Data for 2002

Source: Science and Engineering Indicators, NSF 2008

R&D Expenditures and Share of World Total

New PlayersWhere the Expertise is

Source: Competitiveness Index 2007, Council on Competitiveness, Washington, DC

Young Professional Workforce(college grads up to 7 yr.

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

China India U.S.

Engineers

Life Science

Finance/Acct.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

19831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002

China

Japan

S. Korea

US

UK

Germany

Source: Science and Engineering Indicators 2006, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC

First Engineering Degrees(China Rises.)

China

US

Japan

thou

sand

s

Source: NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Asia Europe United States

% UG Degrees in Science or Engineering

Natural Sciences

Engineering

How do we compare with the Rest of the World?

Source: NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Asia Europe United States

% UG Degrees in Science or Engineering

Natural Sciences

Engineering

What About the Rest of the World?

A Problem

Globalizationof

Higher Education

Research University Globalization Phase I

GermanyHumboldt University

1800s

USAJohns Hopkins

1800s MIT, Caltech, RPI, …

1800s / 1900s

Berkeley, Stanford,Michigan, UC, …

1800s /1900s

IITs India1960’s

AccelerationAsia

2000’s

Bologna Europe2010

2000s!

Research University Globalization Phase II

• Physical Presence in Other Countries– Campuses– Laboratories

• Strategic Alliances Between Universities• Virtual Presence in Other Countries

– Distance Education• Synchronous• Asynchronous

– Open Content: The Emerging Meta-University• Teaching Materials• Scholarly Archives• Telepresent Laboratories

Research University Globalization Phase II

• Physical Presence in Other Countries– Campuses– Laboratories

• Strategic Alliances Between Universities• Virtual Presence in Other Countries

– Distance Education• Synchronous• Asynchronous

– Open Content: The Emerging Meta-University• Teaching Materials• Scholarly Archives• Telepresent Laboratories

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)

• Concept: Make the basic teaching materials for 1,900 MIT subjects available on the Web to teachers and learners everywhere free of charge.

• Publication -- Not Teaching per se.

• An adventure!

41.9%18.0%

4.4%

1.4%

19.6%

4.9% 8.4%

MIT OCW – Traffic by Region

% web hits since 10/1/03

The Meta University A Personal View

What we are observing is the early emergence of a Meta University -- a transcendent, accessible, empowering, dynamic, communally-constructed framework of open materials and platforms on which much of higher education worldwide can be constructed or enhanced.

Movement and Integration

BrainDrain

Then

BrainDrain

BrainCirculation

Then Now

BrainDrain

BrainIntegration

BrainCirculation

Then Now

Next

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source: Prof. David Baker, University of Washington

MIT Center for

Collective Intelligence

Core research question:

How can people and computer be connected so that collectively they act more intelligently

than any person, group, or computer has ever done before?

Grand Challenges

Grand Challenges for Engineering

• Proposed by a committee of amazingly accomplished and innovative people.

• Extremely challenging and important.

• Deemed to be doable in the next few decades.

Grand Challenges Committee

• Bill Perry, chair• Sir Alec Broers• Farouk El-Baz• Wes Harris• Bernadine Healy• Daniel Hillis• Calestous Juma• Dean Kamen• Ray Kurzweil

• Bob Langer• Jaime Lerner• Bindu Lohani• Jane Lubchenco• Mario Molina• Larry Page• Rob Socolow• Craig Venter• Jackie Ying

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Make Solar EnergyEconomical

Manage theNitrogen Cycle

Advance HealthcareInformatics

Prevent NuclearTerror

Advance PersonalizedLearning

Provide EnergyFrom Fusion

Provide Access to Clean Water

Engineer Better Medicines

Secure Cyberspace

Engineer the Tools of ScientificDiscovery

Develop CarbonSequestrationMethods

Restore andImprove UrbanInfrastructure

ReverseEngineer theBrain

EnhanceVirtualReality

Engineering Grand Challenges

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EnergyEnvironment

Global WarmingSustainability

Improve Medicine andHealthcare Delivery

Reducing Vulnerability toHuman and Natural Threats

Expand and EnhanceHuman Capability

And Joy

Engineering Grand Challengeswww.engineeringchallenges.org

Innovation

New SystemsDrivers

New Systems for Innovation?

Life Sciences and

Information Technology

21st centuryInnovation

Disruptive TechnologiesFor

Grand Challenges

21st centuryInnovation

Macro Systemsespecially Energy

21st centuryInnovation

A new Enabling Technology?

21st centuryInnovation

Future ofVenture Capital?

21st centuryInnovation

Globalization ofR&D

EducationWorkforce

21st centuryInnovation

Life Sciences and

Information Technology

A new Enabling Technology?

Macro Systemsespecially Energy

Future ofVenture Capital?

Disruptive TechnologiesFor

Grand Challenges

Globalization ofR&D

EducationWorkforce

21st centuryInnovation

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Duderstadt / NAEBrookings / Energy

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Aalto UniversityOlin CollegeSingapore

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Singularity University

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

WikipediaRoseta@Home.OrgIBM Innovation JamSocial Networking

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

X Prizes

Evolution ofcurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

InducementPrizes

21st centuryInnovation

Drivers of Innovation

“We need to get back to making stuff

based on real engineering not just

financial engineering.”Thomas Friedman

New York Times

Sept. 28, 2008

“We need to get back to making stuff

based on real engineering not just

financial engineering.”Thomas Friedman

New York Times

Sept. 28, 2008

“We need to get back to making stuff

based on real engineering not just

financial engineering.”Thomas Friedman

New York Times

Sept. 28, 2008

“We need to get back to making stuff

based on real engineering not just

financial engineering.”Thomas Friedman

New York Times

Sept. 28, 2008

“… with more than 50,000 new jobs,

the renewable energy industry in Germany

is now second only to its auto industry.”Thomas Friedman

New York Times

Sept. 18, 2009

Relentless ChangeGrand Challenges

Distributed IntelligenceS&T Acceleration

GlobalizationInternet Democracy

Life Sciences and

Information Technology

A new Enabling Technology?

Macro Systemsespecially Energy

Future of

Venture Capital?

Disruptive TechnologiesFor

Grand Challenges

Globalization ofR&D

EducationWorkforce

21st centuryInnovation

Relentless ChangeGrand Challenges

Distributed IntelligenceS&T Acceleration

GlobalizationInternet Democracy

Life Sciences and

Information Technology

A new Enabling Technology?

Macro Systemsespecially Energy

Future of

Venture Capital?

Disruptive TechnologiesFor

Grand Challenges

Globalization ofR&D

EducationWorkforce

21st centuryInnovation

Evolution ofCurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

Inducement Prizes

21st centuryInnovation

Relentless ChangeGrand Challenges

Distributed IntelligenceS&T Acceleration

GlobalizationInternet Democracy

Life Sciences and

Information Technology

A new Enabling Technology?

Macro Systemsespecially Energy

Future of

Venture Capital?

Disruptive TechnologiesFor

Grand Challenges

Globalization ofR&D

EducationWorkforce

21st centuryInnovation

Evolution ofCurrent

Innovation System

VirtualCommunities

Discovery InnovationInstitutes

New Universities

New EducationalOrganizations

Inducement Prizes

21st centuryInnovation

Relentless ChangeGrand Challenges

Distributed IntelligenceS&T Acceleration

GlobalizationInternet Democracy

To Be Determined

by

A New Generation

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are needed to see this picture.

Engineering Education

Macro SystemsEnergy

EnvironmentHealth Care

ManufacturingCommunications

Logistics

NanoBioInfo

Social Science

Natural Science

Tiny Systems

Engineering Educationmust reflect this.

EnergyEnvironment

Global WarmingSustainability

Improve Medicine andHealthcare Delivery

Reducing Vulnerability toHuman and Natural Threats

Expand and EnhanceHuman Capability

And Joy

Engineering Education must beoriented to the grand challenges.

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Asia Europe United States

% UG Degrees in Science or Engineering

Natural Sciences

Engineering

Engineering Education must reverse this.

By Changing the ConversationA National Academy of Engineering Project

Engineers help shape the future.

Engineering is essential to our health,

happiness, and safety.

Engineers are creative problem solvers.

And by rediscoveringThe Amazing Disappearing

Word

ENGINEER

ENGINEERWe need to get it back into the vernacular.

What is important in Engineering Education

Making universities and engineering schools exciting, creative, adventurous, rigorous, demanding, and empowering environments is more important than specifying curricular details.

What is important in Engineering Education

Making universities and engineering schools exciting, creative, adventurous, rigorous, demanding, and empowering environments is more important than specifying curricular details.

That’s what I learned at MIT.

Thank you.