The 21st Century Engineer

Submission for IEE Write Around The World 2004

By Adrian Pais
IEE Younger Member Auckland, New Zealand

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Introduction Information age We are in an era which will be remembered as one of dramatic change and uncertainty. Today it is almost a truism to mention the global economy. New technologies such as the Internet have broken the geographical barriers which once prevented distant countries from trading with each other. In previous eras, wealth was primarily measured by materials and tangible goods. Trade was limited to within countries or at most between neighbouring countries. The last decade has seen a dramatic shift in the concept of wealth creation; it is now information that motivates technological innovation, creates new jobs and consequently drives wealth. Consider any product being manufactured today, whether it be conventional or new, and it is difficult to separate its success in the global marketplace from information. A conventional product such as copper being exported overseas is transported using timecritical logistical information. Newer products such as mobile phones rely on the very desire for individuals to convey information so that they can be more effective in their business. A burgeoning dot com industry has emerged and depends on information for its very existence. Internet retailers such as amazon.com do not produce any goods, rather their business largely involves communicating information between consumers and suppliers located remotely. Challenge for engineers I believe that the dawn of the new era has presented greater demands on engineers than ever before. Engineers are faced with the challenge of performing in a global environment with ever-changing business models, shorter product life cycles, cutthroat competition and conflicting values [1]. Long gone are the days of a stable career with a single enterprise; the engineers career path now has many twists and turns coupled with a great deal of uncertainty. It is in unpredictable times like these that we are prompted to reflect on our purpose as a profession and develop a vision for the future. As engineers we are at the forefront of change. Like artists, we have the ability to paint a picture of the world the way we want it to be. How will we paint this picture? Will we use the best quality paintbrush or just a mediocre quality paintbrush? How will future generations look upon the artwork? Will it be displayed in the finest art galleries and jealously guarded like Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa masterpiece or jettisoned like a piece of scrap paper on which we scribbled? Why did we want to paint the picture in the first place? Is it simply because we wanted to generate personal financial wealth by selling the painting to the highest bidder or do we possess intrinsic human values which we wish to depict through the painting? These are the underlying questions that challenge engineers in the twenty-first century. In this paper, I share my vision of the basic values that engineers should possess (see Figure 1), and the underlying challenges for the engineering community, if the painting is to have the prospect of becoming a masterpiece.

Page 1

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Holism

Leadership

Ethics and Social responsibility

Continuous learning 21st Century Engineer

Entrepreneurship and Business acumen

Creativity and Innovation

Figure 1. Values of the twenty-first century engineer

Holistic values Twenty-first century engineers should be well-rounded, well-balanced individuals who are capable of relating to people from a variety of backgrounds. They should not be driven by monetary reward alone but by the pride, satisfaction and enjoyment that comes from doing things that are particularly useful [2]. Although their day-to-day work might involve solving very specific technical problems, they should be aware that their work is part of a bigger picture. In philosophy, the concept of holism encompasses the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts [3]. The modern engineer will be able to see connections between seemingly disparate components and integrate them so that their combined value is greater than the sum of the values of the individual components [3]. This ability will be acquired by an accumulated knowledge and creativity developed over time as a result of an interest in not only engineering but also other fields such as arts, science, humanities and commerce.

Page 2

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Leadership It is often in times of turmoil that great leaders are born (Figure 2). Nelson Mandela emerged from the depths of apartheid in South Africa to lead his people for a cause which millions of people around the world believed in. The abject poverty in Calcutta inspired Mother Teresa to initiate and lead an order of nuns which now exists in almost every country of the world. These leaders did not have any authoritative power nor were they elected to lead. However, they recognised the need for change and had a vision for the future which they pursued with passion. The engineering profession has been faced with turmoil on several occasions. For example, after the North-Eastern US blackout disaster in August 2003, the IEEE Spectrum magazine published a report entitled Big Blackout Surprises Politicians, But Not the Power Community [4]. If the power community was aware of the severe problems in the North-Eastern US electricity grid, then why was such a calamitous disaster allowed to happen? Most recently, the partial collapse of a terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in May 2004 is almost certain to reveal leadership problems during its planning and construction. I believe that these disasters, which were inherently technical by nature, would not have occurred if engineers were at the forefront of leadership or at least had their voice heard. The challenge for the engineering community in the twenty-first century is to create and nurture leaders who have the same vigour and enthusiasm as great leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. There needs to be a strong vision for leadership, with professional societies, universities, governments and industry working together to develop strategies for the emergence of new leaders in engineering.

Figure 2. Great leaders: Mother Teresa (left) and Nelson Mandela (right)
Page 3

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Continuous learning Modern engineers should have an excellent knowledge base coupled with an insatiable desire to continuously acquire new knowledge and skills. In the words of futurologist Alvin Toffler, the illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn [5]. This view is reaffirmed by IBMs director of employee relations Dick Halock who says to newly hired college graduates, Take the initiative in your own development. Learn new things. Read widely. Absorb as much as you can, whether or not its related to your current job [6]. Given the continuously reducing half-life of knowledge in modern society [7], it is more important for engineers to develop learning skills than to acquire knowledge itself. For example, when working on projects, modern engineers will be encountered with a plethora of information from which they will have to be able to extract useful knowledge. Although learning new technical skills is important for engineers, they should have a holistic learning approach which drives them to be curious about everything around them. By learning from insight, they must strive to improve their communication, thinking, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Many twenty-first century engineers will seek to upgrade their skills by acquiring new qualifications. The unforgiving global economy has meant that they will face a constant juggling act between family, work and education. Professional societies such as the IEE have a pivotal role in providing continuous learning opportunities for their members, and in bridging the gap between industry and academia. The adoption of modern e-learning technologies by professional societies and universities has the potential to make the juggling act far more manageable for engineers in the twenty-first century [7,8]. Creativity and Innovation Engineers have the benefit of being able to grasp technical concepts, think analytically and solve complicated problems. Although these qualities are important, they are not necessarily sufficient for a successful engineering career in the twenty-first century. Businesses strive to continuously innovate their processes and products so that they can create new opportunities in a complex, ever-changing environment [1]. The modern engineer should have the creativity to develop unique ideas and the assertiveness to put them into practice. Creative thinking is a critical component of the innovation process [9]. Clearly the great inventors of our times were also great creative thinkers. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists ever known, said that imagination is more important than knowledge [10]. In the words of Edward de Bono, a world authority in the field of creative thinking, it is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to always be right by having no ideas at all [10]. Like the great inventors of our times, twenty-first century engineers will strive to think outside the box and improve their creative thinking ability.

Page 4

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Researchers in creative thinking generally believe that absolute adherence to the norms of society and the fear of failure are major obstacles to creativity [9]. Claude Berrou and Alain Glavieux, the inventors of the revolutionary turbo codes, were greeted with scoffing from experts when they presented a paper at the 1993 IEEE International Conference on Communications in Geneva, Switzerland. However, the experts did not realise that this paper solved a communications puzzle that had lasted for more than 40 years [11]. Thomas Edison never gave up in his search for the perfect filament in the incandescent light bulb. He tried about 1600 different materials including coconut fibre and hairs from a friends beard before he found success with carbonised bamboo [12]. These inventors demonstrated that creativity is as much an attitude as it is a skill. Modern engineers must be willing to break the norms and persist unwaveringly in their pursuit for innovation. Of course, there will be failures along the way, but it is only by learning from these failures that we can innovate better. Entrepreneurship and Business acumen Developing a new idea is just the first step towards innovation. Edward de Bono believes that an idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea [10]. Thomas Edison once said, Most of my ideas belonged to people who never bothered to develop them [10]. One of the hallmarks of a great engineer in the twenty-first century will be the ability to transform ideas into reality. This will require an entrepreneurial attitude which involves taking risks to create new business opportunities [13]. A renowned entrepreneur and engineer is Dr. Irwin Jacobs, an academic who invented Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and founded Qualcomm Inc., a maverick startup company which was intent on making CDMA technology predominant in the future of wireless communications. In 1991, Qualcomm had about 600 employees and made a net loss of $8.4 million. However, barely a decade later in 2000, it had more than 6,300 employees and made a profit of more than $670 million [14]. It is widely believed that although technological innovation was critical to Qualcomms success, it was Dr. Irwin Jacobs business strategy to leverage CDMA technology worldwide that gave his company a competitive advantage over rival companies which initially had a head start over Qualcomm [14]. Modern engineers must strive to emulate the qualities shown by great entrepreneurs like Dr. Irwin Jacobs. They should be action oriented individuals who have a desire for achievement that drives them to take risks. They must have an understanding of how to market their ideas, attract venture capital, create wealth and strategically operate their businesses.

Page 5

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Ethics and Social responsibility The twenty-first century engineer should be ethical, responsible and have a respect for human beings and the environment. In an era which is characterised by the desire of companies to generate wealth amid fierce competition, engineers are at great risk of sacrificing common ethical values in order to meet the demands placed on them. While engineers should be completely focused on their tasks, they should always have a holistic approach in their work ethic. It is only by having this attitude that engineers will be respected by society and have a greater capacity to make change. The advent of globalisation has meant that modern engineers are likely to work in several different countries during their careers, or at least work directly with people based in other countries. While members of one culture may view a behaviour as unethical, members of another may view the same behaviour as perfectly reasonable [1]. It is therefore important for engineers to appreciate ethics and social responsibility in a crosscultural and international context. One of the greatest ethical concerns in the twenty-first century is the digital divide [15]. This issue struck me when I recently visited the small town of Monze in southern Zambia. I saw some street kids and asked them why they werent at school. The answer was simple, No money sir. I took the liberty of taking a photograph of them (Figure 3). When I showed them their photograph on the graphical display of my digital camera, they leapt for joy and had fits of laughter. Soon after, they requested me to give them some money to buy lunch, as they hadnt eaten for a day. My experience in Monze demonstrated that while people in more wealthy societies have an array of new opportunities being presented to them all the time, those less fortunate are at the risk of lagging even further behind as they lack basic needs such as food, health and education. This begs the question of whether technology is important to poor people who lack basic needs. From his experiences in trying to bridge the digital divide in India and Bangladesh, Peter Bladin believes that technology is important to poor people because it addresses another basic human need: the need to communicate [16]. If used in the right way, it also has the potential to empower poor people. Furthermore, technology can be applied to assist in meeting basic needs such as education and health [16]. Twenty-first century engineers should strive to develop technology that helps to bridge the digital divide. There are already tremendous initiatives being taken to do this, such as the village computing centres in Bangladesh [16] and the Owerri digital village in Nigeria [17]. Bridging the digital divide and profit making are not mutually exclusive, as demonstrated by computer kiosks that allow villagers to get online in India [18]. These developments are encouraging signs that engineers have already begun bridging the digital divide in the twenty-first century.

Page 6

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

Figure 3. Street kids in Monze, Zambia Conclusion In a society that is driven by technological advances, engineers are like artists with the ability to paint a picture of the world. The quality of the resulting artwork will be governed by intrinsic values and a dogged determination to succeed. The most essential value for a modern engineer is holism, for it is all other values, such as leadership, continuous learning, creativity, entrepreneurship and social responsibility, that stem from holism. There will be times along the way when we use the wrong paint or paintbrush, but it is only through such mistakes that we will learn how to improve ourselves. It is essential that we are involved in society, for it is only by doing this that we will be empowered to make change for the better. So, every time that you learn something new or make a decision, just remember that you are like an artist painting a picture, and your contribution determines whether or not it will become a masterpiece.

Page 7

The 21st Century Engineer

By Adrian Pais

References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] R.W. Griffin and M.W. Pustay, International Business. NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, c2005 (i.e. 2004). M. Chang, Engineers in the 21st century, IEEE Journal on Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, vol. 6, no. 6, 2000. J. Bordogna, The 21st Century Engineer, IEEE Spectrum Careers, May 2004; http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/careers/careerstemplate.jsp?ArticleId=e010101. ________, Big Blackout Surprises Politicians, But Not Power Community, IEEE Spectrum, September 2003. Learning for the 21st century, accessed in May 2004; http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/downloads/P21_Report.pdf. D. Kirkpatrick, Is Your Career on Track?, Fortune, p.48, July 2 1990. M.S. Pittinsky, The Wired Tower: Perspectives on the Impact of the Internet on Higher Education. NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. A.V. Pais, A Perspective on the Role of Professional Societies in a Global E-Education Paradigm, Proceedings of e-ducation Without Borders World Student Conference, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, pp. 45-48, 2003. E. de Bono, Serious creativity: using the power of lateral thinking to create new ideas. London: HarperCollins, 1993. Creativity and Innovation Quotes from Innovation Tools, accessed in May 2004; http://www.innovationtools.com/Quotes/Quotes.asp. E. Guizo, Closing in on the perfect code, IEEE Spectrum, pp. 28-34, March 2004. M. Josephson, Edison: A Biography. New York: Mc-Graw Hill, 1959. J.R. Schermerhorn, Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996. D. Steinbock, Wireless Horizon: Strategy and Competition in the Worldwide Mobile Marketplace. New York: AMACOM, 2003. M. Warschauer, Technology and social inclusion: rethinking the digital divide. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT, 2003. Grameen Connections: Bridging the Digital Divide, accessed in May 2004; http://www.gfusa.org/newsletter/winter02/b_d_dig_div.shtml. The Digital Divide Network, accessed in May 2004; http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=240. MSNBC News: India Bridges the Digital Divide, accessed in May 2004; http://www.msnbc.com/news/979311.asp?cp1=1.

Page 8