Engineering for a Changing World

Abstract

Powerful forces, including demographics, global- ization, and rapidly evolving technologies are driving profound changes in the role of engi- neering in society. The changing workforce and tech- nology needs of a global knowledge economy are dra- matically changing the nature of engineering practice, demanding far broader skills than simply the mastery of scientific and technological disciplines. The growing awareness of the importance of technological innova- tion to economic competitiveness and national security is demanding a new priority for application-driven ba- sic engineering research. The nonlinear nature of the flow of knowledge between fundamental research and engineering application, the highly interdisciplinary nature of new technologies, and the impact of cyberin- frastructure demand new paradigms in engineering re- search and development. Moreover, challenges such as the off-shoring of engineering jobs, the decline of stu- dent interest in scientific and engineering careers, im- migration restrictions, and inadequate social diversity in the domestic engineering workforce are also raising serious questions about the adequacy of our current na- tional approach to engineering.