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Session 2555

THE ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF GRADUATE ENGINEERS IN INDUSTRY FOR TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP D A KEATING and T G STANFORD University of South Carolina

1. INTRODUCTION

Following a review of graduate engineering education and needs assessment studies of graduate engineers in industry, it is now evident that a transformation in graduate education is needed to improve U.S. technology innovation and competitiveness in the worldwide economy. At present, graduate education in engineering is primarily a byproduct of research, based on a science-driven model of technology largely set in place in 1945 by the Bush report, “Science: The Endless Frontier.”1 It is now apparent, after 50 years, that this model is only partially correct. Based on a new understanding of the technology innovation process, it is now evident that technology innovation is primarily a deliberate and systematic needs-driven process using the creative engineering method. Correspondingly, a graduate professional education alternative which furthers the growth, learning, and creative development of the nation’s in-place graduate engineers in industry can significantly improve U.S. technological competitiveness.

2. THE RESEARCH DRIVEN MODEL FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION

While the research-driven model of graduate education has served the nation well in the education of future academic researchers, it is now recognized that an alternative model of graduate professional education is required for the majority of the nation’s graduate engineers in industry and government service who are pursuing non-research professional career paths. Based on this new understanding, it has become evident that the nation’s primary “wellspring” for the generation, creation, and innovation of technology is its human resource base of creative graduate engineers in industry. Graduate professional education programs that are specifically designed to further the leadership growth and creative development of this vital national asset will directly and immediately stimulate effective innovation for improvement in worldwide competitiveness.

2.1 The Traditional Model of Education and Research

Education means different things to different people. The lack of an appropriate definition of education for human resource development has limited the advancement of professional education at research universities and the fullest interactions of these institutions with industry. Specifically, reference is made to the further graduate professional education of experienced in- place graduate engineers who are vital to improving industry’s innovation and technological competitiveness.

Traditionally, the model of professional education for graduate engineers derives from a concept of knowledge transfer and learning which is the result of the science-driven model of technology. The existing policy for graduate science education was put forth in the Bush report to the

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Stanford, T. G., & Keating, D. (1998, June), The Advanced Professional Education Of Graduate Engineers In Industry For Technology Leadership Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--6908