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U.S.-India International Research, Education, and Industry Experiences for Students Abstract

The National Academy of Engineering report Educating the Engineer of 2020 calls for system-wide efforts to align our nation’s engineering curriculum and engineering profession with the needs of today’s global, knowledge-driven economy with the goal of increasing student interest in engineering careers. As more industries benefit from the economic advantages of a global R&D capability, U.S. engineering teams need to prepare for collaboration across countries and the blurring of national boundaries. Future engineers need to be trained not only in basic engineering skills, but also in managing global research teams. Realizing the importance of training U.S. students to work successfully in global R&D research environments, we obtained a grant from the National Science Foundation. This paper summarizes the project experiences of five students who worked with the faculty members and students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and industry executives at Larsen & Toubro Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

Rationale of Proposed Activity for Developing Global Engineers Preeminence in technological innovation depends on a wide array of factors, one of which is leadership in engineering research, education, and practice. As other nations increase their investments in engineering research and education, the U.S. risks falling behind in critical research capabilities and, ultimately, the innovations that flow from research (National Academy of Engineering, 2005). The nation’s ability to capitalize on new knowledge resulting from large investments in life sciences will depend on contributions from engineering. Engineering research is founded on a disciplined approach to problem solving and the application of sophisticated modeling, design, and testing tools to solve problems. The Educating the Engineer of 2020 report (2005) calls for system-wide efforts to align the engineering curriculum and engineering profession with the needs of today’s global, knowledge-driven economy, with the goal of increasing student interest in engineering careers. It has also been recommended that research should be combined with education, thereby training students in critical thinking and research methodologies, as well as providing them with solid engineering skills (National Academy of Engineering, 2005).

Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr., the Chairman Emeritus and Director of Bechtel Group, Inc., (2006) states that, “We must be able to manage and integrate globally constituted, multi-cultural teams that design and procure equipment, materials, and services internationally.” He goes on to note, “GE has Jack Welch’s 70:70:70 rule. That is: 70% of the business processes, including engineering, are to be outsourced. Of this, 70% is to be sent offshore, and of this 70% will be sent to India.” Katehi (2005) has also pointed out the importance of this new approach, saying “By 2050, 8 billion of the 9 billion people on Earth will live in developing countries, and economic growth in these countries will be only 2 percent below the expected economic growth in the developed world. Future engineers need to know how to communicate effectively and think globally and appreciate the impact of social/cultural dynamics on a team environment. They need to develop analytic skills, problem-solving skills, and design skills.” In the next two months, Dell will begin building a large PC manufacturing facility in India (Lee, 2006). Kamal Nath, India’s Commerce Minister, says, "10 paradigm shifts are taking place simultaneously in

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Sankar, C., & Raju, P. K. (2008, June), U.S. India International Research, Education, And Industry Experiences For Students In Acoustics And Non Destructive Evaluation Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3708