the engineer and the future

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnology

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THE ENGINEER AND THE FUTURE: Making Impact in a Globlalised

World

Presented at:

IEEE, OAU, Ile-Ife

OLUSEYI ISOLAResearch Officer

February 12, 2010


An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyProtocols

Appreciation to the conveners of this gathering for inviting me to present at this assembly

Acknowledgment of dignitariesthe Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the Faculty of Technology, the Chairman and members of the Local

Organising Committee, Sponsors, Partners, and Distinguished participants

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyOutline

IntroductionConceptsThe EngineerThe FutureGlobalisationAgenda for ActionConcluding Remarks

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I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful, and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900, Anglo-Irish playwright, author, The Value of Art in Modern Life, 1884).

April 12, 2023 4



© NACETEM 2009

Concepts The combination of Science, Engineering, Technology and

Innovation (SETI) are required for a nation to achieve meaningful growth and development.

SCIENCE = organised or systematic knowledge of empirical phenomena with the main goal of directing or forecasting these phenomena using the understanding acquired through systematic inquiry.

ENGINEERING = the application of science to the optimum conversion of the resources of nature to the uses of mankind.

TECHNOLOGY = the totality of knowledge-based activities directly applicable to the production and improvement of goods and services.

INNOVATION = the process by which firms master and implement the design and production of goods and services that are new to them

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© NACETEM 2009

The Engineer"able to solve problems, generally

engineering but increasingly multi-disciplinary, through applying a deep understanding of mathematics and scientific principles.’’

o Jamie Goggins Engineers Journal I Volume 62: Issue 9 November 2008

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnology…today

“…Engineering schools beget engineers. Engineers beget ideas. And ideas beget companies.”

- Guy Kawasaki, Reality Check (2008)

“…Today’s engineer is on a different planet. He or she faces life of multiple project assignments with an almost interchangeable array of employers, clients, start-ups and established firms; these assignments require an extraordinarily broad set of technical, business, and interpersonal skills performed as part of ever-changing and shifting interdisciplinary teams.”

- David Goldberg, The Entrepreneurial Engineer (2006)7



© NACETEM 2009

…and then, globalisationthe process whereby, in the interest of free

trade, nation-based legal, regulatory, fiduciary, logistical and technical barriers are progressively reduced (Locke, 2005).

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© NACETEM 2009

…The Future will intensifyAbundance of knowledge Virtual division of the new global economy

based on access to knowledge and ability to exploit it

Economic activities shifted from largely domestic affairs to more complex international relationships

Unprecedented cross-border transferability of information and the removal of trade barriers

Significantly increased occurrence of externalities within nations

Global employment challenges9



© NACETEM 2009

Youth Unemployment 15-24 age group (2000-2008)

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© NACETEM 2009

Youth Unemployment 25+ age group (2000-2008)

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DEVELOPING ECONOMIESDEVELOPING ECONOMIES

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EMERGING ECONOMIESEMERGING ECONOMIES

DEVELOPED ECONOMIESDEVELOPED ECONOMIES



Development Status Report (1)

Country Human Develop

ment Index

ranking

Per Capita

GDP (PPP USD)

% population

below $1/day

% population

below $2/day

Singapore 25 24481 - -South Korea 27 17971 <2 <2Chile 39 10274 <2 9.6Malaysia 56 9512 <2 9.3South Africa 94 10346 10.7 34.1China 87 5003 16.6 46.7Nigeria 136 1050 70.2 90.8

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Development Status Report (2)29% of children ages of 0-5 years are underweight.

Less than 40% of the population connected to the national electricity grid

Agricultural contribution to GDP has fallen consistently to about 40% in 1987 and 33% in 2005

Average capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector still less than 50%

Manufacturing accounted for just 9.6% of the non-oil GDP in 2005

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World Bank Nigeria Report

Facts About Nigerian University Graduates:They lack: Critical thinking, analytical and innovative skillsCommunication (written/reading/verbal) skillsICT skillsTEAM SPIRITNumeracy skills

95% are unemployable!

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ON THE MARCH TO THE FUTURE

What we need to do

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyAction Points

Know your subject by reading, tutelage and study

Learn to write/communicate: English and not EngliS!

Learn to read and understand data

Contacts: you’re only as good as your network

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyAction Points

Immerse yourself in the right groups: no point standing out if you’re in the wrong audience

Openness/Team spirit: the best things are done by TEAMSThat’s why more people would watch Champions League than Grand Slam!

FOCUS

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyAre you a flash light ?...

Very bright at the on setTravels far with white lightLacks focus and concentrationWhen seen from afar can not tell whether it

is head lamp for bike, bus, truck.

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Focused from beginning to the end You must be able to use your strength

to mask your weaknesses.

…or an Infra Red ray?



Technical Fundamentals are Key…It is impossible to address any technology-

based challenge, no matter how ‘small’ without strong technical fundamentals, such as thermodynamics, circuits, quantum theory, physical properties of solids, optics, fluid mechanics, physiology, and molecular biology.

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnology…but

The electrical engineer of today who has confined his work entirely to theoretical fields has, comparatively speaking, very little chance in competition with his brother worker who, in addition to much practical experience, has been trained in commercial ways…

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An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyBuild Capacity Widely

The statement so often made that the electrical profession is overcrowded is absolutely untrue…there are dozens of positions waiting and there always will be, for the demand exceeds the supply, many, many times.

Amateur Works Magazine http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular-mechanics/Amateur-Work-6/index.html

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3 Core Requisites for the Future Engineer

Ability to analyse (technical as well as business issues)

Ability to translate important concepts and conclusions into the language of different constituencies (e.g., your boss, investors, non-technical colleagues, reporters)

Ability to perceive new opportunities - connecting disparate ideas from different disciplines in new ways23


An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and An Agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnologyConcluding remarks

Between the ideaAnd the reality……

Between the conceptionAnd the creation……

Falls the Shadow- T.S. Eliot (The Hollow Men)

We engineers must throw light on the shadow. We must lead the task of harnessing technology for sustainable growth and economic development.

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THANK YOU!

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