Creating creative and critical thinkers
THE role of the engineer is presently redefined by the rapid and very much disruptive emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, asserts Prof Anthony Guo, Head of School of Engineering at Monash University Malaysia. Prof Guo is doing everything he can to ensure engineering graduates are equipped with the necessary skills they would need to face the constantly shifting landscape.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also referred to as Industry 4.0, was sparked by the steady development of the Internet. This has been leapfrogged by cloud technology, which is connecting the world and driving a shared economy. What does this mean for graduates looking to carve out specialised career paths in the engineering sector? Opportunities abound!
“Industry 4.0 extends to many sophisticated industries, such as healthcare and aerospace,” adds Prof Guo. “With big data, optimisation and decentralised facilities, manufacturing can be open, on-demand, low-cost, short-cycle and high-yield. Technology will definitely make a great impact on the manufacturing industry.”
Engineers of today and tomorrow
“Fundamentally, the role of the engineer remains the same, which is to provide technological solutions to issues and problems faced in society. On top of mastering essential knowledge and skills in their chosen disciplines, they should be creative and critical thinkers. They must also be able to evolve and change to fit the needs and demands of industry trends,” asserts Prof Guo.
“Engineering will be about connecting machines and assembly lines together through cloud technology. Our students will thus need to master that essential knowledge,” he adds.
Monash Malaysia’s School of Engineering currently offers five different disciplines: civil, chemical, electrical computer system, mechanical, and mechatronics, in addition to software engineering. While Monash Engineering prepares graduates with work-ready skills and professional practices, it is working to update and revamp the curriculum. This will enable students to be equipped with the necessary skills for key enabling technologies related to Industry 4.0.
Being literate in computing and coding improves future career prospects drastically. Prof Guo says, “We feel that mastering the key enabling technologies is becoming an essential skill today for future engineers, who will be able to apply them and create solutions for complex problems in their disciplines. It is becoming as important as mathematics, design and communication skills.”
Beyond technical knowledge
Having knowledge of important theories and practical cues by heart is not enough for a graduate to excel at the workplace. It is also important for students to get involved in activities to develop and sharpen their soft skills.
At the School of Engineering, students can volunteer in student-led groups such as Engineers without Borders.
The active student chapter has been contributing their knowledge to improve systems for communities living in rural areas. The Engineering and IT Leadership programme is another initiative where interested students are trained on experiential learning, teambuilding and leadership skills.
“They need to manage projects, people and relations, as well as navigate crises and be sensitive to the needs of other people. How do you deal with people from different cultures who have different needs and habits? These are some questions that need to be addressed in an inclusive and engaging way,” says Prof Guo.
“Our students are also encouraged and given the support to participate in various external design competitions. Some competitions they have excelled at include the annual Shell Eco-marathon and the IChemE competition,” he shares.
The School of Engineering hopes to produce graduates who are not only useful to society and of good character, but also with aspiration. “Our students must have aspirations to contribute to society and not be afraid to take up leadership roles to drive the change for a better world,” concludes Prof Guo.