Catapulting into the Future: Sustainable Engineering
The message from the World Economic Forum earlier this year was loud and clear. The fourth industrial revolution is upon us, and it is about to unleash wholesale changes as we have never experienced before.
Driverless cars and the increased role of robots in society are just part of the changes that we would be ushering in.
However, the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution has to strictly comply with other initiatives that are being pursued now, such as sustainability, in line with climate change agreements.
The challenge of balancing the onslaught of these advancements in technology has to be juggled with proper management of energy that ensures sustainable growth while ensuring profitability.
With these, the roles of engineers are also expected to evolve at an exponential rate. It was with all these in mind that Monash University Malaysia’s Masters in Advanced Engineering (MAE) was crafted.
Associate Prof Dr Hung Yew Mun who is the coordinator of the MAE program accentuated the benefits of taking up this course.
“Sustainability is still at its infancy stage in Malaysia. The government encourages the adoption of the ISO 50001 framework to improve organisations energy management,” he said.
“The target is to have at 100 companies to be ISO 50001 certified companies in Malaysia by the end of this year. The requirement is for businesses to establish and implement sustainable energy management system,” he added.
As is the case with any new initiatives, the lack of qualified manpower in the field to execute these goals are always a problem.
“We have a lack of expertise in areas related to sustainability in Malaysia. This is a genuine opportunity for graduates as there is bright future in this field,” said Hung.
This program consists of two core units, four specialisation units, and two elective units develop students in the area of energy and sustainability with the ability to develop solutions to complex engineering problems. Students will be given guidance on engineering entrepreneurship where they learn how to construct a business plan that balances technicality with soft skills.
“The goal of this unit is to impart an evidence based methodology for those who wish to build start-ups or start their own businesses. However, the knowledge is also applicable for them to apply when working in an organisation,” added Hung.
As a program that involves the participation of teaching staff from different disciplines of engineering, MAE students will have an opportunity to get personal guidance from lecturers in an intellectually stimulating environment, pushing students out of their comfort zones to come up with original ideas.
Student will have a taste of real life working experience as Monash has collaborations with countless organisations that will provide industry engagement. Among the companies collaborating with Monash are, Intel, Gamuda, Petronas, Maxis, Western Digital, Shell, Cargill, Sunway Construction, Favelle Favco, ABB, CCM Pharmaceuticals and Bacfree.
The MAE program is targeted towards all engineering graduates with Bachelor of Engineering degree from a recognised tertiary institution, with a minimum average grade of 70%, or the equivalent of a second class upper grade.
This one-year program consists of two semesters, with four subjects each semester. The duration of the program for part-time students is two years, with two subjects each semester.