Ensuring quality engineering education

In order to keep pace with astonishingly rapid technological developments and at the same time make engineering education more relevant to the societal needs, academicians and researchers worldwide are putting great efforts. Different national level bodies have been installed in developed and leading developing countries to monitor and enhance the quality of engineering education. One such body, well known worldwide, is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) of the US. ABET sets up criteria for and monitors engineering programmes to ensure quality in engineering education. The 2003-2004 ABET accredition criteria require that engineering education programmes must demonstrate that their graduates acquire the following attributes during his/her course of study:

a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data; c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs; d) an ability to function in multidisciplinary teams; e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems; f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility; g) an ability to communicate effectively; h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global/societal context; i) a recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning, j) a knowledge of contemporary issues, and k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

It is time that our educational leaders think how far we have been able to instill such qualities in our engineering graduates.

There are enormous scopes and need for the improvement of the quality of engineering education in terms of both 'software' and 'hardware' in this country. On the 'soft ware' side, the mindset of the educators are to be changed, from the traditional to a quality oriented one. There has to be a system in place in each of the engineering institutions that defines quality of education, develop means to measure it, monitor the quality and improve upon it on a sustainable basis. Such a system is seen to be almost totally non-existent (or very feeble, if it at all exists in some form) at present in the engineering institutions of the country. On the "hardware" side, a sizable investment in terms of laboratory infrastructure in Universities that are lagging far behind is long overdue. Engineering graduates coming out of the Universities including BUET, with exposure to old equipment of the fifties of the last century or very little exposure to modern equipment, are finding obvious difficulties in industries that are using modern equipment. Modern teaching aids like models, software, audiovisual aids etc. should be routinely used in teaching to make difficult engineering subjects understandable to the students within the limited time span available.

Engineering education in the country so far has hardly been need-based. No formal survey has been carried out to assess the need for engineering graduates by local graduates. The adequacy of preparation of engineering graduates and their relevance to the local job market need to be critically analysed. There appears to be a real gap between the supply and demand situations of engineering graduates in the country. While a sizable number of engineering graduates remain unemployed at present, many industrial units in the country are currently employing foreign engineering professionals particularly from India, Pakistan, etc. In order to reduce the gap, there has to be a dialogue between employers, academic institutions and government. Engineering scenario has undergone significant changes in the country in recent years. Earlier engineering graduates were only tuned to work in government enterprises. This is not the situation any more. Industries have been established in the private sector which currently employ a large number of engineering graduates. In order to speed up industrialization, more engineering graduates should emerge as entrepreneurs. It is now very important that our education system instill entrepreneurial and innovative zeal in our engineering graduates.

Engineering education can hardly be discussed without referring to the existing engineering capabilities of the country. With the exception of the civil construction sector in the country, engineering in general still means routine operation and some maintenance. The country has no engineering capability to design and develop industrial process, materials, machine/ devices etc. right from the drawing board. This is not surprising in view of the fact that practically nothing has been done so far to initiate and sustain engineering research in this country. There is no engineering research institution in the country. This is in contrast to the agriculture sector, where nationwide R&D infrastructure exists (in more than twenty R&D organizations) and a sizable amount of investment has been made in agricultural research. The outcome has been positive as evidenced by increased agricultural production. No such parallel investment has been made in the engineering sector. In order to achieve the required rate of economic growth to repeal poverty, the country must direct its attention towards the industrial sector. Capacity build up and innovation in engineering is a precondition to achieving industrial growth.

In modern technology, education and research go hand in hand. Institutions with good research environment can provide enriching and creative experience to their students so as to encourage innovation that is key to achieving a sound indigenous technological base in the country. BUET has been playing a leading role in the field of engineering education in the country. With the establishment of four new universities of engineering and technology in the country, BUET has even greater role to play in the future. BUET should emphasise even more on quality rather than quantity. It should limit the number of its undergraduate intake and engage itself vigorously in research. It should set definitive goals to expand its masters and Ph.D. programmes. It is only through quality education and advanced research that BUET can retain its position of role model for other engineering institutions.

Finally, the policy makers and academic leaders must realize that there must be a system in place in the country to induce, monitor and ensure the quality of engineering education on a sustainable basis in the country. In parallel with this, the country must give due emphasis on engineering research in order to develop a base for indigenous engineering capabilities. It is high time to devise a comprehensive national level policy and action plan in this connection.

Dr A S M A Haseeb is Professor, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, BUET