BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS &
GLOBALISATION
CHAPTER SIX

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Global Challenges Civil Engineers Must Overcome

Restoring and Developing

Making Solar Providing Managing the
Improving Carbon
Energy Access to Nitrogen
Urban Sequestration
Economical Clean Water Cycle
Infrastructure Methods

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 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Making Solar Energy Economical

Currently, solar energy provides less than 1% of the
world's total energy.
Steps must be taken to improve solar cells, reduce their
costs, and provide efficient ways to use their electricity to
create storable fuel.
Only then, solar power will assert its superiority to fossil
fuels as a sustainable motive force for civilisation’s
continued prosperity.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Restoring and Improving Urban Infrastructure

Rebuilding and enhancing urban infrastructure faces problems

beyond the search for engineering solutions.
Various policies and political barriers must be addressed and
overcome.
Funding for infrastructure projects has been inadequate in many
areas and therefore must be increased.
The practice of letting infrastructure wear out before replacing it,
rather than incorporating technological improvements during its
lifetime, must be avoided.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Providing Access to Clean Water

Clean, cheap water may be available to the rich
while the poor have to seek out supplies, at higher
costs, from intermediary providers or unsafe
natural sources.
Technological solutions to the world’s water
problems must be implemented within systems
that recognise and address these inequities.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Managing the Nitrogen Cycle

Food production through farming has been able to keep
pace with human population growth thanks to the
development of new high-yielding crop varieties
optimally grown with the help of fertilizers.
Engineering strategies to increase denitrification could
help reduce the excess accumulation of fixed nitrogen,
but the challenge is to create nitrogen molecules – not
nitrous oxide, N2O, the greenhouse gas.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Developing Carbon Sequestration Methods

The growth in emissions of carbon dioxide,
implicated as a prime contributor to global
warming, is a problem that can no longer.
Engineers must find methods for carbon
sequestration, which is the process of capturing the
carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and
storing it safely away from the atmosphere.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?

• Globalisation is the process by which national and

regional economies, societies, and cultures have
become integrated through the global network of
trade, communication, immigration and
transportation.
• Globalisation has resulted in:
• increased international trade.
• companies operating in more than one country.
• greater dependence on the global economy.
• freer movement of capital, goods, and services.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?

Positive Impacts Of Globalisation

Inward investment by
transnational companies
(TNCs) helps countries by
providing new jobs and skills
for local people.
TNCs bring in wealth and
foreign currency to local
economies, which can be
spent on education, health and
infrastructure.
The sharing of ideas,
experiences and lifestyles of
people and cultures. For
example, people can
experience products not
previously available in their
countries.

Globalisation may help to

Globalisation increases
awareness of events in far-
away parts of the world.
make people more aware of
global issues such as
deforestation and global
warming - and alert them to
the need for sustainable
development.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

WHAT IS GLOBALISATION?

Negative Impacts Of Globalisation

TNCs may drive local
Globalisation operates mostly
companies out of business, Globalisation may drown out
in the interests of the richest
and if it becomes cheaper to local economies, traditions
countries, which continue to
operate in another country, and languages, and simply re-
dominate world trade at the
TNCs might close down the cast the whole world in the
expense of developing
factory and make local people mould of the capitalists.
countries.
redundant.

TNCs may operate in third Employment disparity,

world countries in a way that
would not be allowed in
developed countries. For
example, they may impose
poor working conditions and
low wages on local workers.
whereby companies in
developed nations have
outsourced their
manufacturing and white-
collar jobs to countries where
the cost of labour is lower.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

• As a result of sophisticated telecommunications

and the digitisation of engineering work
processes, increasing portions of engineering
work can be done without being close to
particular persons, places, or other processes.
• In principle, this work can be done anywhere in
the world that has access to:
• global telecommunications networks and
requisite software packages, and
• adequately trained personnel.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

Offshoring Engineering Jobs

Risks and Benefits: Benefits of

Definition: criticisms: offshoring are usually
Offshoring means Offshoring is often lower costs, better
getting work done in a criticised for availability of skilled
different country transferring jobs to people, and getting
other countries. work done faster
Other risks include through a global
geopolitical risk, talent pool
language differences
and poor
communication

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

• Engineering education in developing nations, such as India and China, follow a

curriculum roughly comparable to the one taught in developed nations.
• Thus a global pool of conventionally trained engineers is growing. This creates a
global competition with engineers in developing nations whose wages are 40 to 80
percent lower.
• Companies had been offshoring manufacturing for decades. Now, companies are
sending engineering work abroad as well, by outsourcing work to offshore vendors
or assigning it to overseas divisions.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

• The trend was most pronounced in information technology, computing, and

consumer electronics, where U.S., European, and Japanese firms had hired hundreds
of thousands of programmers and engineers in China, India, and other developing
nations.
• Corporations justified offshoring easily. They needed local engineers to enter
developing markets, claiming they could not find enough skilled engineers at home.
They also wanted to speed up product introductions and believed offshoring cuts
costs.
• Offshoring was reaching critical mass in many engineering fields. Thus, large
corporations saw overseas divisions as new centers of excellence, and offshore
vendors as low-cost sources of design and engineering.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

• Offshoring is being driven by several factors, including:

• the desire of corporations to establish their business presence in potentially
lucrative foreign markets, and
• to take advantage of lower costs of production and skilled labor in those
markets.
• However, in some cases, companies that have offshored work have brought it back
home because of:
• poor work quality,
• difficulty in not dealing with someone face-to-face,
• communication breakdowns, and
• cultural differences. BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

Adverse Impacts of Offshoring Engineering Jobs

• Some of the potential adverse consequences include:

• loss of employment opportunities and income for technical
professionals
• loss of payroll and income taxes at the national, state, and local levels
• an increasing imbalance in trade
• transfer of investment capital overseas
• increasing reliance on foreign sources of consumer products and
defense hardware and capabilities

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

Adverse Impacts of Offshoring Engineering Jobs (cont’d)

• Of particular concern is the offshoring of high-wage, high-value-added
engineering and technical jobs that could threaten a nation’s leadership
in technological innovation, which has implications on economic
competitiveness.
• The downward pressure on job opportunities, wages, and working
conditions that will occur as more and more engineering jobs are shifted
to lower-cost offshore locations may discourage the best and brightest
young people from pursuing careers in engineering.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

HOW DOES GLOBALISATION AFFECT ENGINEERS?

Dealing With Offshoring of Engineering Jobs

• Instead of putting a stop to offshoring, nations must be resilient in the

face of strong international competition, which is being fueled by the
offshoring of technology and intellectual property.
• To do that, nations need to have an innovative strategy that makes it
advantageous for the industry to create and retain high-wage, high-value-
added manufacturing and service-sector jobs.
• Other steps include strengthening investments in R&D, and increasing
the support for science and mathematics education in schools.
• Also, help must be given to those displaced by these economic changes,
especially the high-tech professionals and other workers whose jobs are
offshored and who currently receive little or no government assistance.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

GROUP EXERCISE 4

• Form a group consisting of five (5) members.

• Discuss and share your thoughts on the following:

Are Malaysian universities well-prepared in producing future engineers who

can face the many challenges of globalisation?

What should be done by universities, the industry and engineering

institutions to equip engineering students with the required knowledge and
skills needed in the 21st century?

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• In the 21st century, globalisation is seen

as a driver of change. China and India,
with their large population base and vast
talent pool, are surging ahead as
competing economies.
• In order to thrive in this fast advancing
global market, engineers will need to
consider three ICs:
• Integrity and Competency
• Integration and Communication
• Internationalisation and Cooperation.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Integrity and Competency

• As engineers, it is important that we maintain a high ethical standard as the decisions
we make will have a direct effect on the society.
• In the practice of the profession, engineers must adhere to high principles of ethical
conduct on behalf of the public, clients, employers, and the profession.
• Professional engineering organisations should initiate and conduct thorough studies
and open discussions on the problems from the technical perspective.
• Engineers can share their ideas, offer solutions and engage in meaningful public
discussion. This promotes a new culture of transparency and openness in-line with
ethics and professionalism that we hold on to.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• In order to protect the safety, health and welfare of the public, engineers must be
competent in providing professional service and advice.
• To succeed in this competitive world, engineers will have to:
• be equipped with the highest standards of R&D skills,
• keep abreast with global technological trends,
• be strategic thinkers and planners, and
• develop market driven services and high-tech products or systems.
• In order to stay current, engineers should continue their professional and ethical
development throughout their careers to further enhance a greater level of
professionalism and professional expertise.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• Engineers must take steps that go beyond their job, such as:
• participating in professional societies,
• attending continuing education courses,
• gaining new skills and competencies in both technical and non-technical aspects
through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes,
• reading professional publications, and
• developing a network of fellow professionals.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Integration and Communication

• As we move towards a more knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy,
engineers too will move beyond being technically equipped.
• Engineers should move towards obtaining an even wider range of expertise, such as
in research and development, consulting, regulatory knowledge, leadership, and
management.
• Engineers tackle multi-faceted problems that require solutions beyond the reach of
any single discipline. Much of the work will involve teams of people, other engineers
and people in disciplines. In some cases, team members will work in other locations
around the world.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• Thus, engineers must be able to collaborate and work in multi-disciplinary and multi-
cultural teams as well as communicate well.
• As engineers we should have the ability to communicate both in writing and orally
because we are required to:
• write specifications and technical descriptions,
• prepare written status or progress reports to management,
• present design concepts to senior engineering management at design reviews,
• communicate technical information to staff who have no technical training,
• prepare product brochures and marketing materials, and
• prepare bids or other kinds of funding proposals.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Internationalisation and Cooperation

• Globalisation – characterised by the increase in international trade, mobility of
labour and capital, and borderless communications – presents new opportunities and
challenges for the engineering sector.
• Engineers should therefore aim to achieve engineering excellence not only in their
home country, but also contribute to the development of the region and the world.
• Local professional engineers should look beyond national boundaries and create
winning partnership with foreign professionals and high technology industry leaders
abroad.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• Engineering should be one of the active service sectors considered for regional
economic integration.
• A mutual agreement on engineering services can be signed between nations to
encourage a shared interest between the governments and the regional engineering
community to improve and enhance the competitiveness of engineering services
quality as well as facilitating the free flow of engineering professionals within the
region.
• Initiatives can be taken towards forming multilateral agreements between nations for
engineering graduates, criteria for working independently, and for the recognition of
experienced engineers.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

New Skill Set for Engineers in the 21st Century

• Being technically proficient will still be important, but in an environment that
emphasises cross-border collaboration, one needs to augment analytical left-brain
abilities with creative right-brain skills.
• A list of what the engineer of the 21st century will need to succeed would look
something like this:

Good Ability to work Cross-cultural Capacity to Business acumen

communication in teams sensitivity and handle complex and sense of
skills, including knowledge, and systems entrepreneurship
multiple social
languages awareness

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM
 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• An entrepreneur is defined as a business

leader and innovator of new ideas and
business processes.
• The field of engineering is becoming more
multi-disciplinary. Engineering education
now includes skills such as accounting,
leadership, international relations, quality
management, communication skills, and
research – all vital skills for being an
entrepreneur, and establishing and running
their own business.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• Key aspects to being entrepreneurial are vision and opportunity.

• Being entrepreneurial allows an engineer to be more strategic in a project or in an
organisation.
• Being involved at multiple, cross-disciplinary levels can give an engineer a broader
perspective on the end result of the project, sometimes resulting in engineering
insights and decisions that improve the final product.
• Now is a good time to be an entrepreneur. With the globalisation of business and
the uncertain economy, there are plenty of opportunities to evaluate and pursue.
• The global economy is actually a target-rich environment for technology-based
entrepreneurs.
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 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Engineers Make Good Corporate Leaders

• Having an engineering degree will provide many different job opportunities. One of
those career possibilities includes becoming an entrepreneur.
• Starting a new business can be quite challenging. However, an engineer possesses a
few characteristics that will make the transition a bit easier.
• Many engineers have become corporate leaders. It was reported that 33% of Chief
Executive Officers (CEOs) of leading companies listed on Standard & Poor’s 500
Index (S&P 500) are actually qualified engineers.
• Engineers make good corporate leaders due to the similarities in terms of acquired
skills.
BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Skills that both Engineers and Corporate Leaders have:

1. Effective project planning, time management and problem solving
• Over the course of their education, trainee engineers tackle a variety of projects. Each
has a strict deadline, encourages finding an innovative, efficient solution and needs to be
approached in a well-structured fashion. Those who can succeed in this area will find
their skills translate very well to workplace best practices.

2. A keen attention to detail

• Engineering is said by some to be “applied mathematics”, and engineers need to sweat
the small stuff! With the vast sums of money at stake in the world of business, firms want
employees who can work with both the “big picture” and appreciate the finer details of
their operations.

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 BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

3. Good teamwork and communication

• While different people will be more or less charismatic than others, aspiring engineers
have to work with groups of fellow students on team projects. Even if an individual
engineer might not be an inspiring speaker, he/she will almost certainly be able to
communicate well within a team – an invaluable trait when in a management position.

4. Strong numeracy, and experience in data processing

• The link between engineering and mathematics is very close. While one does not need to
be a mathematical genius to succeed in business, it certainly helps. Whether in
negotiations, writing a business plan or just trying to make sense of data, knowing the
way around numbers is a huge asset.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM

BFC 32202 – ENGINEERS & SOCIETY

ENGINEERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

5. A high level of computer skills and technical knowledge

• All businesses need to keep up with modern technology to thrive. Engineers also need
their fingers on the pulse; many have a working knowledge of programming, as well as an
understanding of the uses and limitations of the technology of the day.

BDD/FKAAS/UTHM