According to Prof. Ramakrishna’s article about “The Expanding World of Engineers”, he state that “an engineer’s training helps to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic (systematic) approach in designing solution, I was wondering how an engineer accomplishes this.
As a year-one engineer student in NUS, I have already come across with many aspects in NUS that help an engineer accomplishes this.
All engineering students in NUS have to take CS1101C (module code in NUS), which is a computer engineering module. That is training which helps engineer to get used to the idea of systematically analyze complex information and apply a systematic approach in designing solutions. Despite the fact that this module being extremely time consuming and difficult, it does fulfill its purpose to a great extend. To me, the gist of this module is to help us build up confidence to analyze and solve complex problems. Actually, most of the problems we encounter can be broken into many fractions. By solving them systematically which means part by part, problems no longer exist. Having similar training in university prepares an engineer accomplishes this.
Having Internship program is another element that enables an engineer accomplishes this. As an engineering student, he is flooded by all kinds of internship program offered by school. Ever since year one, there are some many internship program offered. Such as Work and Travel in US which is very well known, Work and Travel in Europe etc. once I thought that is too early for engineers to participate these programs, anyway we are year one students, why bored to start having internship program so early. After reading Prof. Ramakrishna’s article, I then realize that it is to prepare us with necessary skills such as systematic thinking to join work force in future. I believed that by having train for systematical analysis as early and as many as possible equip an engineer accomplishes this.
Last but not least, being able to take modules outside engineering faculty also helps to accomplish this. Some may feel that it is not relevant, well you are wrong. I believe that as an engineer he or she must not only have knowledge on one specific field. When interpreting complex problems, the first thing he or she should think is in which field should we approach them instead of how to approach them. I believe that interpreting information from economic point of view is very much different from engineer point of view. Hence, being able to take modules of other faculty broaden our mindset and enable us to apply systematical analysis better.
