Why study engineering.

(adapted from https://www.science-engineering.net)

Engineering is the way of realization of technological progress. En‑

gineers and engineering make a major impact in the everyday lives of

most of us. Engineering qualifications and experience are a foundation

for many different careers.

In recent times it has become fashionable to talk about post-indus‑

trialized economies—in which services take over from manufacturing

under the " law" of comparative advantage. This theory is substantially

flawed. Services are more difficult to export than manufactured goods,

and in any event a significant part of demand for services comes from

the manufacturing sector itself. Therefore engineering—the realiza‑

tion of technological progress—is crucial to creating a modern bal‑

anced economy.

This does not overlook the inevitability of migration of some activities

as part of the phenomenon known as globalization. But the notion

that is still held by some governments is that manufacture and export

constitute a " good" model and globalization (export ofjobs and value

creation) is " bad" and dangerously misleading. As markets become

more integrated and the borders between nation states become less

rigid and regions emerge as the rational units of economic activity,

the question arises as to what activities logically belong within a re‑

gion and what should be outsourced to more appropriate locations.

^Engineers applying the tools and techniques of modern engineering

have accelerated this process of greater organizational fluidity and a

more international approach to satisfying demand wherever it arises.

Value creation is becoming less constrained geographically—^informa‑

tion engineering is accelerating this process of change.