Essay on Engineering in the 21st Century: Problem and Solution

The world of today is changing very fast, and to engineers, the rate is faster than they can keep up. The field of engineering has existed for many years. It is responsible for the great developments that have become part of human nature. They are very important because they give the civilization of today identity. Engineering is associated with aspects of the development of new structures and development which are used for making the lives of people better. The world is ever changing leading to a new challenge to different professionals including engineers. The scope and pace of the change have led to improved technology that has both negative and positive impact on lives. On the one hand, it has offered the possibility to share information on a global scale and on the other numerous individuals cannot live a quality life. Urbanization has had massive implications for the design, implementation, and development of projects by engineers. These individuals have to come up with solutions for the ever-changing social and economic context (Travis, & Lagrosen, 2014). They not only have to understand the basic principles of the subjects with a historical perspective but they also have to understand the possible future problems and hence create innovations that cater to them. Engineers have to take into account the fact that the world is changing fats and tune their activities in a way that meets the needs of the changing world.

Research and development

One major solution to the fast-changing world is the development of new technologies at faster rates. Research and development is an activity associated with collecting information for upgrading technologies. The fast rate of change in the world of today is because of high focus on research and development. Heavy competition among companies has forced a high level of funding for research to develop new and better technologies that can compete favorably within the market. Engineers need to ensure that they are always ahead. They are based on an industry characterized by the development of solutions needed to make life easier. Research and development are characterized by having investigative undertakings with the aim of improving a particular technology. Research and development in the field of engineering lead to the development of innovative technologies. It is linked with the first stage of development of a potential new product service or technology who applications may help change the world. Engineers dealing with research and development are expected to develop new items and technologies. New technologies, products, and services are considered as crucial aspects of the survival of any organization or society. A good example is the development of the wheel which led to a revolution. However, in the world t\of today things change fast, and engineers have to make sure that they revise their current designs and technologies to ensure that they are suited to meet the needs of the world. The problem of having technology that is obsolete can only be solved by the development of new ones. In this case, research and development lead to the collection of new information about developing better and innovative technology (Travis, & Lagrosen, 2014).

Funding

Funding is paramount for the development of innovations that will cater to the ever-changing world. Most governments have set aside huge budgets for research and development, but most of the fund is used for the production, evaluation, testing and system development of the existing technologies. While this is a good move on the side of the government, they should create new avenues for funding of new technologies. A separate budget should be set for the active production and expansion of knowledge in engineering to ensure the production and development of innovations that will cater for future foreseen problems. The funding should assess the priorities of these innovations and how promising they are to the needs of the nation. Congress should examine the budget and hence be able to prioritize the important projects, close projects that are less important and incorporate projects that are similar. Funding should be provided to engineers on the bases of scientific excellence and the impact of the project to the society rather than based on the institution from which the project is from. Independent reviews should be used to ensure that the funding is awarded to qualified engineers. This will make the work of engineers and their innovations more responsive to the changing needs of the society and nation through the creation of new technologies that improve living conditions of humans and enable the flourishing social institutions and communities (Grimaldi, 2011).

Broadening the career range of engineers

The number of Engineers plays a vital role in ensuring their success in creating innovations for the changing world. As the world responds to the expanding competition, public health needs and other pressing issues like the degradation of the environment and dwindling national security, it is paramount to widen the number of professionals in different fields. This will contribute to the development of the economy and society at large. Engineers with advanced degrees and PhDs play a central role in development. They contribute directly to the development of technology, culture, and economy of any country. Due to this, the number of educated engineers should be increased through the provision of easy access to education. Most of the individuals who have PhDs in engineering lack the tenure-track positions that they have the ability it holds. Most countries face staff reduction due to the reconstruction of the industry (Grasedieck, 2015).

The broadening of career options for engineers is important because it would help open up the industry and find new applications for the field of engineers. Engineers are needed in almost all facets of the human life because they deal with the development of new products services and technologies needed to improve human life. A broadened industry means that more areas of study can have engineers who could help in development. More opportunities are needed for the field of engineering because it is an industry that deals with the improvement of the lives of human beings. Governments should, therefore, embark on developing grants to offer financial support to graduates students to help them in their research. Such grants would help students increase their versatility which would be very helpful in broadening the industry. The government should also ensure that it develops more career options for them to ensure that there are more opportunities for engineers to develop their careers. Providing a good channel between graduate students and the industry would help in building their confidence and make it easy for them to carry out their engineering work (Travis, & Lagrosen, 2014).

References

Travis, F., & Lagrosen, Y. (2014). Creativity and Brain-Functioning in Product Development Engineers: A Canonical Correlation Analysis. Creativity Research Journal, 26(2), 239-243.Grimaldi, J. V. (2011). Safety Engineering in a Changing World. Professional Safety, 56(12), 1

Grasedieck, D. (2015). Fit for the future in a digitized Europe through education. Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Academic Conference, 1-12.