The U.S.-Japan bilateral task force was tasked with addressing the following questions: (1) How do Japan and the United States educate and train engineers, and what are the major similarities, differences, and trends? (2) What are the superior practices that have been developed by each country, especially approaches that could be adopted by the other country? (3) Are there areas in which expanded U.S.-Japan cooperation could help to improve engineering education in the two countries and around the world?
The joint task force was organized by the Committee on Advanced Technology and the International Environment (Committee 149) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and the Committee on Japan (COJ) of the National Research Council (NRC). Committee 149's work was supported by member dues, and the COJ's work was supported by the United States-Japan Foundation and the National Academy of Engineering. The joint task force was chaired by Mildred Dresselhaus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Sogo Okamura of Tokyo Denki University.
Japan and the United States are two of the leading nations in the world in engineering education and practice. Their systems for training and educating engineers display marked contrasts, resulting from the very different economic and cultural environments in which they have developed. The joint task force used a "lifelong learning" approach in examining the two countries' systems, exploring differences and similarities in K-12 education of future engineers, undergraduate and graduate education, as well as continuing education of working professionals. The panel also explored two important issues that will affect engineering education in both countries in the future: the need to educate and train "global engineers" who can work effectively in international contexts, and the potential for information technology to transform engineering education in the future.
- Engineering Education Tasks for the New Century:
- Copyright
- OFFICE OF JAPAN AFFAIRS
- Contents
- Executive Summary
- ISSUES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR JAPAN
- ISSUES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES
- ISSUES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH COUNTRIES
- 1 Introduction
- 2 K-12 Education of Future Engineers
- SUMMARY POINTS
- OVERVIEW
- GENERAL FEATURES OF K-12 EDUCATION IN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES
- Organization, Control, and Funding
- Learning.
- Teaching
- ISSUES AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO ENGINEERING EDUCATION
- Overall Performance of the K-12 System in Mathematics and Science
- Developing New Approaches to Improved Performance
- Promoting Interest in Engineering and Technical Careers
- “Technology in Education” and “Education About Technology”
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 3 University Entrance Issues
- SUMMARY POINTS
- EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT
- UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE PROCESSES AND CRITERIA
- THE EXAM PREPARATION PROCESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
- ISSUES
- Declining Interest in Math and Science.
- Opportunity Costs of Time and Resources
- The Entrance Examination System and the Academic Environment in Universities
- Other New Approaches
- PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 4 Undergraduate and Graduate Education
- SUMMARY POINTS
- STATISTICS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Undergraduate Engineering Education
- Graduate Engineering Education
- CONTENT
- Undergraduate Education
- Graduate Education
- ACCREDITATION AND CONTROL
- ISSUES, CONCERNS, AND REFORM EFFORTS
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 5 Life Long Learning for Engineers
- SUMMARY POINTS
- U.S. AND JAPANESE CONTEXT FOR ENGINEERING CAREERS
- U.S. Context
- Economic Context
- Corporate Context for Continuing Engineering Education in Industry
- Competitive Context for the Content of Continuing Engineering Training
- Expected Competencies of Engineers Entering the Company
- Institutions and Trends
- Other Characteristics of U.S. Engineers
- Japanese Context
- Economic Context
- Corporate Context for Continuing Education in Industry
- Expected Competencies of Engineers Entering the Company
- Institutions and Trends
- Other Characteristics of Japanese Engineers
- U.S.-JAPAN COMPARISON OF ENGINEERING CAREERS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EXPERIENCES.
- Early Career Training
- General Issues
- Xerox Early Career Training
- Fuji Xerox Early Career Training
- The Five to Fifteen Year Professional
- General Issues
- Xerox Practices and Experience.
- Fuji Xerox
- Later Career Trends
- ISSUES
- Maintaining Technical Currency and Vitality
- The Importance of Diversified Experience
- Lifetime Employment and the Need for Different Perspectives
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 6 Meeting the Challenge of Global Engineering
- SUMMARY POINTS
- WHY ENGINEERS WITH GLOBAL CAPABILITIES?
- A U.S.-Japan Definition and Vision of the “Global Engineer”
- U.S. AND JAPANESE CONTEXT FOR DEVELOPING AND UTILIZING ENGINEERS WITH INTERNATIONAL SKILLS
- The Place of Engineers in Society
- Incentives for Organizations.
- Incentives for Individuals
- Accreditation and Certification Standards
- U.S. AND JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL ENGINEERING TASKS AND NECESSARY SKILLS
- The Challenge of Organizing and Managing Multinational Product Teams
- Teamwork
- Language and Cultural Skills
- Knowledge of Business and Engineering Culture.
- “Engineering” Aspects of Global Engineering
- INSTITUTIONS AND RESOURCES FOR PREPARING THE GLOBAL ENGINEER IN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN
- When in Their Careers is it Advantageous for Engineers to Develop International Skills?
- University-Based and Other Formal Educational Programs
- The Need for New Approaches and Expanded Efforts
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 7 The Future University
- SUMMARY
- CONTEXT
- CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AND JAPANESE ENGINEERING SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
- EXAMPLES OF JAPANESE APPROACHES
- Tokyo Denki University.
- Japan-Indonesia Science and Technology Forum
- University of the Air
- Hokkaido Information University
- Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Space Collaboration System
- EXAMPLES OF U.S. APPROACHES6
- Polytechnic University.
- National Technological University
- Stanford University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- NOTES AND REFERENCES
- 8 Conclusions and Recommendations
- CONCLUSIONS
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- By the Japanese Working Group (for Japan)
- By the U.S. Working Group (for the United States)
- By the Joint Task Force (for both Japan and the United States)
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