Engineering foresight enhancing research and development capacity in the engineering fraternity
The lure towards professional practice amongst engineers and the absence of nationally funded engineering research institutes have taken a toll on the national capacity to undertake research in engineering in the country. University researchers have over the years been leaving in relatively large...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2001
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/20850/1/ID%2020850.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/20850/ |
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| Summary: | The lure towards professional practice amongst engineers and the absence of nationally funded
engineering research institutes have taken a toll on the national capacity to undertake research in
engineering in the country. University researchers have over the years been leaving in relatively
large numbers for the more lucrative manufacturing and construction sectors in search of greener
pastures and the universities are left with a never-ending task of recruiting and training new
academic staff. Research institutes that had been established and fUnded by the government are
predominantly in the agricultural sector and when calls were made to set up engineering research
institutes, It happened during a lime when the government has developed reluctance in setting up
new research institutes. While we hear calls for warld-class research, leading to Noble Laureates
and extensive patenting and commercialization, we find engineering researchers hard-pressed to
maintain a respectable level of R&D activities, let alone compete at the international level.
Engineering research is expensive, given the cast of acquiring any state-of-the-art laboratory
facilities required and unless there is a concerted effort to develop the engineering research
infrastructure and human resource in the country, we may well continue to lag behind the more
advanced countries in this stiffly competitive arena. An engineering foresight study is proposed to
chart the way for engineering research in the country. |
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