Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

World Federation of Engineering OrganizationsBarry J. Grear AO, President WFEO 2007–09This Report presents an important opportunity. As the firstever international report on engineering, it gives the world’sengineering community a chance to present the significantcontribution that engineering makes to our world.The Report explores the main issues and challenges facingengineering for development – for the development ofengineering and the crucial role of engineering in internationaldevelopment.The concerns, ideas and examples of good practice captured inthis Report provide valuable information for government policymakers,engineering organizations, international developmentorganizations, engineering colleagues and the wider public tounderstand the future of engineering, capacity needs, engineeringand technical education, and engineering applications.I congratulate and thank all who have contributed to thedevelopment of the book and particularly the editor, Dr TonyMarjoram, who has been an encourager to the engineeringcommunity through his role at UNESCO.The World Federation of Engineering Organizations wasfounded by a group of regional engineering organizations andin 2008 we celebrated forty years of its existence as an internationalnon-governmental organization. WFEO brings togetherregional and national engineering organizations from morethan ninety countries, representing approximately fifteen millionengineers; we are honoured to be associated with the productionof this first UNESCO Engineering Report.StatementsInternational Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological SciencesGerard van Oortmerssen, President CAETS, 2008CAETS, the International Council of Academies of Engineeringand Technological Sciences, recognizes the importance ofrevitalizing engineering as a profession.Engineers are responsible for technological development thathas created our modern society; they have built infrastructure,industrial production, mechanized agriculture, moderntransportation systems, and technological innovations suchas mass media, computers and communication systems.Technological development is continuing at an ever-increasingpace, especially in new areas such as information andcommunication technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology.These developments are exciting, require increasedengineering capacity and deserve public acclaim. Technologicalinnovations have created wealth, facilitated our life andprovided comfort.For some. But not for all.Prosperity and economic development are not distributedequally over the world. Realization of the United Nations MillenniumDevelopment Goals will require significant effort byengineers, but also creativity because the contexts of developingcountries often requires new ways of doing things or therediscovery of traditional techniques.In addition, there are new challenges for engineers. Our societyis facing problems, which, to some degree, have been caused bydevelopments for which engineers are responsible: the depletionof natural resources, environmental problems and climatechange. Talented engineers are needed to provide solutionsfor these problems through greater efficiency in productionprocesses and transportation systems, new sustainable energysources, more efficient use of materials, the recovery of materialsfrom waste... the list is long.There is growing demand for engineering talent from a growingand developing global population. And the nature of engineeringis changing. Engineering has always been multi-disciplinaryin nature, combining physics, chemistry and mathematicswith creative design, invention and innovation; but its scopeis increasing. Engineers, more and more, have to be aware ofthe social and environmental impacts of technology, and haveto work in complex teams, interacting and cooperating withsociety.It is unfortunate that, under these circumstances of growingneed for multi-talented engineers, the interest in engineeringamong young people is waning in so many countries. Awarenessof the importance and the changing nature of engineeringshould be raised in circles of government as well as thegeneral public.CAETS therefore very much welcomes this UNESCO effort toexplore the current state of engineering, and the issues andchallenges for its development and for global development.7