Embedding Leadership in Civil Engineering Education
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 126, Issue 1
Abstract
Leadership is a key element in meeting the needs of the civil engineering profession in an era of heightened global competition. Consulting and construction executives intent on maintaining a competitive edge are calling upon educators to produce civil engineers capable of leading multidisciplinary teams, combining technical ingenuity with business acumen, and effectively communicating narrow engineering endeavors within a comprehensive social framework. Our industry is challenging undergraduate schools to broaden curricula beyond the intellectual endeavors of design and scientific inquiry to the greater domain of professional leadership. Many agree that formal leader development must be incorporated into engineering education programs to respond to the professional demands of practicing engineers; however, the means of achieving the objectives within tightly constrained curricula are debated. This paper explores the changing nature of civil engineering in a globally competitive environment, reviews the issues in realigning civil engineering education, identifies key leadership skills relevant to engineering, and proposes solutions for developing leaders at our undergraduate institutions.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 126 • Issue 1 • January 2000
Pages: 16 - 20
History
Received: Jan 11, 1999
Published online: Jan 1, 2000
Published in print: Jan 2000
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