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engineers and social responsibility Engineering has been and still is the forerunner for the development and progress of any country. But for engineering where will you and I be today? To be more precise how could we boast of our ancient civilization? We should never forget that we are key people in building and sustaining civilization. Engineers are creators, designers and builders. Our ancestors of prehistoric ages were the great designers and builders, who used indigenous methods to design and build Mother Earth. They did not have the modern methods of today such as the use of computer software programming. But they did wonders. The pyramids of Egypt, Taj Mahal of India, The Great Wall of China, The Great Indus Valley, to name a few. Then look at our own country, the Sea of Parakrama, the Great Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba, the Sigiriya Palace in the sky, the Yoda Ela or Giant's Canal and countless other works too numerous to mention which are living memories of their great feats. Key
role The role of an engineer is far reaching and beyond the vistas of human thinking and imagination. The merging technologies of communications and computing have brought about a revolution in everyday life during the 21st century. The familiar mobile phone, CD players and fax machines are being joined by digital broadcast radio and television which offer more channels and much clearer sound and pictures. The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 has resulted in dramatic developments in the technology of telecommunications and helped improve communication between people globally. Today we see the conversion of analogue systems to digital, the dominance of the computer in both operations and management, the widespread use of microelectronic technology, and perhaps more significant in the longer term, the transmission of speech not by electrical signals but by light. Today's business leaders are able to communicate worldwide without paper, and can have meetings with key staff across the globe without leaving either their office or even their home. Thus the principal assets of a company have become information, or to put it another way, we are in a knowledge-based economy. The greatest single technological input of the decade absorbed by Sri Lanka has been information and communications technology. Everything else pales into insignificance in the face of the digital electronic revolution sweeping the country and penetrating its remotest parts. The single greatest factor that facilitated this revolution is the fact that it enjoyed broad partisan support across the political spectrum. Even if politicians and powerful decision makers did not grasp the full implications and impact of the IT revolution, they did not oppose it. Now, the pressure is to take IT to the villages, and make everyone electronically literate or e-literate. The most appreciated gift by a school principal is the gift of a computer, the most appreciated scholarship is in computer science as the entire country tries to catch-up with the rest of the world. Engineers
as managers Some engineers make excellent managers and never want to be leaders. Some have a desire to be leaders early in their career. Some find, when they look within themselves, that they don't have leadership potential, nor do they wish to find it. When it comes to the engineering and technology sectors of industry, however, companies need engineers with leadership skills to run them, not accountants, lawyers or administrators. In this context the Chairman of Sony summed it up by comparing business with sport. "Just as you would not have a rugby coach who never played the game, how can someone who does not understand the working of technology or engineering take up the reins of a technology operation? An excellent definition of what it means to be a leader comes from the former Governor General of Australia, Field Marshall Lord Slim, "There is a difference between leadership and management," he said, "Leadership is of the spirit compounded of personality and vision, its patience is an art. Management is of the mind, a matter of accurate calculation, its practice is science. Managers are necessary, leaders are essential." In the 21st century, success comes from multi-disciplined teams. Leaders do not need to understand the detail of each team member's job, but must appreciate the roles they play. The massive changes brought about by the explosion of technology will be experienced by engineers at their places of work today. Markets will be global, with companies operating from anywhere and competing for business worldwide against other global companies. Employers will be global. We will see the growth of virtual companies as well as virtual universities and centres of learning. The hours of work will be flexible and many people will work from home or transient offices. They will work in geographical locations to suit their family needs. Political
appointees The application of Science and Technology is the main agent of industrial economic and social development. The promotion of co-operation between Science and Technology knowledge producers in the Universities and Research and Development (R&D) Institutions and Science and Technology (S&T) knowledge users in industry and the private sector is vital in the process of innovation and commercialization of R&D. This is extremely important for a developing country like Sri Lanka with economies in transition at a time of globalisation and changing work patterns. Universities, public and private research institutes, industry and government have to become more closely involved and aware of the importance of co-operation with S&T to promote sustainable economic and social development. Industrial development requires education, training and technology transfer. This process should be facilitated by the promotion of University - Industry co-operation. We are glad to note that the process is already in motion with assistance from the Asian Development Bank. The adaptation of university engineering education to address and promote industrial, economic and social needs are of paramount importance. The industry players need the promotion of partnerships between universities and industries in continuing engineering education for professional engineers. The IESL seeks the assistance of industrial organisations to provide this important service to our engineers who are following engineering education at universities which is a pre-requisite to have a structured course of training. With the rapid development of technologies in the industry it is also essential for university teachers to keep abreast with the latest developments by engaging in research studies in industry. We request industrial establishments to provide the necessary opportunities to the academics. Creators To provide budding engineers innovative business skills the IESL conducts the Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) competition annually, open for students between the ages of 14 to 20 years, in which five students took the honours. We request school principals and teachers to inculcate and encourage the students to demonstrate their skills by taking part in the JIY competitions. Power
crisis The delay in
the implementation of the coal power project by successive governments
since 1990 brought about a crisis that burdened domestic consumers,
industry players, hoteliers and the construction industry. IESL
made extensive presentations to the Minister of Power and Energy
with memorandums to the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
of Ministers requesting the urgent implementation of the Norochcholai
coal power plant, a cheaper form of energy than diesel plants in
order to avert a catastrophic situation to the national economy.
We are, however, glad to note that the government has approved the
coal power plant to be installed in Trincomalee, which would enable
commissioning by the year 2008. IESL also views with regret the delay in implementation of the Upper Kotmale Hydro Project despite the availability of funds to commence the project. IESL views the protests made by various sections pertaining to other development projects which have received environmental clearance as a further setback to the development process and economic upliftment of Sri Lanka. Construction
industry Social
responsibility It is very
important for the government to recognize the potential and capabilities
of the professional engineer. A professional engineer is one who
is capable of assuming professional responsibility for the analysis
of engineering principles in the solution of problems and able to
communicate his ideas clearly, concisely and intelligibly to others.
His or her works requires the exercise of original thought and judgement
and the ability to supervise technical and managerial work of others. |
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