[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/eng_international_studies.jpg” caption=”The new Engineering and International Studies program gives students a global perspective. Photo courtesy of Faculty of Engineering.”]No one can deny that the effects of globalization have been profound. This is particularly true in the engineering profession, where both large and small companies routinely draw talent and resources from the entire world.

In response, the Engineering and Society Program in the Faculty of Engineering has introduced a new five-year Engineering and International Studies Program leading to a B.Eng. Society degree. Students who have successfully completed first-year engineering are eligible to qualify for the program, which begins in September 2007.

The purpose of the Engineering and International Studies program is to train future engineers who are better able to understand the complexities associated with global project management.

For example, it is not unusual to find complex systems designed by North American or European teams, manufactured in China, programmed using software developed in Russia, sold in South America, with technical support from India. In such an environment, an engineer must be able to function in a multitude of cultural settings and be able to co-ordinate widely dispersed and heterogeneous teams.

In an age of just-in-time manufacturing, engineers must also be able to schedule manufacturing processes in a manner that accounts for costs and delays in the delivery of components.

The world is also facing environmental challenges that are intrinsically global. The control of greenhouse gases and air pollution, the treatment of contaminated groundwater, the scarcity of potable water, the infrastructure needed to withstand extreme weather due to climate change, and the development and containment of genetically modified foods, are all engineering problems that require international teamwork.

Since the development of basic engineering skills is already present in the Faculty's regular four-year programs, the Engineering and International Studies Program will only require additional studies that focus on skills and knowledge that are not part of the regular curricula.

This includes an understanding of and sensitivity to the different cultural, political, religious and historical backgrounds of potential collaborators. It also includes additional technical training in areas that are particularly important in international settings, such as international project management and supply chain management.