Infusing Engineering Practice into the Core to Meet the Needs of a Knowledge-based Economy

A number of Middle Eastern countries are experiencing extraordinary rates of growth and development. Concurrently, they have been placing an increasing focus on building sustainable, knowledge-based economies. To function in such economies, professional engineers require not only technological know-how, but also a set of key professional skills and broad understanding of contemporary issues. Critical to efforts to prepare local engineering undergraduates for careers in today’s economy, it is argued, is a rethinking of how engineers are educated. In this paper, the major aspects of calls for reform are highlighted, with a discussion of suggested pedagogical approaches and changes in learning environment that can better prepare engineers for the roles they will play in the 21st century. One set of innovations which appears to be having positive impacts in this direction are the efforts of the Arts and Science Program at a small Middle Eastern engineering university. The A&S Program provides the core courses in the first two years of engineering studies at this institute. Over the past two years, it has been designing and implementing a comprehensive set of curricular innovations in order to better prepare local engineering undergraduates for engineering studies and careers in the energy sector. Three components of this comprehensive approach will be presented in this paper, with reference to how each was conceived, designed, and implemented. Early indications of the impacts are also shared. The paper will conclude with identifications of challenges faced and recommendations for how to better enable and support continuing enhancement of the preparation of engineering students for