Frontiers in Engineering Education and Research in the 21st Century

Distinguished Lecture SeriesProfessor Venky NarayanamurtiDean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard UniversityAbsractIn our rapidly transforming world, engineering plays an ever more central role,
especially in advancing basic science, creating tools and everyday technologies, driving
economic development and meeting societal challenges in areas from energy to
environment to human health.
In this talk I will examine the changing role of engineering and engineering
research and education to address the great societal challenges of the 21st century. I will
discuss the need for educating broadly trained engineers who understand not only how
thinks work but also how the world works. Such engineers will have broad knowledge
of various disciplines and understand the enormous value of integrative thinking in
addition to reductionist thinking. They will need to be flexible and adaptable and be
able to function in a global marketplace. Such "renaissance engineers" will play a key
leadership role in the emerging knowledge economy.
I will also spend time discussing emerging science and technological frontiers to
address societal problems alluded to earlier. Translating research discoveries into
practice is a key challenge for engineering schools and industrial R & D laboratories.
The need for developing new models for university-industry collaboration and to
develop the appropriate intellectual capital will be discussed.Thursday, January 31, 2008Seminar at 12:45 p.m. in OHE 122Refreshments served after the seminar in HED LobbyThe Scientific Community is Cordially Invited.

Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Petra Pearce Sapir