Study: GOALI: Offshoring - The New Challenge for Engineering Educators

这笔赠款资助了一项试点研究，研究由于工程工作离岸外包/外包而产生的两个密切相关的问题。 具体而言，在全球化、电子通信能力增强和先进工业国家经济衰退的推动下，经济和政治发展的复杂进程是否导致全世界对工程工作和工程人才的竞争大幅增加？ 如果是，则：1）工程教育工作者必须面对的问题是，确保毕业生将继续为市场带来价值，因为他们的工资要求是国际竞争对手的三到四倍; 2）美国公司必须重新定义美国工程师的角色和任务，特别是那些处于职业生涯早期阶段的工程师，以便他们获得这种价值。 匹兹堡大学工程学院的教师将与在环太平洋地区开展业务的三家不同的美国公司（HJ海因茨、肯纳金属和西玛产品公司）的同事一起开展这一项目。 作为2004年夏季海上项目的一部分，它将利用一个独特的机会，与美国科学和工程专业的学生和教师一起，直接研究主要的太平洋沿岸国家。 作为该计划的一部分，教师和学生将访问韩国，台湾，中国，香港，日本和越南的公司，与生产经理，公司官员，工程师和车间工人会面。 他们还将与这些国家的大学同事会面。 通过关注在过去30年中逐渐向海外转移的制造业，可以更好地了解工程实践和教育的发展方向。如果成功完成，本研究将以第一人称深入概述外包对至少六个太平洋沿岸国家的一系列美国和跨国公司设施的影响。 全面，严格的实地调查将确保对美国制造商面临的问题，特别是他们的工程人员要求，有一个清晰，简洁的了解。 这项及时的研究不仅与工程有关，而且与任何专业有关，在这些专业中，知识可以通过电子方式传输给地球仪上任何地方的高技能人员，但成本较低。

This grant funds a pilot study of two closely related problems that have arisen as a result of the offshoring/outsourcing of engineering work. Specifically, have the complex processes of economic and political development, motivated by globalization, enhanced electronic communication capabilities and recessions in the advanced industrial countries resulted in substantially increased worldwide competition for engineering jobs and engineering talent? If so, then: 1) Engineering educators must confront the issue of ensuring that graduates will continue to bring value to a market place in which their salary demands are three or four times greater than their international competitors; and 2) US companies must redefine the roles and assignments given to US based engineers, especially those in the early stages of their careers so that they receive that value. Faculty from the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering will conduct this project in conjunction with colleagues from three diverse US corporations with operations in the Pacific Rim (HJ Heinz, Kennametal and Sima Products Corporation). It will take advantage of a unique opportunity to study key Pacific Rim countries first hand in combination with US science and engineering students and faculty as part of the Summer 2004 Semester at Sea Program. As part of this program, faculty and students will visit firms in Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Vietnam, meeting with production managers, corporate officers, engineers, and shop floor workers. They will also meet with university colleagues in each of these countries. By focusing on manufacturing, a sector that has progressively moved offshore over the past three decades, a better understanding as to where engineering practice and, as a result, education might be headed will be obtained.If successfully completed, this study will provide a first-person, in-depth overview of the impact of outsourcing in a series of US and multinational companies' facilities in at least six Pacific Rim countries. The comprehensive, rigorous fieldwork will ensure should result in a clear, concise picture of the issues facing US manufacturers in general and their engineering personnel requirements in particular. This timely study is not only relevant to engineering, but to any profession in which knowledge can be transmitted electronically to highly skilled, but lower cost, personnel anywhere on the globe.